My daughter has a birthday coming up and she can’t be more excited.  She is so ready to be another year older.

     Although I enjoy my birthdays, I can’t say that I really look forward to getting older.  But no matter how old I get, my older relatives will still make light of my age.  They tell me things like, “50 is the new 30.”

     I used to think that they were being funny, but it’s unbelievable how true that statement really is.  If we look at how life expectancy has changed over the years, it’s not hard to believe that 50 is now middle aged in America.

     When America first became a country back in 1776, life expectancy was 35.  By 1900, life expectancy improved to age 47.  In just over 100 years, life expectancy rose by 12 years.

     Now look at this.  In the year 2000, life expectancy rose to age 77.  So, in this 100 year period, life expectancy rose by 30 years.  That is a remarkable jump – almost a triple jump – from the last 100-year period.

     In a study by Hartford Financial Services, it was estimated that about 18% of 65-year-old men today will live to age 90 or beyond.  The same study suggests that 29% of 65-year-old women will live past age 90.

     The bottom line is that we are growing old gracefully.  We are spending just as much time in retirement as we did in our working years.  Psalm 92:14 rings true.  It reads, “They will still bear fruit in old age; they will stay fresh and green.”

Are you prepared?

     The question to ask ourselves is, Have we taken the necessary steps to ensure that those retirement years will be comfortable and enjoyable?  It's not just about making sure that we don't have all of our eggs in one basket.  Are we financially ready for the long road ahead?

     There used to be a three-fold method for planning for retirement: pensions, Social Security, and personal savings.  That may not work anymore.

     Pensions are a thing of the past.  Companies are freezing or closing pensions and replacing them with 401(k) plans that require employee contributions.  If we don’t personally contribute to the 401(k) plan, we cannot expect to see a big retirement nest egg when it’s time to take that step.

     We must also remember that our Social Security system started in 1937.  It promised to provide lifetime income to Americans back when people were only living into their 50s and 60s.  That worked then.  It doesn’t work now.  Don’t count on the Social Security system to keep you financially set in retirement.

     As Christians, we know that everything will all work out for good.  God will provide where the system does not.  Isaiah 46:4 says, “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you.  I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” (NIV)

     But, we have to do our part as well.  We have to put more emphasis on the third leg – the personal savings.  Don’t put so much energy on the present that you don’t prepare for the future.

“But he said, ‘Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing.’  Esau said, ‘Isn’t he rightly named Jacob?  He has deceived me these two times:  He took my birthright, and now he’s taken my blessing!’ Then he asked, ‘Haven’t you reserved any blessing for me?’”     Genesis 27:35-36 (NIV)

     In reading this verse, I am reminded of the saying, “Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice, shame on me.”  We see that Esau has been caught off guard twice by his twin brother, Jacob.  Deception is clearly not a new concept.

     In today’s society, deception continues to run rampant.  If we are not careful, we can be misled by the very people we are trusting for advice.  Let’s consider three signs that a venture we are considering may be a bad deal.

There is high profit potential

     While there are many business deals that have the potential to be highly profitable, we must carefully evaluate that potential relative to the specific industry.

     For example, let’s look at real estate.  If an opportunity comes up and the purchase price of a home is said to be listed at half of the actual market value, we should do some additional research.  We might ask the following questions:  What is the condition of the property?  How is the neighborhood?  How was the actual market value calculated?

     This list of questions is nowhere near exhaustive, but the point is that this may not really be an opportunity to double our money.  It might take several thousands of dollars to get the property ready to resell.  The neighborhood may have some challenges that have driven the resale value down.  The actual market value may be based on inaccurate information.

     If someone gives us a tip that investing in a business venture will provide us a 25% return on our investment in 6 months, we have to ask questions.  These numbers are unusual – not normal.  We have to dig deeper to make sure that the investment is sound.

     Solomon shares with us in Proverbs 14:15, “A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps.” (NIV)

We haven’t considered the risks

     There is risk in everything we do.  We just have to decide if the potential return is worth the risk we need to take.  If our solicitor has not outlined all of the possible risks, we should determine them for ourselves.  In the real estate example, we run the risk that homes may not be selling quickly in the area.  There is a cost to holding on to a property while waiting to rent or sell it.  There is a risk that there are unknown repairs that need to be corrected before renting or selling.  Lack of disclosure does not mean that it doesn’t exist.

