3 Tiered Financial Targeting For 2025

The first thing I ask a new private client is their 6-month financial goal. The knee-jerk answer is usually a huge number, putting them in the top 1% of earners. I get it — we’ve all been told to “dream big or go home.” But that can make building an actionable plan impossible. We get stuck, or dismiss small steps as pointless.

So, I reframe it:

“Let’s break this into 3 tiers:

1. Survival — Basic costs, staying afloat.

2. Comfort — Survival + fun, leisure, travel (little you want to do but can’t).

3. Wealth — Comfort + financial freedom, excess income, and legacy-building.”

This shift often reveals goals far more achievable than clients imagined. It clarifies what they actually need to survive and thrive, making it easier to map a realistic path forward. “As much as possible” isn’t a plan.

I do this exercise myself each year. Grab a pencil, paper, and calculator. Get granular. You’ll feel far more motivated than by writing “$500K/yr” when you’re at $80K today.

As promised…Vanquish in under 1 minute.

P.S. You won’t hear from me until January. I’ll be sipping eggnog by the fire with my family if you need me.