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Legacy in Action: Leave a Mark That Lasts

A legacy is often thought of as something financial—a nest egg or an inheritance passed on to future generations. While financial assets are one part of a legacy, they don’t encompass the full meaning. A legacy can take many forms, each representing a different facet of how a person’s life and values continue to influence others.

A legacy is more than just wealth.

Financial Legacy: This is the most familiar type, involving wealth, property, or financial security passed to loved ones. It may include trust funds, charitable donations, or an inheritance that provides for future generations.

Institutional Legacy: For some, leaving a legacy means contributing to institutions, such as starting a foundation, building a company, or helping to create an enduring community organization. This can also extend to supporting a cause or charity that aligns with your values, ensuring its continuation for years to come.

Instructional Legacy: This type of legacy focuses on imparting knowledge and wisdom. It could involve mentoring others, writing a book, teaching life skills, or passing on professional expertise. Instructional legacies can shape the mindset and capabilities of the next generation, leaving an intellectual and emotional inheritance.

Values and Life Lessons: For many, the most significant legacy is the one passed through stories, values, and lessons learned. You can leave a legacy by living authentically according to your beliefs, showing kindness, empathy, and teaching the importance of these traits. This kind of legacy is often conveyed through daily interactions and the principles you impart to your family, friends, and community.

Wish Fulfillment: Another form of legacy can be about helping others fulfill their dreams or realize their potential. This can mean creating opportunities for others through scholarships, support systems, or mentorship, allowing individuals to pursue goals they might not have otherwise achieved.

Creating Your Legacy: A Framework

Leaving a meaningful legacy doesn’t happen overnight. It requires thought, strategy, and effort to ensure that what you leave behind continues to have a lasting impact. Here’s a framework to help you shape the legacy you wish to leave:

Create Your Vision: Before you begin, it’s essential to have a clear vision of the legacy you want to create. Start by reflecting on what you value and care about most. Consider the passions that drive you, the causes that inspire you, and the unique skills or experiences you bring to the table. It can be helpful to involve trusted friends and family in these reflections—they may offer perspectives you hadn’t considered or recognize strengths you overlook in yourself.
Define Your Legacy: Once you’ve considered what matters to you, think about the specific legacy you wish to leave. Is it financial? Do you want to ensure your family’s financial security or support charitable causes you care about? Or is it about leaving behind your knowledge, values, or perhaps even creating an organization that will continue your work? Your legacy can be as broad or specific as you choose, and it may evolve over time as your values and priorities shift.
Develop a Strategy: A vision without a plan may never come to fruition. Developing a clear strategy is essential to bring your legacy to life. If your legacy is financial, this might include setting up trusts, endowments, or charitable donations. For an instructional or value-based legacy, this could mean writing down life lessons, setting aside time for mentorship, or recording personal stories to share with future generations. Establish timelines, resources, and actionable steps to keep you on track.
Live Your Legacy: Legacy isn’t just about what happens after you’re gone. It’s the impact you make on others while you’re alive that often carries the most weight. By living your values every day—with your family, at work, and in your community—you are already shaping the legacy that others will carry forward. Your actions, words, and how you treat others are all part of the legacy you leave behind. Be intentional about making a positive difference in the lives you touch now, and the effects of that will naturally extend into the future.

“Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones. A legacy is etched into the minds of others and the stories they share about you.”

Shannon L. Alder

Investment Advisory Services offered through Trek Financial LLC., an (SEC) Registered Investment Advisor.

Information presented is for educational purposes only. It should not be considered specific investment advice, does not take into consideration your specific situation, and does not intend to make an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any securities or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and are not guaranteed, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. For specific tax advice on any strategy, consult with a qualified tax professional before implementing any strategy discussed herein. Trek 24-327

Prioritizing Financial Wellness in 2025

In today’s dynamic economic landscape, achieving financial wellness requires a proactive approach to personal finance management. Recent studies reveal that over half of Americans feel “financially frozen,” overwhelmed by financial decisions and unsure of the steps to take.¹

To navigate these challenges and enhance your financial well-being, consider implementing the following strategies:

Set Clear Financial Goals

One of the most important steps in financial wellness is setting goals that give your money a purpose. Without direction, it could be easy to fall into the trap of simply reacting to expenses, rather than proactively shaping your future.

