Life is like a box of chocolates, as actor Tom Hanks memorably said in the movie Forrest Gump; you can never be certain what types you’re going to get until you open the box. Life can indeed be full of surprises, but unlike a package of sweets, not all of the components may be pleasant.

To live to the fullest, the irony is that you must accept the various risks which life can bring. Risk is simply the possibility that your plans may not turn out in the way you hoped. Instead of obtaining the positive results that you expect from your efforts, you can actually receive a negative outcome.

To be financially secure, you must find ways of spreading the risks that life may bring so that you don’t have to absorb them all by yourself. To do this, you need to put in place certain strategies which will prevent you from having to deal with the full financial cost of undesirable life events. Continue reading A Bridge Over Troubled Financial Waters →