The Key to Protecting and Building Your Wealth 

Ulysses (Odysseus) and the Sirens, circa, 1909 by Herbert James Draper.

In Homer's Odyssey, the hero Odysseus knew that in order to reach his goal of reaching his homeland, he must pass the Island of the Sirens.

In Greek mythology, Sirens are known for seducing sailors with their sweet voices, and, by doing so, lure them to their deaths.

Like for Odysseus, our financial journey is full of Siren songs, luring us to act against our best interests:

Central banks reduce interest rates, making it more affordable to take on more debt and buy or invest in something that we would otherwise not be able to afford.

Stock markets may rise for extended periods of time, giving us a sense of confidence to invest in assets, regardless of their price and value.

They then may decline, creating fear and luring us to sell, again regardless of their price or value.

Inflation, or the expectation the prices will continue to rise, lures us to buy what we may not be able to afford, from fear that the price will be even higher in the future.

All of these examples are like the songs of the Sirens, affecting us psychologically and leading us to do what is not in our best interests.

Odysseus knew that his willpower would fail as he approached temptation. He also knew that capitulation would mean his demise.

Like Odysseus, we must accept that we are fallible humans and that it is extremely difficult to know in advance how our emotional response to different market and personal events will affect our decision making.

So he took action to protect the lives of his sailors and himself, by creating a system that made failure impossible.

First, he ordered his men to block their ears with wax. Second, he asked them to tie him tightly to the mast of the ship. Lastly, he ordered them to never untie him or let him go as they pass the Island of the Sirens, regardless of his future orders and demands.

As Odysseus and his men sailed past the island which the sirens inhabited, the men were unaffected by their song, as they could not hear it.

As for Odysseus, he heard the sirens sing, but lived to tell the tale, being bound to the mast.

Like Odysseus, the key to reaching our financial goals is by creating a system that prevents us from making avoidable mistakes.

My role as your advisor is creating and implementing this system for you.

I do this through financial planning and pre-commitment to an investment roadmap.