IT IS NOT JUST ALL ABOUT THE NUMBERS – March 30, 2020
Turn on the TV, read social media, check online sites – all one hears about today is numbers: the number of COVID cases in the world, the number of deaths, the number of people unemployed, the number of businesses closed, and even how many Canadians didn’t make it back to Canada
Everywhere you turn there are ads and messages from all types of businesses: what they are doing to help their employees in this time of uncertain and more dangerous employment, what they are doing to help their customers to be safe on their premises, what they are planning to do to weather this crisis. We too are trying to help this way and you can check our suggested resource list here.
If you are one of the people who have been affected closely by this pandemic, you may know someone who has contracted the COVID illness, you may be working to save those who are ill, or you may be the person who has lost their job because your work place cannot stay open or does not have enough business to keep you employed.
If that has happened to you, then it is not just all about the numbers – it is very personal.
Please make sure you are:
- Getting the right information about the illness, about the programs that the various government levels are putting out that can assist you, and about what things you can do to delay certain payments– there is a lot of misinformation being spread over the internet
- Ensuring that you are not being duped – double check that any deal is being presented by the actual company – talk directly to your mortgage lender, contact your car loan people, make sure that offer of funds comes from the government and not someone hoping you will make them rich – the schemers know how to get you to give them money when you are most vulnerable
- Taking care of yourself and your families – if you have some time to spend with spouse and children, do it now
The worry that you will not survive financially will come rushing back at some point. Not knowing how long lockdowns, being off work, and not getting a paycheque is going to last and worrying about the health of yourself and those around you will take its toll. For now, do the best you can.
Feel free to call or email us if you need to talk about your finances in any capacity. We may suggest the best option is to wait, but we can also give you information and suggestions so that once everything starts to go back to the way it was, if your situation cannot correct itself, then you have the information to take the next and right steps.
One thing all the good notes and messages do have right is that we are all in this together. And we all need to look out for each other.
Be safe and take care. The words are more important than ever and way more important than the numbers.