How Financial Wellbeings get their economic endorphin hit

Estimated reading time
 8 min

In this article

• Learn about long-term financial wellbeing
• How investing now can help future you
• Ways to protect your money for the future

You know endorphins – those nifty little hormones in the brain that make you feel good. Economic endorphins mightn’t actually act on the nervous system but in our view they absolutely exist. Because getting a handle on your finances doesn’t just feel good. It feels spectacular.

So instead of focusing on how stressed money can make you, we’re going to flip the narrative by unpacking how good it feels to be in control of your financial wellbeing.

Below, we explore how to grow and protect your money now and into the future. Cue the feel-good feeling from those future economic endorphins.

Invest with the best of them

Mastering the art of savvy investment is one of the key strategies to achieving long-term financial wellbeing. Investments won’t just aim to protect your hard-earned cash – they might help grow it. Here’s how.

• Learn the golden rules of investing. According to ASIC’s MoneySmart¹, your investment strategy should be guided by a few core principles. Start by assessing your financial goals and the level of risk you feel comfortable with, then research your potential investment or investments thoroughly. Diversifying to minimise risk can help to protect you against the unexpected.
• Property. Investing in property – whether purchasing investment properties or paying off your mortgage as quickly as possible – could be an effective strategy to support your wealth. But keep in mind that capital gains take time, and not all property sells at a profit. It pays to do your research.
• Superannuation. You spend your working life contributing roughly 11 per cent of your pay to super, so you’ll want to maximise its value. By investing wisely in shares, your nest egg may hatch – come retirement – into a golden future. Just remember to regularly check that your investment portfolio suits your life stage. What works for you at 30 mightn’t work for you at 55, so be sure to find the right superannuation solution to suit your needs.
• The share market. For many first-time investors, the share market can seem like a strange and intimidating place. But it needn’t be. You don’t need wads of cash to get started either – just $500 (plus brokerage fees) will do it. Keep in mind that investing in shares is a medium to long-term wealth strategy, as you need to be prepared to ride out the ups and downs of the market.

Remember to research all the fees, charges, eligibility criteria and T&Cs involved in any investment. Look at the benefits and the risks involved in any investment. Do what is right for you and seek advice if you need it.

Protect your wealth

So, you’ve kickstarted your investment portfolio, and you’re feeling rather chipper. Now’s the perfect time to put some strategies in place to protect your wealth into the future. Here’s what we’re thinking:

• Prepare and save for a rainy day. Could you survive financially if your family’s main breadwinner fell ill or lost their job? It’s an unpleasant prospect, which is why it pays to plan for it in advance. Devise a savings plan that will allow you to put money into an emergency fund, just in case. Many people aim to have three-to-six months’ worth of income set aside for emergencies: what works for you? Those peace-of-mind endorphins are as good as a workout.
• Invest in assets. Selling shares or investment properties in an emergency could free up some extra cash, but you may well be selling in a down market and there might be fees, charges and other criteria that apply. They’re not a sure-fire emergency win, but it helps to have alternative assets to enhance your Investment mix.
• Take out insurance. Those insurance premiums can be a struggle when money’s tight but insurance – including life insurance, income, home and contents, and car insurance – is a valuable way of protecting both your wealth and your family’s livelihood.
• Call in the professionals. If you need a little help developing or reviewing your plans, think about seeing a financial adviser. They’ll work with you to understand your goals for both now and into the future, and deliver a financial strategy to help you make it happen.

The endorphins come from having it all (or some of it!) figured out. Now doesn’t that feel mighty good?