The conventional idea

The first step of conventional financial planning is inevitably setting such financial goals like sending children to college, buying a new car, saving for a down payment on a house, going on vacation, paying off high interest credit card debt, or planning for retirement etc.

We disagree with this process. The fundamental flaw of such financial planning process lies in the assumption of the need to set a limit to what one can earn. Yes, by setting GOALs in terms of expenses we assume such expenses are worth to be goals that we should spend our life's on. In our mind we set a limit on our earnings capability so that such expenses now are financial goals.

So instead of drafting a financial plan that makes us rich and makes every big ticket item so affordable, we draft a plan that makes every big expense a goal. We live a life of the middle class struggling to pay for our insurance, our children's college expenses, a slightly bigger car, home loan, credit card debts, etc.

Your financial advisors tell you that base on your current income, this is what you can get for the rest of your life. And you accept that.

The ultimate financial goal is to be rich enough that such expenses like children's college education are like buying a movie ticket. You don't set a financial goal to buy movie tickets. Do you?

Part 1 : The conventional idea
Part 2 : The breakaway wisdom: income and assets
Part 3 : Building assets(i)
Part 4 : Assets(i) planning
Part 5 : Further exploration on the principle

Quick takes
1. The principle in a nutshell
2. Definition of assets(i)
3. Classes of assets(i)

The breakaway wisdom

Ultimately financial planning is about planning of assets that generate income. The ultimate DESIRED RESULT is sustainable and continuous income, the MEANS is building, managing and protecting the assets that generate such income. The GOAL is continuous income, the MEANS is assets planning.

There are four types of income generating assets in general:
1. Human assets, i.e. your skills, your labour, your knowledge, your capabilities, etc.
2. Paper assets, i.e. stocks, bonds, etc.
3. Real estates, and
4. Businesses

These assets put money, the recurring monthly income, into your pockets.

Set your financial goals in terms of sustainable and recurring monthly income. Maximize the income generating capability of your assets*. As you grow older the income generating pattern should change. You move away your income generating assets from human assets, i.e. your time and labour, to financial assets, i.e. businesses, stocks, real estates, etc. You must then remember to protect these assets accordingly.

* When we talk about assets, we are referring to assets and liabilities in terms of financial only. We use Robert Kiyosaki's definition of assets and liabilities: assets put money into your pocket and liabilities take money away from you pocket. So having a big house and a big car that you have to maintain but not generating income are liabilities even though they are probably assets in terms of quality of life. So children are, strictly financial, liabilities even though they are God-given blessing to our life and are our most precious assets (not in financial terms), and that we are more than happy to have such financial liabilities in exchange for their existence.

It is indeed all about "Income Generating Assets", OR assets(i).


Part 1 : The conventional idea
Part 2 : The breakaway wisdom: income and assets
Part 3 : Building assets(i)
Part 4 : Assets(i) planning
Part 5 : Further exploration on the principle

Quick takes
1. The principle in a nutshell
2. Definition of assets(i)
3. Classes of assets(i)

Assets(i) building and planning

When young, we go to college to equip ourselves with knowledge and skills to increase our income generating capability. Our main income generating assets are human assets, i.e. our time, skills and knowledge. We protect these income generating assets, e.g. our body and brain, with life insurance. We increase the income generating capability of these assets with better knowledge and refined skills through training and experience.

With the income, we slowly build our financial assets, e.g. businesses, real estates and stocks.

After many years, even if we do not want to retire (for we are doing the things that we love and earning affluent and sustainable income out of it) we must be ready for the fact that one day our body will slowly lose its functional capabilities to earn. We will stop working. We will need to pay medical bills, healthcare expenses and will want to leave behind a financial legacy for our children and charity organizations that are in need. Thus, before the happening of all these inevitable natural events, we need to move our income generating pattern, from mainly consisting of human assets to financial assets. These financial assets will still give you a sustainable and continuous monthly income, keep growing and without depleting its original principal. (Yes, your depleting unit trust nest, that you built when young in order for you to withdraw when old, is a big problem. But your real estates that give you stable income until your body turn into ashes are one of the right instruments.) You buy appropriate insurance to protect such assets and the income that these assets generate.

When your main income generating assets moves away from human assets, life insurance (that protects your human assets and its income) becomes less important. But insurance for your financial assets, e.g. business, etc. becomes more important. Life insurance does have a part here to ensure liquidity arising from untimely death and to replace the skills of managing such financial assets.


Part 1 : The conventional idea
Part 2 : The breakaway wisdom: income and assets
Part 3 : Building assets(i)
Part 4 : Assets(i) planning
Part 5 : Further exploration on the principle

Quick takes
1. The principle in a nutshell
2. Definition of assets(i)
3. Classes of assets(i)

Assets(i) planning

We can therefore split assets(i) planning into 2 sections:

1. Career planning
2. Financial planning

Career planning is about finding career satisfaction and building the earning capability of your human assets. You will need financial planning to protect your human assets, i.e. life insurance, at this stage.

Financial planning is about building, managing and protecting your financial assets. For many of us, it is also about the plan to move our income generating pattern away from human assets and toward financial assets.


Part 1 : The conventional idea
Part 2 : The breakaway wisdom: income and assets
Part 3 : Building assets(i)
Part 4 : Assets(i) planning
Part 5 : Further exploration on the principle

Quick takes
1. The principle in a nutshell
2. Definition of assets(i)
3. Classes of assets(i)