By Brandy Branstetter, CFP® and Andrew Comstock, CFA®
Over the many years as wealth advisors in partnership with our clients, we’ve been asked many questions on how to enjoy both financial success and fulfilling life aspirations. In the vast array of guidance we’ve provided, if we were to solely focus on just two financial lessons for our clients to follow, they would be:
- Commit to saving a defined percentage of your gross income each year and have a solid plan for how you will allocate these savings to meet your objectives.
- Do not attempt to time the financial markets. Have an investment plan, stick to it, and be appropriately invested 100% of the time.
Let’s drill down into these two fundamental lessons and see how they work together to realize long-term financial success.
Have a Well-Crafted Plan for Savings
A structured savings plan is crucial because it provides:
- Goal alignment: A plan helps define clear and measurable short- and long-term financial goals (e.g., an emergency fund, a down payment on a house, or having work-optional years in the future). This road map guides your saving and spending decisions.
- Structure and discipline: These elements help manage money effectively by encouraging you to track income and expenses, set a budget, and prioritize saving first (the “pay yourself first” strategy).
- Emergency preparedness: A plan incorporates risk management by building an emergency fund (typically 3-6 months’ worth of living expenses) that acts as a safety net against unexpected events like job loss or medical issues, helping to reduce financial stress.
- Foundation for growth: Consistent savings provide the capital needed to start investing and take advantage of compounding returns over time, which is essential for wealth accumulation and meeting your life aspirations.
For instance: with a household income of $250,000/year, you should target 25%–30% of your income going to savings. A household income of $300,000 might then mean 30% or higher (or $90,000 or more) should be allocated toward a well-crafted savings plan. How are you going to hit that target?
In a dual-income household, you would each max out your 401(k) contributions at $24,500 (2026). That leaves $41,000. We might then recommend $7,000 each to the backdoor Roth IRA, $20,000 to a future opportunity fund investment, and $6,000 to a child’s 529 savings account, plus $1,000 to a bank savings account as part of your emergency fund.
Just as crucial is to determine the “How?” 401(k) and 529 education allocations may be automated monthly contributions and accounted for in a monthly budget. To further meet the $90,000 goal, a couple could use their RSUs vesting in the spring and one spouse’s year-end bonus that is paid around November to make the additional contributions for the year.
Having a plan for how you’ll hit targets is just as important as setting the savings goal. With this plan and discipline, bonuses or other large cash flows don’t get inadvertently spent since there’s a committed plan in place for the funds.
Don’t Time the Market
Timing the markets is a nearly impossible task. Setting a plan and being invested in the market matters more than trying to be clever and time the market. By missing the best few days in the market each year, you really hurt your overall returns.
- Difficulty of prediction: Even financial professionals struggle to consistently predict short-term market movements. An investor must be right twice: both when to sell and when to buy back in.
- Risk of missing best days: A significant risk is being out of the market during its best-performing days, which can drastically reduce long-term returns. As our charts below demonstrate, missing the best market days over decades can cut an investor’s total return by a large margin.
Chart 1 below shows that over the past 75 years, missing the best 50 market days meant losing 15x the potential return versus staying invested throughout. Staying invested 100% of the time in this period also produced 80x the return of missing the best 100 days. In dollar terms, $10,000 in 1950 could have grown to $4 million by 2025 by not missing any market days, whereas missing the best 100 days might have resulted in accumulating only $50,000 by 2025. Quite a difference!
Below, Chart 2 illustrates this effect on a yearly basis since 1950. As you see, just missing 5 of the best market days each year turns a good positive return (by staying invested) into a negative return (on average). Missing just 10 of the best market days each year nearly quadrupled that negative result. Considering the long span of analysis years (1950-2025), which results would you rather enjoy?
- Emotional decision-making: Market timing often leads to emotional investing (buying high due to greed and selling low due to fear), which is counterproductive to building wealth. A well-thought-out plan helps avoid these rash, emotion-driven moves.
- “Time in the market” is key: A long-term, disciplined buy-and-hold strategy, focused on “time in the market,” has historically proven more effective for wealth accumulation by leveraging the power of compound interest and riding out short-term volatility.
These Two Vital Concepts Work in Tandem
In essence, these two lessons work in concert: the savings and allocation plan provides the discipline and direction, and avoiding market timing ensures a consistent, long-term approach to investing that is more likely to lead to success. These core tenets are two foundational pillars of every solid plan for wealth-building professionals.
Your Guide Toward Financial Freedom and a Lasting Legacy
At Beyond Wealth, we focus on the most efficient strategies to help you realize your objectives and life aspirations. Our independent advisory firm offers an array of services—focused on our clients—to help pursue a confident financial future.
