Rod ThomasInvestor - Entrepreneur - Philanthropist

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Giving Back to a Worthy and Unsung Cause

While I’m all about investing and retirement planning, and I’m quite busy heading up Avantis Wealth, I also feel it’s important to support charitable cause in which I believe. I’ve been quite fortunate in life, and helping those in need brings me great joy in addition to the satisfaction being by making a difference in people’s lives, whether it’s through my work or my charitable works.

One charity that I wholeheartedly support is the Chestnut Tree House in Arundel, Sussex, the only hospice in Sussex for the support of children suffering from life-shortening medical conditions, helping the children and their families cope under what are unimaginatively difficult circumstances.

Serving over 300 children and young adults and their entire families, from siblings to mums and dads and grandparents, they take on the thankless task of improving the lives of those who don’t have much time left in this world, making their last days as comfortable and enriched as possible, as well as providing support to the family members who will be left behind.

I ran the Brighton Marathon in support of Chestnut Tree House, and it is an unsung heroic effort in which they engage, making those who are going to die to do so in the most comfortable way possible and helping to heal the families during and after their loss. I visited the hospice myself and I was overwhelmed by the kindness, care and optimistic attitude I saw in both the staff, and the children under their care, it truly was a sad but simultaneously uplifting experience.

Chestnut Tree House receives only 8% of their funding from government sources, relying on fundraising, their charity shops, and donations for the remainder of their operating budget. While many charities are dedicated to finding cures for disease, and I in fact support several of them, donating to Chestnut Tree House is a donation that is going to improve the lives of people going through the horror of losing a child in the here and now, helping them and their child through a process that is as tragic as it is inevitable. I would hope that you would consider learning more about the good works which they selflessly perform, and if you can, supporting them by volunteering or making a donation.

Here's an uplifting video made by one of Chestnut Tree House's patients that really captures the supportive environment and dedication of the staff:

Hannah's film from St Barnabas Hospices on Vimeo.

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Your Life Expectancy and Retirement

With average life expectancy continuing to increase, and the unknown effects of technological advances may play in extending your life even further, outliving your retirement income is a genuine concern. Ideally your retirement income would last exactly as long as your retirement does, but all too often retirees find that their incomes run dry, sometimes many years before they shuffle off this mortal coil.

It’s important to keep in mind that life expectancy is merely an average, so for instance, in the UK life expectancy is 79 Years for Males and 82.7 years for females, but hanging your hat on that number fails to take into account that what the number really means is that 50% of the population will make it past that age and beyond. Somewhat counterintuitively, the older you are, the chance you will live to a particularly ripe old age increases, as your successful navigation through life thus far puts you ahead of all of those who passed away at younger ages, such that a man aged 65 in 2012 has a life expectancy age of 86.2 and a woman is expected to live until 88.9 years of age.

Building your retirement plan targeted at your life expectancy, by definition gives you a 50-50 chance of ending up unable to make ends meet at a stage of your life when you’ll be unable to generate income based upon your labour. Statistically speaking, one in four of those still alive at 65 will live to at least 90, and 10 percent of those 65-year-olds will live to 95 or beyond. Couples who enter retirement together actuarially have a 40% chance of one of them living to 95.

Your retirement income projections should balance the risk of drawing your income down too rapidly and finding yourself with little to live on in your 80s and 90s, with the opposite risk of spending your retirement scrimping and saving unnecessarily, negatively impacting your standard of living and enjoyment of your golden years.

There’s a handy calculator that can give you a life expectancy that balances actuarial tables and your lifestyle, family and personal health history, and other factors, as well as giving you sound advice on how to increase your longevity, available at the Living to 100 Calculator, which I find interesting and informative, and suggest you check out.

Ideally you’ll have a prosperous retirement, filled with whatever it is that puts you at ease and/or gives you pleasure, whether it’s sailing around the world or just spending quality time with your family. However these things don’t happen without careful planning and investing in your future.

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Investing With A Mountain Hike Mindset

Good investment strategies today are similar to the Mountain walking mindset that I used during my campaign last year. In 2013 I walked the “Tour De Mont Blanc”, one of the most popular distance walks in Europe and I can certainly see why it is such a popular route. Along the walk I also had time to think and it clarified the importance of setting time aside to pursue other ventured as part of your overall investing strategy.

The Tour De Mont Blanc walk itself is a long journey at 170km, just like investing, it takes time and offers a long road worth learning, which you must be prepared for at the start of the walk and each step along the way. Within the 170km around 10km are ascents/descents making things more challenging and requiring wise participants to consider pace - as with investment it is not always a smooth road, but you are surrounded by exhilarating views and when managed properly the walk itself is rewarding. As I passed through Switzerland, Italy and France before circling the mighty Mont Blanc Massif itself, I recalled the same sense of accomplishment that comes from long term investing success.

