Mary looked at the statement sitting in front of her.

There were names she recognized.

There were others she didn't.

Stocks. Bonds. Funds. Percentages. Account values.

She frowned.

“I've looked at this three times,” she said, “and I still don't feel comfortable with it.”

Breed Holloway looked at the statement.

“What makes you uncomfortable?”

“I don't completely understand what I'm looking at.”

She pointed to the page.

“I see the stocks first. Should I start there?”

She paused.

“Or should I look at the bonds?”

Another pause.

“I'm not even sure what I'm supposed to be looking for.”

Breed smiled.

“That may be the best question you've asked.”

Mary looked at him.

“I thought you were going to tell me where to start.”

“I could.”

“Then why don't you?”

“Because if I tell you what to look for every time something is unfamiliar, you'll always need someone to tell you where to look.”

Mary looked back at the statement.

“So what should I ask?”

Breed leaned forward.

“Start with what you know.”

Mary nodded.

“Then ask yourself what you don't know.”

She looked at the statement again.

“And then?”

“Ask what you need to understand before deciding whether anything needs to change.”

Mary sat quietly for a moment.

The statement hadn't changed.

The numbers hadn't changed.

But something inside her had.

She wasn't trying to make a decision anymore.

She was trying to understand.

And maybe that was the point.

Better financial decisions don't always begin with better answers.

Sometimes they begin with better questions.

Richard Sowa, Founder – Read The Money Mirror

FINANCIAL DECISIONS ARE NEVER JUST FINANCIAL.

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