Money, according to Pink Floyd, is a gas. You’re supposed to grab that cash with both hands and make a stash.
If you ask Gavin Radzick of National Bank Financial, he’ll tell you it’s easier to build your wealth with a little handy advice: don’t expect easy answers.
“The questions are more important,” he began. “I think the difference between good investors and bad investors are the questions they ask.”
Radzick will be hosting a series of three discussion groups at the library starting next Thursday. According to organizers, January is the perfect opportunity for people to start thinking about dollars and cents.
“It’s that time of year,” explained Julie Collison, the library’s communications co-ordinator. “The holiday spending is over, new year’s resolutions have been made and it won’t be long before we’re thinking about tax returns.”
The library ran a similar series last year and found they were so successful it should become an annual thing.
“We always ask people at the end of our adult programs whether they enjoyed what was offered and to see what else they would like. We did comments back along the lines of ‘more of this kind of thing.’”
The library also brought back last year’s presenter in Radzick. Currently with National Bank Financial, he started Mind Over Money in 2002, a financial education business. With his knowledge and experience, he has given presentations to thousands throughout North America, from Los Angeles to New York and Toronto.
He said financial planning has gotten more complicated over the years but it still deals with simple math. At the very least he wants to dissuade people from hoping to win the lottery in order to retire or buy their happiness. One of the authors he references in his lectures emphasizes this point.
“Even as people get more money, they’re not necessarily happier,” Radzick said. “People tend to be happier as they get older. As people get more money, they don’t tend to worry any less about their money. Money is really this reflection at how you look at the world.”
The first hour-long session takes place Jan. 13 with Your Money and Your Mind. Radzick will discuss other financial books including Devil Take the Hindmost by Edward Chancellor; Fooled by Randomness by Nassim Nicholas Talev; and, Your Money and Your Brain by Jason Zweig.
On Jan. 20 he will talk about how to get income from your investments. It’s Payday! is a 90-minute workshop geared for the retired or those close to retirement.
Finally, It’s Not Child’s Play: Talking to Your Kids about Money is probably the most appropriately named event of the three. The hour-long session on Jan. 27 is meant to be a fun and interactive class for parents to show them how to teach their kids about money the way they wish they had been taught themselves. A part of the course will involve the financial board game called Cashflow 101 by Robert Kiyosaki, author of the Rich Dad, Poor Dad series.
Anyone wishing to attend one of these free Thursday evening programs can call 780-459-1682 or stop by the information desk on the second floor to reserve a seat. A library membership is not required. Go to www.sapl.ab.ca for more information.
Each program starts at 7 p.m. The library is located in St. Albert Place at 5 St. Anne St.
