By Vernalee
At a recent seminar, the question was asked – “Would you rather have a huge sum of cash now or smaller chunks over a period of years?” Great question; varied answers. Today versus tomorrow; certainties versus uncertainties are the essence of this hypothetical question. For a person with a statistical mind, he/she would do the math on the present value in comparison to the future value of money! Would spreading the cash out bring more manageability and assure that all wouldn’t be spent at once?
Whew: my head is spinning! “Why make the simple stuff complicated? It is either now or later. Is it necessary that this scenario encounter a sprinkling of dazzled words or the brilliance of facts? Spare me the details. Sometimes, we have to be brought down to earth; to simplistic terms. Some say forget the hypothetical factors and investment strategies. Others say deal with the certainty! Forget the debate. Let’s cut through the chase. “If the cash is in your hand, take it! It’s a sure thing! You don’t know what tomorrow will bring!” In other words, you can’t count what you don’t have! Stop dealing with the “what if’s” when you can deal with reality. If this was real, most folks would be at the bank with the check in their hands before you could count one, two, three! That my friend is the reality!
That is why - “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” Photo credit: www.redbubble.com