National Financial Planning Week isn’t traditionally celebrated like National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, or other “special” months. There aren’t any special documentaries on television, no one wears colored ribbons, or runs in 5k charity races. We don’t even send cards to our financial advisors…

But maybe we should.

Financial planning is important. It might not save lives in a medical way, but it certainly protects lives in a financial way. That is what financial planning is all about – security. By carefully and comprehensively planning for your financial future, you can help to protect yourself, your family, and your estate against both foreseen and unforeseen events. Knowing that you have a solid financial plan to lead you into the future means that you have one less thing to worry about when scary, stressful unexpected events occur – such as medical emergencies or job losses.

Besides protecting the people, places, and things in your life, planning for your financial future also protects your goals. Having your finances in order is just one way that you can move toward your ideal lifestyle. Maybe your goal is going back to school, purchasing the home of your dreams, or going into business for yourself. An active and independent retirement is also a goal. Many people no longer feel confident that they will be able to rely on pensions or social security checks after they have retired. Most goals take more planning than just a savings account and good intentions. Financial planning involves long term strategic management…but it is worth it.

Not too many years ago, financial planning was an administrative challenge to say the least. It was difficult to see your entire financial picture across all of the often “siloed” financial vehicles of insurance, savings, investments, real estate, and trusts, among others. The paperwork, phone calls, and meetings alone could be overwhelming. Lucky for us, today’s financial advisors understand the importance of comprehensive wealth management. Like the doctor who examines his patient from head to toe before concentrating on a specific ailment, the financial advisor who can assess the entire financial picture before making specific recommendations is better able to develop and institute a successful course of action.

To streamline the paperwork and administrative work of financial planning, many of today’s best advisors turn to technology. Your advisor might provide you with a personal financial homepage that aggregates all of your financial investments, savings, accounts, etc. onto one easy-to-use web page – giving you 24/7 access to all of your financial information in just a few clicks of a mouse. Check it everyday, check it once a month, check it once a quarter, it’s up to you. The point is that it is there, organized and at your fingertips, when you need it.

So stop making excuses. Find a qualified financial advisor and put together a comprehensive plan that encompasses your entire financial picture. Then next year in the first week of October, send your advisor a thank you note for helping you to secure your future.

Edmond Walters is the Chairman and CEO of eMoney Advisor, an award-winning provider of web-based, holistic wealth planning solutions to the financial services industry. For more information, visit www.emoneyadvisor.com

Tiffany Bass Bukow is the CEO & Founder of the #1 Personal Finance Website for Women and Families – www.msmoney.com. My life mission is to help people and the world thrive through creating companies that provide money, career and life skills education.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and to honor the month, my moms’ group has formed our first team to participate in the Susan G. Koman Race for the Cure this Saturday. 

According the American Cancer Society,

About 182,460 women in the United States will be found to have invasive breast cancer in 2008. About 40,480 women will die from the disease this year. Right now there are about two and a half million breast cancer survivors in the United States.

The chance of a woman having invasive breast cancer some time during her life is about 1 in 8. The chance of dying from breast cancer is about 1 in 35.

Mammograms are recommended for women over the age of 40.  Women with a history of breast cancer in their family can begin receiving mammograms as early as age 35.  Although breast cancer is unlikely to occur in women under the age of 35, there have been some cases.   

As reported by the National Cancer Institute,

a woman’s chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer is

from ages 30 to 39. . .	0.44 percent (often expressed as “1 in 229″)
from ages 40 to 49. . .	1.46 percent (often expressed as “1 in 68″)
from ages 50 to 59. . .	2.73 percent (often expressed as “1 in 37 “)
from ages 60 to 69. . .	3.82 percent (often expressed as “1 in 26 “)

In addition, the American Cancer Society reports that “70% to 80% of women who get breast cancer do not have a family history of this disease”.

Given these statistics, why aren’t women under the age of 40 with no history of breast cancer in their families candidates for mammograms?  Why do women under the age of 40 have to wait to feel a lump in their breasts to be referred for a mammogram?

Upon researching mammograms, women will learn that breast tissue in younger women tends to be denser than breast tissue found in older women.  Dense breast tissue presents as white areas on an x-ray as does breast cancers, which could result in a misdiagnosis in younger women.  As women age, the tissue density decreases and becomes fattier, which allows for a more accurate screening.  Therefore, the most effective screening for women younger than 40 is a yearly clinical breast exam and monthly breast self-exams.     

More than likely, each of you has been touched by breast cancer in some way.  You can probably name a friend, family member, loved one or co-worker who has been stricken by this disease.  You may be a survivor.  

A few weeks ago, my sister’s co-worker recently lost a battle to breast cancer that no one even knew she was fighting.  At age 36, Tisha Cassaway passed away with no history of breast cancer in her family.

A former Moms on the Go member, Shelley Middleton has been a cancer survivor for 14 years.  Her mother, Nancy Lochner, lost her life to breast cancer at age 37.

This Saturday, we walk (and run) for women like Tisha, Shelley and Nancy.  We walk to remind women the importance of early detection.  We walk to move closer to a cure.  

Please find it in your heart to donate to our team. 

Moms on the Go Donation Page