You may not think of intuition as a key component of your financial planning. However, I’d like to propose that it’s essential. This is because so many of the choices people have to make financially can actually be antithetical to our intuition and what seems like “common sense.”

Use your intuition to answer this: Would you rather pay taxes on the seed or the harvest? I expect you would intuitively know that the harvest is more plentiful (and more immediately useful to you) than the seed. Why would you want to pay taxes on a larger portion?

And yet people do this all the time with their finances, because they’re told to listen to the talking heads. “They know best.” So many Americans are putting their money to work in a 401k, only to pay taxes on the harvest when they need it most: for income after retirement. Yet there are other options which allow you to pay taxes now, so that you might enjoy the harvest in full later, no matter how large it becomes.

People are convinced that their intuition isn’t necessary in making financial decisions, and yet I’d argue that it’s paramount. It helps you to make choices that most closely align with your values and goals. So what is your intuition saying?

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“Intuition is the key to everything, in painting, filmmaking, business – everything. I think you could have an intellectual ability, but if you can sharpen your intuition, which they say is emotion and intellect joining together, then a knowingness occurs.” – David Lynch, Filmmaker, Author, Philanthropist