Making New Decisions Based On New Information


You may know me as the office nerd, but I can usually be counted on to be the calm, collected level-headed member of a group. Sadly, the former supersedes the latter if my Internet connection is spotty. And so it goes, the Internet in my house had gotten VERY spotty – and I have a tiny house in Bucks County, built quickly and cheaply in the ‘50s. There is nothing in the many layers of termites and asbestos that should be impeding my wireless signal.

It was driving me crazy!

We know how much technology changes things – self driving cars are a thing now, every company is making a little talking automated assistant, etc. – but did you know that, even within these innovations, there are changes under the surface moving even more quickly? I was not prepared for the change in the wireless internet market when I went shopping. Here’s why.

When my wife and I installed the wireless internet router (remember the blue & black box with the stubby antennae that everyone had?) when we bought our house, the best speed you could get was 54Mbps. It was a shaky signal, I had to fiddle with it constantly, and because of that constant frustration, I was always looking for something better and I must have gone through about 10 different routers. About five years ago, a new wireless standard (N) became the norm. It had several different speed ratings, was faster all around and it was much more reliable and consistent. As a result, slowly, my wireless Internet router faded into the realm of other appliances like the toaster or the microwave. We had one, we used it, but I didn’t have to think about it much anymore.

But then something happened – my needs changed because the environment around me changed. My daughter got her first tablet. My wife ruined an iPad while cooking, so we put an extra tablet on the fridge for recipes. I turned an old laptop into a server so we could store all our movies digitally rather than on bulky discs. We got smart light bulbs, a little talking box that we tell to turn them on or off and we added some cameras. We went from having about a half-dozen networked devices to just under two dozen in just over a year. Our old wireless internet router couldn’t keep up, so I had to start looking for a better one.

To put it in Peter’s terminology, I “made a new decision based on new information.”

I found a very nice one at Walmart somehow marked to 30% of its MSRP. I jumped on it. But that’s not why I’m writing this story. Too often, we get complacent and take our eye off the details. When we finally take a look, everything has changed. I did it with our wireless router. You may do it with other things. The car is running well, so we stretch an oil change by a couple of miles and then, before you know it, there’s smoke. The house is staying cool, so we don’t call for the air conditioner’s yearly service. Soon enough, you’re sweating through August.

How active are you in managing your retirement plan? Are you doing it yourself, or do you have someone keeping an eye on it for you? Have you checked in with them lately? Do you know what you’re looking for when you do check in?

We can replace a car. We can replace a broken air conditioner. It may take a couple of days, but they can both be replaced. How long do you think it would take to replace a retirement plan that has failed?

If you’re not 100% certain in your retirement plan, or if you’ve never really formed a plan at all, are you ready to deal with the consequences of your inaction? Complacency is never a good long-term solution, so why not give us a call and get your questions answered? We’re here for you – 215-657-9200.

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