This may not add much to the cause of poetry) but here it is - an ode to financial planning .....
Bob grew up in Timaru, yes he did
A good little boy who did as his Mother bid
His parents were careful with money through and through
Bob however initially did not have a financial clue
Not that as a youngster it mattered, until the wedding bells
Bob and wife Tina then entered a sort of financial hell
Mortgage and credit card debts Bob and Tina did easily accrue
The effect on his income made Bob quite blue
Matters needed to be sorted, that they knew
Off to a Financial Planner the two of them flew
Right they were told, a solid base you will need
Sort out the household budget if you want off your knees
Planning your expenditure is the very first step
At less than your income spending must be kept
The other part of the solid base they were told
Ensure that big risks for an insurance premium have been sold
Making it cost effective and flexible will give future assurance
Check general, life, income and medical insurance
Now with the solid base they had created
Building investment wealth on top of it could be debated
Bob’s only thought was that he didn’t want to crash and burn
The Financial Planner started with risk and return
After discussion a retirement savings goal was set
Enough to allow $50,000 per annum in retirement to be met
The power of compounding to them was exposed
There’s no way said Bob that to this I can be opposed
A young man luckily, I still am
People, thought Bob, should never leave it to late to plan
I now have a goal in mind I know I can reach
Pleased I am that part of my retirement should now be on the beach
Sorted out, back into the community Bob and Tina did go
To enjoy life today but also to defer some for tomorrow
On getting rid of their mortgage they did first concentrate
The interest saving, they made could only be called just great
Investments month by month they put in place
Shares, property, fixed interest and cash at a regular pace
Providing growth ahead of inflation was the first step
Solid, ongoing real returns was where they needed it kept
Though there was some volatility in the short term
Keeping their eyes on the long term was a good trick they learned
At retirement one thing to them became clear
There was no doubt that the bull had beaten off the bear
Enough for $50,000 per year the regular contributions had done
With planning along the way they had also had fun
Now a winters holiday in Port Douglas each year by plane
Being able to afford Sky was also important to keep Bob sane
