“Eat healthy. Don’t skip breakfast. Sleep well. Get adequate and regular exercise. Drink plenty of water. Everybody knows this simple magic formula for a healthy and robust life. But how many actually follow it?” asks Ms. Christina Wesley, a financial advisor at NDB Wealth, the expert financial planner.
Similarly, everyone knows that saving and investing small amounts of money consistently over a long period of time results in wealth accumulation. Again, how many actually do it?
Take a closer look at NDB Wealth’s 2017 theme, the “Greatest Wealth is Health”, and you will realize that both your health and your finances both require equal amounts of attention, being virtually two sides of the same coin.
“Let us look at diabetes as an example” says Ms. Wesley. She adds that, according to the most recent World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, about 347 million people worldwide have diabetes with it being predicted to become the 7th leading cause of death in the world by the year 2030. Further, statistics from the Diabetes Association of Sri Lanka (DASL) reveal that there are nearly four million people with diabetes in Sri Lanka. Diabetes prevalence amongst people aged 20 years and above, in urban populations, was 16 per cent, while a similarly aged group in rural areas was at eight per cent. Being overweight and a lack of exercise were the main causes of diabetes amongst children, while family history of diabetes, bad eating habits and obesity were the main indicators for diabetes amongst adults.
“Sedentary and stressful lifestyles slowly and stealthily eat away at our inherent natural immunity to disease. Unaware of this slow corrosion going on within us, we go on with our routines, doing nothing at all to undo or repair the self-inflicted damage,” comments Ms. Wesley.
A common mantra today is ‘Work Hard and Play Harder’ but there should also be time to stop, think and reflect on how to improve your life. Be aware of the steady wear and tear of your body and the need to replenish it on a continuous basis for a healthier life.
With scientific and medical breakthroughs, we have managed to increase life expectancy substantially over just the last few decades. However, have we managed to stay healthier and happier over these longer lifespans? To improve our quality of life, we need to take better care of ourselves and do so over the long term. But this process has to start today, since nothing happens overnight.
“It is no different when it comes to our savings and building a nest egg,” says Ms. Wesley. As with the physical fitness needed to lead a healthy life, a disciplined financial regimen is required to be maintained from today onward to enjoy the latter stages of our lives, without fretting too much about expenses. This is where a “Regular Savings Plan”, offered by NDB Wealth, via a Money Market Fund, or an Income Fund, plays an important role in improving one’s long term financial health.
“Small but regular amounts of investments over a sustained period can help build sizeable amounts of wealth for the future. Hence, regardless of our age, gender and profession, we need to focus on both our health and wealth. And we need to get started start right away,” comments Ms. Wesley. Also, she advises always consulting an investment adviser and/or tax consultant prior to making any investment decision.
Photo Caption: Ms. Christina Wesley, Financial advisor, NDB Wealth.