A Money Plan for Busy Professionals

Professionals often earn well and have very little time. The result is familiar: investments made in a rush before a tax deadline, a portfolio built from whatever was recommended that month, and no clear link to actual goals.

The fix is to make the plan run without you. Decide what your money is for: a home, children's education, financial independence, then set up regular, automatic investing aimed at each goal.

Plan tax-aware choices at the start of the year rather than the end. It's calmer, and decisions made early tend to fit the plan instead of just the deadline.

Protect your biggest asset: your ability to earn. Adequate life and health cover, and a buffer for career changes, keep a demanding career from becoming a single point of failure.

Review once or twice a year. For busy people, a short, regular review does more good than constant attention.