Start by identifying what you want to achieve financially—this might include paying off debt, saving for a home, building an emergency fund, or planning for retirement. Break those down into short-term (within 1 year), mid-term (1–5 years), and long-term (5+ years) goals.

Using the SMART framework—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound—can turn vague ambitions into actionable targets. For example, instead of saying “I want to save money,” try “I will save $5,000 for a home down payment over the next 12 months by setting aside $420 each month.”

Clear goals give you focus and motivation, and they also make it easier to track progress and celebrate milestones along the way.

Create and Stick to a Realistic Budget

Budgeting isn’t about restricting yourself. Instead, it’s about understanding where your money is going and making sure it’s aligned with what matters most to you.

Start by tracking all sources of income and listing your regular expenses. These can be divided into:

Fixed expenses (rent, loan payments, insurance)
Variable expenses (groceries, gas, entertainment)
Discretionary spending (dining out, subscriptions, hobbies)

A helpful starting point is the 50/30/20 rule:

50% of your income goes to needs
30% goes to wants
20% goes to savings and debt repayment

Use budgeting tools like YNAB (You Need a Budget), Mint, or Monarch Money to make this process easier and more visual. These platforms allow you to track your spending, categorize expenses, and set spending limits—all in one place.

The key is consistency. Check in on your budget regularly and make small adjustments as your life and income change.

Build an Emergency Fund

Life is unpredictable. From a sudden car repair to a medical bill or job loss, unexpected expenses may derail even the most carefully planned finances. That’s where an emergency fund comes in—it could act as your financial buffer.

Start with a goal of $500 to $1,000, then work up to saving 3–6 months’ worth of essential expenses (housing, utilities, food, insurance). Keep this money in a high-yield savings account where it’s separate from your regular spending but still accessible when needed.

Automating your savings, by setting up a recurring transfer from checking to savings, may make it easier to build your fund over time without having to think about it.

Leverage Digital Financial Tools

From budgeting and savings apps to investment platforms and credit monitoring, there are more resources than ever to help you stay in control.

Popular tools include:

Budgeting: Mint, YNAB, Monarch Money
Automatic savings: Acorns, Digit
Credit monitoring: Credit Karma, Experian

These platforms allow you to track spending, automate savings, and even get personalized insights into your financial behavior. The key is finding tools that work for you—and using them regularly to stay organized and accountable.

Improve Your Financial Literacy

Financial literacy is about more than just numbers. It’s about understanding how financial decisions impact your life both now and in the future. Learning the basics may help you feel more confident in conversations about money and more prepared to make informed decisions alongside a trusted professional.

Start by focusing on foundational topics such as:

How budgeting and saving work together
Understanding credit scores and reports
The importance of insurance and risk protection
Tax basics and how they affect your paycheck
How your employee benefits fit into your bigger financial picture

When you understand the basics, you’re better equipped to ask the right questions and partner more effectively with a financial professional who can guide you toward your goals.

Seek Professional Financial Advice

While digital tools and self-education are incredibly helpful, there’s real value in having a human guide—someone who understands your unique situation and can provide personalized strategies.

A certified financial planner (CFP®) can help with:

Retirement planning
Investment strategies
Tax-efficient savings
Business planning
Navigating life transitions like marriage, parenthood, or divorce

Even a single session may provide clarity, identify blind spots, and set you on the right path.

Financial wellness is a journey, not a destination. It doesn’t require perfection, just progress. Whether you’re paying off debt, learning to budget, or investing for the first time, each step you take brings you closer to a more confident future.

nypost.com, 2025. https://nypost.com/2025/03/18/business/why-over-half-of-americans-feel-financially-frozen-study/.