Suze Orman: Balancing Dreams with Reality

This weekend I found an article in the Costco magazine titled “Balance dreams with reality” in which Suze Orman gives people some wise financial advice. One woman, Aurora, wrote to Suze asking: “Our dream is to own a McDonald’s restaurant. Our plan is to sell the house for a down payment. Do you think this is a good idea?” Suze warns, “I love dreamers, but your dream could become a financial nightmare. You are going to give up all that security for something that is risky.” When it comes to managing ones finances, experts such as Suze Orman advocate making safe decisions. During this economic crisis, it appears that people are being forced to sacrifice their dreams for the sake of financial security.
Idealism and realism both have their ups and downs in the financial world. While idealists such as Aurora may have been a main factor in causing the present economic crisis, as risky decisions can result in accumulating large debts, optimism and confidence motivate people to invest in companies, allowing companies to prosper. It is always difficult to know whether or not pursuing a dream is worth the risk, because, as Suze says, it could become a nightmare. But in order to improve the economic crisis, it is important we find the right balance between pragmatism and idealism.