Jun 2, 20232 min read

Financial Planning for a Regret-Free Future: Minimizing Financial Regret

Updated: Dec 15, 2023

a woman looking at her finances on her laptop trying to minimize her financial regret

What will you regret not doing when you reach the end of your life? Jeff Bezos famously asked himself this before he founded Amazon. This simple question became a framework that he attributes a lot of his success to. You can use this framework in everything from personal matters to business ventures. But this future-focused yet cautious approach can be especially useful when making financial decisions.

Let’s take a look at some of the most common types of financial regret people have and how you can apply the regret minimization framework to mitigate them:

Types of Financial Regret

Foundation Regrets: Financial development is a long-term undertaking. People who don’t start working toward their milestones early often experience foundation regret later in life.

Inaction Regrets: “The cost of inaction is far greater than the cost of making a mistake.” Meister Einhart’s famous words are relevant to financial matters, too. When you find yourself wishing you could go back in time and take a chance on an investment opportunity, for example, you are experiencing an inaction regret.

Moral Regrets: Moral regrets leave you wishing you had done the right thing. Perhaps you spent when you should have saved or invested.

Connection Regrets: Connecting with the right people can help you build a stronger financial future. If there’s anyone you wish you had communicated or collaborated with when you had the chance, you might be experiencing this type of regret.

Mitigating Financial Regret

Once you recognize the potential for different types of regret, you can analyze your past decisions more critically. With a more vigorous decision-making process, you can confidently take the path toward minimal potential regret in the future.