Financial Wisdom from Calvin and Hobbes

March 11, 2021 / Eric Peterson /

Today’s Prep:

Perhaps a bit unexpected, the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes had a lot of great life and financial advice to dole out. Which of these apply to your financial situation?

Equipping Points:

When it comes to retirement planning, some of the same concepts found in these fun quotes from Calvin and Hobbes can apply. What sort of financial wisdom can you glean from a boy and his tiger? Eric shares how these quotes can coincide with what he teaches clients every day.

Everyone likes a surprise party or gift in the mail, but what kind of surprises do you get in the financial world? No one wants a surprise market crash. What about a sudden home repair needed? Those are not the kind of surprises anyone wants, so how can you prepare for them? Do you have a plan that can handle potential bad surprises? What about an emergency fund?

What do you do when there are problems? Calvin and Hobbes says, “When life gives you lemons, chuck it right back.” How can you chuck back a lemon into the financial world? What opportunity is available when the market goes down?

When you make a mistake, are you holding onto the guilt of that? How can you get the help you need when you take a financial hit? Are you feeling scared to make a move based on past failures or inexperience? Having an advisor by your side can make a huge difference in keeping you on track with your financial goals and plans.

Lastly, are you avoiding the things you should be doing right now when it comes to your financial plan? It can be more fun to plan vacations or even what you’ll do this weekend. Procrastination is normal, but you don’t want to procrastinate when it comes to your financial plan.

Listen to the entire episode or click on the timestamps below to skip to a particular quote.

1:47 – “Life is full of surprises, but never when you need one.”

4:14 – “When life gives you lemons, chuck it right back.”

5:50 – “There’s no problem so awful that you can’t add some guilt to it to make it even worse.

8:27 – “A day can really slip by you when you’re deliberately avoiding what you’re supposed to do.”