Most, if not all, Southern California schools are back in session. The days of school starting after the Labor Day weekend have long passed us by. The reality is that Labor Day is now a break early in the school year, representing one more chance at a weekend trip down the coast or across the desert.

Another reality hits around this time of year. The final tally of those weekend trips, summer vacations, parties, movies and concerts can be overwhelming. What you thought you were going to spend and what you actually did spend represents two very different numbers.

September is a month that brings opportunity to get back on track. What January is for fitness clubs, September is for financial game planning. People need a road map. Not an app for their phone, but a map to guide them through the rest of the year, the next five years and beyond.

If you do have a road map, you must ask yourself, “where is this road taking me?”.