This Week's Money Talking Points
1. What value does ignoring current events bring you?
Let me tell you something I’ve learned: Ignoring current events can actually make you better at managing your money. Seriously. The moment I stopped letting every headline or hot take impact my decisions was the moment I started feeling more confident and clear-headed about my financial plan. And no, this isn’t about burying your head in the sand, it’s about reclaiming your focus. I haven’t regularly watched the news since before the pandemic, and guess what? My anxiety dropped, my stress levels eased, and my investment plan stayed on track. The news thrives on drama! It’s designed to sell panic, not peace. And when you’re constantly reacting to fear-driven stories, your money ends up in chaos.
The real kicker is that most current events don’t even affect your long-term goals. You’ve probably heard the phrase “if it bleeds, it leads.” Well, financial news is no exception. Every click, every breaking alert, is designed to trigger action, and that action usually isn’t in your best interest. But when you tune it out? You stop acting emotionally and start acting intentionally. You stop trying to guess the next crisis and start building a strategy that can outlast any of them. Ignoring the noise allows you to focus on what really matters: your goals, your timeline, and the actions that support your plan. Not someone else’s hot take or Wall Street’s latest panic attack.
2. When was the last time you felt emotion around a financial decision?
My wife and I have been deep in the weeds figuring out our health insurance situation now that I’ve left my job. And let me tell you, the emotional weight of that decision was real. Should we save money and go uninsured for a while? Should we keep our HSA-eligible plan? Should we find something better suited for some upcoming medical goals? These aren’t just number-crunching decisions! They’re tied to our security, our future, and frankly, our stress levels. The “what-ifs” come flying in fast, and so do the emotions.
That’s why I always say: financial decisions are rarely just about dollars and cents. They’re about hopes, fears, identity, and responsibility. The trick isn’t to eliminate the emotion; you can’t. You’re human. The trick is to recognize it, talk through it, and not let it hijack your plan. For me, that means having honest conversations with my wife, with my money buddies, and sometimes just sitting with the discomfort until it settles. Emotions are valid, but they don’t get to drive the financial bus.
3. How can you build a plan that will withstand the emotional rollercoaster?
Suppose you want to build a plan that holds up when emotions run high. You have to start when you’re calm and clear-minded. Build it in peace so it can stand through storms. And most importantly, make your plan date-specific and dollar-specific. That’s something Jonathan Blau hammered home during our chat, and it stuck with me. Saying “I want to retire someday” isn’t a plan. Saying “I need $2 million by 2045 so I can live on $80K a year” is. The clearer and more measurable your plan is, the easier it is to stay on course when headlines or life throw curveballs.
But here’s the other secret: your plan should assume it won’t go according to plan. You’ve got to build in flexibility. Get a money buddy, a financial professional, or even a group that can help you hit pause when your emotions try to make a power move. Your first reaction when you feel scared or excited shouldn’t be logging into your investment account—it should be talking to someone grounded who can bring you back to your long-term strategy. Because staying consistent—not brilliant—is what actually builds wealth.
This week's Money Buddy
Jonathan Blau is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Fusion Family Wealth, a Long Island-based, fee-only, registered investment advisory firm that oversees approximately $1.1 billion in assets under advisement and management. For more than two decades, Jonathan has been a “trusted advisor to trusted advisors”, with deep experience working with accounting and law firms on a wide array of financial services capabilities. His approach focuses predominantly on conditioning investors to learn to ignore current events, always act on their plan, and never react to the markets and media.
Enjoy your week and get out there and have a money talk!
