Shakespeare on Finance (Part One)

The following article was written by Sheean K. Patel, a member of our Gift Planning Services Committee: ‍

William Shakespeare, as everyone knows, is the most famous playwright in history. His plays have been translated into every major living language, and it’s said his works have been studied more than any but the Bible. For centuries, people have loved him for his wit and his wisdom. I’d like to share a bit of that wisdom in a new series called:

Shakespeare on Finance

Shakespeare never actually wrote about finances, of course. But we’ve found many of his lines contain important financial lessons. So, over the next few months, I’d like to share a few quotations and the lessons they impart. Hopefully, the Bard’s words will make these lessons even easier to remember.

Quote #1 “Better three hours too soon than a minute too late.” The Merry Wives of Windsor, Act 2, Scene 2

In this scene, a jealous husband is planning to take revenge on another man who intends to seduce his wife. He resolves to start early rather than wait, reasoning, “Better three hours too soon than a minute too late.

The lesson here is on the importance of not procrastinating. Procrastination is one of the most common mistakes people make with their finances. Here are some areas where people often procrastinate:

• saving for retirement,
• creating a will,
• filing their tax returns,
• rebalancing their investment portfolio,
• checking their credit score, and
• purchasing life insurance
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It’s easy to put off basic, every-day activities, too. Balancing checkbooks, paying bills...even using that $20 gift card you got for your birthday before it expires. What’s the harm in procrastinating? Well, because when done too often, for too long, it’s easy to end up “a minute too late.” When this happens, you:

• don’t have enough for retirement,
• don’t have your affairs in order after you pass away,
• pay more in taxes than you must, or even incur penalties because you waited too long, and
• miss out on investment opportunities, or leave the door open for more investment risk
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You get the idea. On the other hand, being “three hours too soon” creates the opposite effect. When you start planning, start saving, and start acting long before required, you end up with more money for retirement, less money paid in taxes, more protection for your family, less headaches for yourself. More free time, less stress … the benefits are almost endless.

So, if there are any financial decisions you haven’t made yet, or any phases of your life you haven’t planned for, don’t procrastinate. Start now. I promise it’s worth it. Borrow from the Bard. It truly is “better three hours too soon than a minute too late.” Next issue, we’ll look at a quote from one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays: Romeo and Juliet!

Sheean K. Patel, B.Com, CIM
Associate Investment Advisor
Patel Wealth Management Group / National Bank Financial

‍Disclaimer: National Bank Financial - Wealth Management (NBFWM) is a division of National Bank Financial Inc. (NBF), as well as a trademark owned by National Bank of Canada (NBC) that is used under license by NBF. NBF is a member of the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) and the Canadian Investor Protection Fund (CIPF), and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of NBC, a public company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: NA).

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