As fiduciary advisors, our goal is aligned with yours: Connect your wealth to your life’s objectives and empower you to choose and follow the financial road that feels right for you and your family.
Are you ready to take charge of your financial future? Give us a call (913) 871-7980 or email brandy@beyond-wealth.com or andrew@beyond-wealth.com to schedule an introductory meeting and start this year on a better financial path toward your own vision.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the first key financial lesson recommended?
The first key lesson is to commit to saving a defined percentage of your gross income each year and to have a solid plan for how you will allocate these savings to meet your financial goals.
2. Why should I avoid attempting to time the financial markets?
Timing the markets is difficult and risky. Even professionals struggle to predict market movements. Missing the best-performing days can drastically reduce long-term returns, and a disciplined, long-term investment approach is more effective.
3. How can a structured savings plan benefit my financial future?
A well-crafted savings plan helps align your goals, provides structure and discipline for managing your money, prepares you for emergencies, and creates a foundation for investing and wealth growth over time.
About Brandy
Brandy Branstetter, CFP® is a Principal and Wealth Advisor at Beyond Wealth, a fiduciary financial advisory firm based in Overland Park, Kansas. Beyond Wealth is dedicated to empowering clients to make confident and meaningful financial decisions. Specializing in helping mid-career professionals and business owners navigate their work-optional lifestyle, the firm provides personalized comprehensive wealth management services to the Kansas City metro area and beyond.
Brandy’s approach is collaborative and values-driven, helping clients pursue financial independence while aligning their plans with their unique goals and aspirations. She began her financial career in 2005 and became an advisor in 2012. Throughout her journey, she noticed a disconnect in how many firms communicated with female clients, inspiring her to establish a practice focused on genuinely engaging and supporting women in their financial journeys. In 2012, she co-founded Beyond Wealth with a mission to provide clients—especially female professionals and entrepreneurs—the guidance needed to navigate their financial complexities. Together with her business partner, Andrew, Brandy developed the “Good, Better, Best” financial planning framework to deliver tailored strategies that help clients achieve meaningful progress towards their financial aspirations.
Brandy earned a BSBA in Finance from the University of Tulsa and holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® designation. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Jon, and their two children, Alexa and Ethan. In their downtime, they love golfing, exploring new vacation spots, and attending live events—everything from rock concerts to Broadway musicals. A dedicated sports enthusiast, Brandy especially enjoys watching Oklahoma Sooner football and cheering on the Kansas City Chiefs. With a lifelong dream of living by the beach, she’s always planning her family’s next big adventure. To learn more about Brandy, connect with her on LinkedIn.
About Andrew
Andrew Comstock, CFA® is Principal & Wealth Advisor at Beyond Wealth, a fiduciary financial advisory firm in Overland Park, Kansas, dedicated to empowering clients to make impactful financial decisions. Serving the Kansas City metro area, Beyond Wealth specializes in helping wealth-building professionals and business owners navigate life transitions. With a mission to provide comprehensive wealth management services, Andrew’s proficiency lies in leveraging his background in institutional investment management to create tailored investment strategies. He provides research-driven portfolio management, focusing on helping clients build wealth for key milestones, whether it’s buying their forever home, purchasing a business, or funding their children’s education. Alongside Brandy, Andrew combines comprehensive planning with a long-term investment approach, helping clients grow their wealth while enjoying life.
Andrew began his career in institutional investment management, managing portfolios for insurance companies, pension funds, and mutual funds. Inspired by a desire to make a more personal impact, he transitioned to advising individuals directly, bringing his passion for financial empowerment to Beyond Wealth. Known for his commitment to high standards and always seeking to grow and discover, Andrew is dedicated to delivering thoughtful, tailored strategies for his clients’ unique financial needs.
Andrew graduated from the University of Tulsa with a BSBA in Finance and obtained the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation. Active within his professional community, he’s a member of the CFA Institute, Kansas City CFA Society, and the Overland Park Rotary Club. Andrew is a past president of his Rotary club, served on the University of Tulsa’s Board of Trustees, and was the National Board President of the Alumni Association at TU. He is the Investment Chair for the Catholic Foundation of Northeast Kansas. Outside of work, Andrew is a devoted Chiefs, Royals, Sporting KC, and Everton fan who loves exploring KC’s vibrant restaurant scene, especially the BBQ hotspots. With dual citizenship in the U.S. and Ireland and experience living in Switzerland, he’s an avid traveler who’s visited 37 countries and counting. Andrew is also a proud cancer survivor, a perspective that reinforces his commitment to helping families feel confident about their financial futures while embracing the present. To learn more about Andrew, connect with him on LinkedIn.
