“OK,” replied Rhonda. “Can Matt and I play our game now?”
“What’s “explain”? Matt asked half quizzically, but lost interest because he was back into the game since it was his turn to shake the dice. He loved the rattling noise and random number that it rolled to.
In the brief encounter with the children, Ashwyn realised three very significant perspectives about words, and the meaning of words in making this journey successful, as a family. Everyone must participate in whatever way and to whatever extent they are able.
They must knowas many of the financial words as possible that are important for the journey’s success. They must have the correct understanding of the words that are relevant for the journey’s success. They must know how to correctly translate these specific words into creative actions to produce the successful journey
Reflecting on his research at the University of Sydney, where he is Lecturer, he had learnt that there is a difference between when the poor and middle-class uses a term such as ‘invest for the long term’ to mean investing in Mutual funds, shares or bonds. On the other, the rich investor does not consider long term in the same way. They focus on the ‘exit strategy’ of any investment as the definition for the length of the term for the investment. When they are sure they can’t achieve the required rate of return, at that point, then they will cash-out or reallocate to a new investment.
Another significant difference between the rich and the poor or middle-class is the use of term ‘diversified’ investments. The poor and middle-class think of it as referring to spreading ones investments in small company shares, large company shares, growth shares, precious metal shares, real estate investment, trusts, etc. To the rich, on the other hand, see this is as a misguided understanding because all these investments are paper investments, so that when the stock market crashes one could lose most of their investments in so-called “diversified investments”. To them diversified investments mean a combination of shares, bonds, precious metals (such as gold, silver, and platinum), regular cash-flow generating real estate, mining, and exploration ventures across different geographical locations, physical markets, and legal jurisdictions.
The big question he had to answer was how to get each member of his family to understand what the words meant, let alone apply it creatively. Fat chance with the baby, he thought dismissively. As for Matt, at 4 years old, he thought, ruefully, scratching his thinning head; I will definitely need some help from Jill and possibly even Rhonda who plays a lot with him. Creativity will be required just to get him to understand anything.
Rhonda at 7 years old could be helped by examples, so would Luke at 11 years old. Although, he has been vague a lot lately, pre-occupied with the latest electronic gadgets, and all the related websites on the Internet. Actually, on second thoughts, Luke, as a computer wunderkind could prove useful in finding useful materials for examples to help us all understand things better.
Bob, now there’s a young man rearing to go like a brumby eager to gallop towards adulthood privileges. At 175cm tall, he was tall for his age of 14 years and had the powerful athletic body of a well-toned swimmer. A responsible and level headed sensible kind of guy, but still requires more guidance then he would care to admit, with that teenage bravado of self-confidence and self-sufficiency.
“Daa-ad, can Dotty come on the journey too, dad?” Matt shouted out, still totally focussed on the monopoly game. “She can help us if we have to go through the bushes and trees and things and get lost. Cause she’s a dog and can like… help us find our way back…yeah. I like Dotty.”
Ashwyn looked at Matt and then Dotty, bemused. He wasn’t so sure about Dotty’s abilities on this type of journey though. Looking at her in her sheep-skin bed lying on her back fast asleep with tongue hanging out and eyes half open seemed rather laughable. But, why not, let’s just see what Matt and everyone else can come up with creatively for Dotty to contribute towards this journey of a lifetime.
A thought came flashing through his mind, a reality check that obliterated all else as he remembered Jill’s earlier response. “Stop! I’ve had enough. Time out” She is smart and provides a good out-of-the-box perspective on things, so I’d better give my plans some clarity and critical review. If it doesn’t wash with Jill, then, might as well can the whole thing, he reflected uneasily. I’ve got some work to do, to bring long-term financial success and freedom to their family.
Family
It was late winter of 2009 and the frequent wet and cold was fraying the family nerves. The Global Financial Crisis which hit hard in 2008 was continuing to bit deep into every family’s finances and investments. A great angst swept through the middle-income families the most, having the most impacted through significant investment losses. Ashwyn Robertson was one of the lucky few, but who was very anxious to change his young family’s views of finance as an insurance policy.
Ashwyn Robertson paced around the Rumpus room, occasionally pulling at his beardless chin or scratching his balding head. Then he would sit down, stare out the window, and give a deep sigh. His intellectual mind, as a Lecturer in Mass Communications and the Media, at Sydney University, was on overdrive on a journey. The only problem; it was overheating and needed a safety valve to stop. There was an issue that had increasingly occupied his mind over the years, especially as his family size grew and the financial burdens increased. He felt he was very close to a possible resolution, but he quite couldn’t get his fingers on that something, so vital to achieving the “viola! I’ve got it!” experience.
His wife, Jill, sat in the lounge chair breastfeeding their 6-month-old daughter, Lisa. She watched Ashwyn carry on for about 10 minutes but soon tired of it and wasn’t impressed with Ashwyn’s antics, especially since he was not communicating what was bothering him. During that period, she had already stopped herself five times, from asking what was bugging him just to give him space.
She refrained herself by observing the two younger children, the four year old, son, Matt excitedly playing the Monopoly game with the help of her seven year old sister, Rhonda. Then there was Dotty, the dog, seated watching excitedly and wagging her tail.
The dear old thing, Dotty, she thought. She had brought so much joy over the years to the whole family. She was pretty old now, just dread the thought what we’d do without her. She was like the resident grandmother of the home. She was a Christmas present by the children’s grandmother, Betty. From the days when she was a pup until now, she had gone through all the life of the family like a sixth child, even eating at the table, thanks to the insistence of the children and herself. As she grew older, she became like a true grandmother doting over everyone whenever they came home every evening. She would seem to count them all one by one, as they entered the house. A kiss and a cuddle to welcome was the standard routine. If someone did not come in by her bedtime, she would pace up and down the house restlessly whining, inconsolably. She would go from person to person jabbing them on the knees with her cold nose, or putting her face on their laps if they were sitting down, as if to ask, “What has happened to the member of the family who was still missing?” Each person would have to rub her on the head and say everything was alright with the missing person, mentioning them by name, repeatedly. She would then go and rest her head on another person quietly for about 10-15 minutes, before starting the whining again and going from person to person. They all loved her for it. Her caring ways often seemed to surpass family squabbles and sibling rivalries. She would not hesitate to bark, as if to rebuke them whenever an argument started. She could quickly detect an argument brewing and begin to whine and growl while staring down the trouble causers.
The children