     In the business venture example, there is a risk that the actual profits are less than 25%.  There is also a risk that the principal may never be returned.  Is the business operating both legally and ethically?  Is there any additional liability when participating as a financial contributor?  These situations should all be considered before determining whether to become involved.

We have to decide quickly

     Salespersons thrive off of the pressure they throw our direction.  By creating a sense of urgency, they can often get us to make a decision that we may later come to regret.

     We can all think back to at least one time where we made a decision in haste, only to later realize that it was not the best option.

     Anything that is meant to be will happen.  If it’s in God’s plan, it will come back around.  We should never feel pressured to act so fast that we are not careful.  Proverbs 28:20 tells us, “A faithful man will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.” (NIV)

     We have to trust God to provide for our needs.  We cannot get so eager to get rich that we act irrationally.  It will come back to bite us.

     As new opportunities present themselves, let’s carefully evaluate them to consider the true profit potential and the risks involved.  Let’s not feel pressured to respond on someone else’s time schedule, and seek God’s assistance as we prayerfully consider how to proceed.

     With the major shift we’ve seen in the economy over the past few years, everyone has been a bit nervous about the state of their finances.  The housing industry has definitely made America nervous.  Foreclosures are still happening.  Companies are still letting employees go.  Many people are finding themselves unprepared for an unexpected retirement.

     Other companies are going out of business or filing for bankruptcy protection.  Lending guidelines have tightened so much that even people with good credit are having a hard time refinancing.

     With all of the chaos, that nervousness has spread to Wall Street.  The market has recently seen some of its worst days in years.  Investors are worried about the economy, so they are pulling their money out of stocks and moving to conservative money markets.  The influx of capital into the money market has been astronomical.

     So, what do we make of all this?  Should we follow suit and move our funds too?  Should we sit back and wait?

     Pulling your money out at the first sign of trouble is not the best response.  We need to invest intelligently and not let emotions get in the way.

     The best advice that I can give you without knowing your personal situation is to review your current portfolio.  Double checking your investments never hurts.

What am I looking for?

     The best way to determine whether you are prepared to weather this storm is to make sure that you are properly diversified.  Remember that old saying, “Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket?”  That really applies when it comes to your investments.

     True diversification means that your money is spread across different sectors, different types of companies, and different countries.  If you have a little bit spread out over many different places, the impact of any potential catastrophe will be minimal.

     In diversifying among sectors, you want to make sure that you aren’t over-invested in any one category.  In the early part of the century, many investors put most of their money in the internet or technology sector.  We all heard about people who lost everything in the “Dot Bomb.”  Real Estate had a good run, too – until recently.  Those who didn’t see things changing lost a large amount of money.  So, spread your money across many sectors, and don’t focus on what’s hot right now.

     We also want to spread our money across different types of companies.  Funds should be allocated to large, mid-sized, and small companies.  Each style has its turn to shine, so stay invested across the board, and you will do fine.

     Lastly, we want to make sure that we have international exposure.  While we do live in a great country, we don’t want to miss out on opportunities that may come from an emerging country.  This will give us even more balance to weather the storms.

     I want to give you two last things to remember.  First, keep in mind that everything cannot be down at the same time.  Every category has its cycle.  If you stay invested everywhere, you will be ready for the increase when it comes around.

     Second, having money in multiple mutual funds may look good on the surface, but that doesn’t ensure that you are properly diversified.  Review your prospectus to see exactly how funds are allocated within the mutual funds to make sure that your overall portfolio is properly diversified.

     I came across a survey sponsored by Sun Life Financial that really raised some concerns about retirement planning.

     Sun Life Financial interviewed a group of people who retired involuntarily.  The results of the survey were overwhelming.

     Approximately one in five of the retirees interviewed were forced into retirement well before the age that they had anticipated retiring.  The average retiree left the workforce eight years early.

     The two main causes of the early retirement were 1) layoffs or downsizing and 2) illness or injury.

     For 70% of these retirees, the forced retirement greatly impacted their retirement plans.  Most of the retirees were contributing to IRAs and employer-sponsored retirement plans.  Although we have considered tips to create a better retirement account, this may not be enough.  They had hoped to have at least $1 million saved before retiring, but the average retirement account only had about $500,000 when the retiree left the workforce.