It can take seven to ten days to complete the walk but if you are investing your time in something as rewarding as this adventure, you reap the benefits for years to come. Not everything is as straightforward as you would think either because the route is walked in an counter-clockwise direction, and although it may seem like you are going backwards at times you are most definitely moving forward through each leg of the journey. Having an established guide marking the way and making sure we are on a reliable path was crucial.

There are many different paths available on the route as it changes and adapts, the ‘Variantes’ takes different amounts of skill and awareness needed, in the same way investing your money requires different kinds of expertise and specialization. You need to make sure you are in the know and can put your best foot forward with the help of someone who knows a lot about moving forward the right way from start to finish. Alternatively there are easier routes to take on the mountain, which are often quicker, however you then miss the beautiful views and fascinating points that allow you to grow as you discover more of your own abilities. I am not one to take shortcuts, I love the challenge ahead of me and to be able to expand my skills by learning how to do things from experts, rather than just following along passively.

The Tour De Mont Blanc can be suited to each individuals need as there are many accommodations across the entire route which allow time to reflect on the path you have chosen and decide what route to take next. Reflection is an important and all too often overlooked part of any adventure, because looking to the future, for investing or the Tour De Mont Blanc hike, always requires careful planning and vigilance to determine the smartest way to the top of the mountain.

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Honoured To Be An Angelic Investor

When I started my career many years ago, established companies viewed new businesses as a threat to be stamped out as quickly as possible. Now, thanks in large part to the success of online businesses taking a more collaborative view of the world, there is a willingness on the part of knowledgeable investors to share much of what has made them successful.

Of course, it’s not just one way traffic. Experienced entrepreneurs and investors often trade their knowledge and experience in exchange for a stake today in a new company that they hope will become a huge success in the future. While some Venture Capital firms have earned a fair amount of criticism for taking a parasitic approach, I am pleased and honoured to be a part of an online organization that I believe represents a better way to do business. You can now see my Rod Thomas Angelic Investor profile online, and I urge any new entrepreneurs to check out their website.

The number of worthwhile business contacts available on Angelic Investor will grow over time. Whilst I can’t guarantee that your idea will become a world-beating success, in my estimation working with an experienced entrepreneur does improve your odds immeasurably.

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Sail into Retirement!

I’m a yachtsman. I love going out onto the open sea on a clear day. Sitting back, relaxing, feeling the warm sun and the happy isolation of the ocean are what I love about it. My favorite days are when the water is fairly smooth...or “smooth sailing” as the saying goes. Boating can be an analogy for retirement. Your wealth management and retirement planning have the power to make your transition into the “golden years” just as smooth as the most beautiful day sailing on the ocean.

When you don’t have to worry about scrimping and saving, or even making money, your retirement will be akin to a beautiful sunny day with the gulls flying above. However, those who aren't well prepared may start to see storm clouds up ahead, and rough waves.

I can help you prepare for retirement, with my groundbreaking F.R.E.S.H. Strategy. This is primarily a property investment strategy, since this genre of investment tends to be the most reliable vehicle for high returns. Property investments are a completely different type of investment than most people are used to. They tend to provide more stability than other, more traditional types of retirement investment.

Don’t leave your best years to chance. Make sure your retirement is smooth sailing!

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Christening The Rod Thomas Website

I have always been an avid sailor and my love of Ocean sailing has taken me to so many wonderful locations. This new Rod Thomas website launch reminds me very much of a boat christening, and I'm inclined to pop open a bottle of champagne as part of the http://rodthomas.co.uk/ site naming ceremony.

After sailing many thousands of miles in Europe and the Caribbean while visiting parts of the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Portugal, the Canary Islands, Greece, Turkey, St. Lucia, Martinique, Guadaloupe, Dominica and Antigua. aboard my Beneteau Oceanis 473 named “Second Wind”, I have learned that the weather won't always be calm and the waves can come from any direction, but a good Captain is one who always finds a way to bring her back to her home port in Brighton.

I have also learned that all the investment success, property acquisitions and efforts we make in life are only meaningful if we find ways to connect them to the hobbies, interests and people that bring us fulfillment. When I look back at successful ventures I think of them in terms of new yachts, exciting travel, smiling companions and cheerful clients much more than I'd reminisce about them in specific numerical amounts of dollars, pounds, euros or pence.

This website about my life and the philosophy I live by is now taking its own maiden voyage. I hope to steer us clear of obstacles, help to identify challenges and offer the kind of solutions that come from a life of experience. I'd like to start by welcoming you aboard, asking you to take a moment to enjoy the lovely weather we are having, and relax with a cocktail. The first night at sea is always a time for wonder and excitement. The same is true of this website for anyone looking to enjoy the width of a life well-lived along with the length of a life lived well.