Do you have enough money? Most people answer "no" when asked that question. You've probably seen the surveys... it doesn't seem to matter what your income is. Whether someone makes $30,000 or $300,000, all report that life would be much better if they just earned 10% more.

The secret to keeping more of your money lies in controlling your expenses. In order to accomplish that, you have to make a conscious effort to monitor where your money goes, take some time to examine your priorities and get your expenses in line with them.

That is the essence of financial planning: thinking and planning in the short term in order to secure a healthy financial future.

In the 1970s, personal savings represented approximately 8.2% of Gross Domestic Product. In the 1990s, that percentage dropped to approximately 4.0%, and it remains in the low single digits (Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis).

People are saving less at a time when they need to be saving more.