Do you find finance boring?

I have just recently had the brief conversation with a business friend in regards to Facebook.

I was informed in the nicest possible manner, that Finance was boring.  People want to share things like fashion, entertainment, photos and other “fun” stuff Natalie, not “boring stuff” like Finance.

I did not at all take offence to this.  Instead, it was a light bulb moment for me.   It opened my eyes up to how the rest of the world views my sacred world that I hold so dear and love.

I had to ask myself  “why is it boring?”  Impossible!!

I remember my first opportunity to venture into this exciting world as a young naïve 17yr old, straight out of high school with no clue about what I wanted to do with my life and where my future lay and somehow I took up my first position in a bank.  I started at the bottom, trying to impress, as Full Time jobs didn’t exist in those days until you had begged and borrowed to earn one.

I decided that the best way to do this, was to become a knowledge sponge and learn as many aspects about banking as I could, to earn my promotion to a full time Teller.

This is when a whole new world opened up and I discovered how amazing this world could be and how powerful the world of finance could be in changing my future but more importantly, how, how having all this knowledge could change the future for my friends and family members.

Why is it amazing? 

It started with small things….. Looking at all the coins and notes and how they increased throughout the day.  What happened with all the coins and notes?  How the banks could make themselves more money by investing all the money I put in the safe at night on the overnight money market.  This really exists??

Different types of bank accounts and what it meant if a bank paid you interest on your deposits.  How you could grow your small pot of money for free – just by leaving it there! Of course, as my career grew so did the level of my understanding about the power of money and finance – just on a larger scale.

How amazing is it, that by paying by CREDIT CARD, it can delay the time of your precious savings leaving your account? As long as you pay the card off in full at the end of the month, you’ve gained all that interest in your savings account or even more significant, if your money is in your Home Loan Offset account.  A credit card can be a really good friend if used for the right reasons.

A PERSONAL LOAN is a great tool to enable you to buy a new car when yours breaks down or is beyond repair after a car accident.  Yes you could save for it, but imagine how long that could take.  You still need a car to get to work.  Not only that, it gives you the chance to spread out the cost instead of losing all your savings.  Personal Loans can help you with unexpected medical emergencies, family crises, and temporary cash while waiting on an investment to come due.  Your child might have a sporting talent that requires a sudden amount of funds to send them overseas for a one off opportunity to succeed.

A HOME LOAN can not only provide the opportunity to give you and your family security, but can also grow your family’s wealth by allowing you to buy additional homes for investment.  Once you own a home and reduce the mortgage and the home goes up in value, you can use the equity for other investments.

Finance can help you restructure, to free up more of your monthly income to reduce stress on your household.  You can use finance for all the “fun stuff” as well – holidays, a new wardrobe, a boat, a car, a jetski, a caravan.  Even better, finance can be used to buy you an exciting new future.  You can buy that business you’ve always wanted to own and become your own boss.  You might need finance to grow your existing business, publish a book, and support your new hobby.

Endless doors can open…… 

I have listed just a small amount of possibilities and opportunities that Finance can provide.  How can anything as exciting as this ever be boring???

Thirty years later, I am still appreciating and loving the wonderful world of finance and what it can do for my customers and me.

Come and share the journey with me…………………………..

Dedicated to my new friend, the talented Ben.  Thanks for the light bulb moment.