Canny view: Financial plan is like a voyage - so have navigator onboard

Nick Stewart

Embarking on a financial plan is like sailing around the world. The voyage won't always go to plan and there will be rough seas, but those who are prepared, flexible, patient and well advised greatly increase the odds of reaching their destinations.

A mistake many inexperienced sailors make is not having a plan at all. They embark without a clear sense of their destination. And other they do decide, they often find themselves lost at sea in the wrong boat with inadequate provisions.

Likewise, in planning an investment journey, you need to decide on your goal. A first step might be to consider whether the goal is realistic and achievable. For instance, while you may long to retire in the south of France, you may not be prepared to sacrifice your needs today to satisfy that distant desire.

Once you are set on a realistic destination, you need to ensure you have the right portfolio to get you there. Have you planned for multiple contingencies? What degree of "bad weather" can your plan withstand along the way?

Key to a successful voyage is a good navigator. A trusted adviser is like that, regularly taking coordinates and adjusting, if necessary. If your circumstances change, the adviser may suggest you replot your course.

As with the weather at sea, markets can be unpredictable. A sudden squall can whip up waves of volatility, tides can shift and strong currents can threaten to blow you off course. Like a seasoned sailor, an experienced adviser will work with the conditions.

Once the storm passes, you can pick up speed again. Just as a sturdy vessel will help you withstand most conditions at sea, a well-diversified portfolio can act as a bulwark against the sometimes-tempestuous conditions in markets.

Circumnavigating the globe is not exciting every day. Patience is required with local customs and paperwork as you pull into different ports. Likewise, a lack of attention to costs and taxes are the enemy of many a long-term financial plan.

Distractions can also send investors, like sailors, off course. In the face of "hot" investment trends, it takes discipline not to veer from your chosen plan. Like the sirens of Greek mythology, media pundits can also be diverting, tempting you to change tack and act on news that is already priced in to markets.

A lack of flexibility is another impediment to a successful investment journey. If it doesn't look like you'll make your destination in time, you may have to extend your voyage, or take a different route to get there or even moderate your goal.

The important point is that you become comfortable with the idea that uncertainty is inherent to the investment journey, just as it is with any sea voyage.

That is why preparation and planning are so critical. While you can't control every outcome, you can be prepared for the range of possibilities and understand that you have clear choices if things don't go according to plan.

If you can't live with the volatility, you can change your plan. If the goal looks unachievable, you can lower your sights. If it doesn't look like you'll arrive on time, you can extend your journey.

Of course, not everyone's journey is the same. Neither is everyone's destination. We take different routes to different places and we meet a range of challenges and opportunities along the way.

But for all of us, it's critical that we are prepared for our journeys in the right vessel, that we keep our destinations in mind, that we stick with the plans, and that we have a trusted navigator to chart our courses and keep us on target.

• Nick Stewart is the CEO and Authorised Financial Adviser at Stewart Group, a Hawke's Bay-owned and operated independent financial planning and wealth management firm based in Hastings. Stewart Group provides free second-opinion service on your current investments.
• The information provided, or any opinions expressed in this article, are of a general nature only and should not be construed or relied on as a recommendation to invest in a financial product or class of financial products. You should seek financial advice specific to your circumstances from an Authorised Financial Adviser before making any financial decisions. A disclosure statement can be obtained free of charge by calling 0800 878 961.