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www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Thursday, July 12, 2012 · 12 Using instincts when investing may be a good thing rust your instincts. You are smarter than you think. This is an excellent perspective for ensuring your financial affairs are well managed. Sometimes investors wonder if they are well enough informed to have financial success. You may not have the formal training, but you have some relevant skills. There are several innate behaviours we often rely on. They include instinct, a `gut reaction', `feeling in my bones', `women's intuition' or maybe just a plain old-fash- T ioned `hunch.' Before you get lost in the details of a financial decision, just trust yourself to know what is best. By all means collect information, but chaperone that information with your own good judgment. In the spirit of the survival of the fittest, humans have been making decisions well before the Information Age. Our instincts have gotten us this far, so do not abandon them when you are bombarded by a flurry of information. Dollars & Sense By Peter Watson SAVE $110 ye e of e rchas lenses. u p e on th ames and fr glass Join us for our grand opening BBQ. Tuesday, July 17th 11:30am - 3:00pm Halton Family Health Centre 2951 Walker's Line and Dundas, Burlington Everyone receives a $110 OFF coupon and a chance to win an iPad.* LUNCH IS ON US! C ! *Details available in store. Bring in your used eyewear to he help elp lp the Burlington Ontario Lions Club! The logic of a gut reaction is supported by science. The gut's brain is located in the lining of the stomach and other mid-section organs and has similarities to the brain in your head. Researchers at University College in London, England discovered people could use their subconscious to make smart decisions. They determined this by developing a game where players won money, but the clues were not rational and success was based on instinct. Many decisions you make about finances involve things you know little about. Use good judgment and rely on what you instinctively feel is the best decision. Good decisions might include saving for retirement, paying down debt and avoiding investments that are too good to be true. You do not need a degree in finance; just use a little common sense. Managing your household finances is one of your most important challenges. It is the money you save and invest that determines your future lifestyle. The standard of living you enjoy during your working years and then into retirement comes from cash. Cash is not the end goal -- it simply enables you to afford the lifestyle you want to have. There is one important ingredient required for you to have success and that is you. You have to be pro-active and make those decisions with which you are innately equipped to make so well. Think about what is most important to your financial well-being. Have you targeted the amount you must now save annually for retirement? What about your plan to reduce debt? Our finance minister and the governor of the Bank of Canada have been encouraging Canadians to do this for years. Canadian household debt is at an all-time high. Success often comes from good fundamental decisions. Every household has the same challenge -- make smart decisions and pay more attention to your gut reaction. So when your gut sends you a message concerning a financial decision, that might be a good time to trust your instincts. -- Submitted by Peter Watson, MBA, CFP, R.F.P., CIM, FCSI. Spay & Neuter Clinic Special Rates Introducing Weekly Orchard Animal Hospital Located in the Millcroft Plaza 2020 Appleby Line, Burlington HOT TUB NO TAX SALE * e ALL Ch 20 micals & Filte rs eeke This w % FF O nd WITH CLEAR RAY CLEANING SYSTEM NO SALT OR BROMINE NEEDED W AT E R P U R I F I C A T I O N S Y S T E M $ 1000 Fto Visa C REE ard w ith Sp a purc hase Get up * Call Melissa at 905-634-4526 for prices and appointments www.myanimalhospital.ca www.thesundancespastore.com (Millcroft Shopping Centre) Burlington *On Select Models. See Store For Details 2000 Appleby Line (Winners Plaza) Trafalgar Ridge Plaza, Oakville 2379 Trafalgar Road 905-315-7800 905-257-5006 (Heartland, Near Loblaws) Mississauga 5985 Rodeo Drive 905-890-6200