ABSTRACT
This chapter describes sequencing and monitoring. It describes concrete strategies for debt management and a financial pyramid that helps to sequence our financial moves. Momentum is that energy or force which keeps the people going and is necessary to overcome financial inertia—our behavioral tendency to maintain the status quo. Like a roller coaster, momentum requires four components: initial propulsion, the help of gravity, direction, and time to pick up speed. To keep the momentum going, it is vital to continue to practice the long-term discipline learned in the previous stages. Mutual funds allow for investments in multiple stocks, bonds, or fixed income securities while distributing potential risks and returns across multiple companies. Mutual funds are the simplest way to get in market. Based on historical performance, mutual funds that are weighted heavier in equities (stocks) tend to outperform those that invest in bonds or fixed securities, but the choice needs to be based on our expected returns and risk tolerance.