Lesson learned: Stop procrastinating!

     This survey calls us to question our current preparations for retirement.  Are we maximizing our retirement planning right now, or are we putting it off until later?  As we can see from the survey (and as the Bible mentions to us), we aren’t promised tomorrow.  Procrastination could put you and your family at risk if something happened to your current occupation.

     Sure, if your company decided to layoff or downsize some departments, you may be able to find another job.  But we have seen recently that, for many, this has not been as easy as it used to me.  Thousands and thousands of workers have been job hunting for months.  Some have been unemployed for over a year.

     What about those retirees who experienced an illness or injury?  What if physical limitations kept you from getting another job in any area?

     Many of these retirees were too young to start drawing on Social Security to help supplement their retirement nest eggs.  If we are solely or largely depending on the government to be our source of retirement income, we will be greatly disappointed.  We have to save for our own retirements so that we have access to money (without penalty) before Social Security benefits kick in.

     With smaller amounts of money to draw upon, the retirees in the survey have been forced to change their lifestyles and cut back on expenses.  For many people, cutting back on living expenses can be extremely difficult.

     Although I strongly recommend emergency funds that hold three to six months’ living expenses, the reality is that few people have any type of emergency money set aside.  How many of us could keep up with a mortgage payment if our paychecks disappeared?  Our whole lives could be turned upside down in an instant.

     Retirement planning is not something to do when retirement gets close.  It should be initiated as soon as we are hired on.  Sure, goals may change, but it is better to have something than to be caught off-guard and left with nothing.  If you’re not sure what to do or how to start, just talk to someone who can help guide you.

“After Isaac had finished blessing him and Jacob had scarcely left his father’s presence, his brother Esau came in from hunting.”     Genesis 27:30 (NIV)

     This verse gives us another look into Esau’s misfortune.  Through his own carelessness, Esau lost out on both his birthright and his father’s blessing.  Rather than gloss over his story, though, we can learn from Esau’s mistakes.  He shows us three ways that we, too, might miss our own blessings if we are not careful.

We get too busy with work

     In our key verse, we read that Esau just barely missed out on his father’s blessing because he was out hunting.  Work was slightly different in those days, and hunting was Esau’s job.  So, for Esau, his work may have partially contributed to his trouble.

     Granted, Isaac did send Esau to go hunting for some wild game.  While the text does not give us actual time frames for how long it took for these events to happen, it is more important to look at the overall concept of how work can conflict with our relationship with God.

     Often, we find that our to-do lists at work are neverending, and we think that spending more time at work will somehow help the lists to shrink.  The lists are so long that we become overwhelmed as we try to determine how to prioritize each task.

     Work can cause us to spend less time with God, which can make it difficult to hear from Him and seek His help and direction when we face challenges in our lives.

     Our workload may lead us to miss church on Sunday.  We may skip out on our midweek Bible study and not read much on our own, either.  We may forget to pray “without ceasing.”

     While work is important to our livelihood, nothing should get in the way of our relationship with God.

We take God’s blessings for granted

     Esau never expected that his blessing could be lost or taken away.  He just assumed it would be there when he got back from hunting.  While God said He would never leave nor forsake us, it does not mean that we ignore Him until it is convenient for us.  Again, God wants a relationship with us.

Not paying attention to what’s going on around us

     Jacob worked up a master plan to accomplish his goal of taking Isaac’s blessing from Esau.  It took a lot of work, and a lot of preparation.

     Jacob and Esau were twin brothers, living in the same home.  Yet, Esau did not notice anything that was happening around him.  If he did notice, he never connected the dots to see how things could negatively impact him.

     We, too, could be letting little things around us go by the wayside.  There’s a saying that we should not sweat the small stuff.  However, we have to be careful about how we interpret and apply that saying.

     If we keep saying that the little things aren’t big enough to complain about, those little things may begin to add up and make one huge mess.  We have to constantly be aware of everything around us so that we do not allow sin to creep into our lives.

     Let’s learn from Esau’s mistakes and make sure that we don’t wind up missing out on our own blessings.  We should find proper balance between work and our relationship with God.  We must avoid taking God’s blessings for granted.  We must stay alert to everything going on around us, whether little or big, so that sin does not sneak up on us.