Retirement and a Native American War

Read Time / 2 Minutes

Theme / Financial Planning

I’m reading books about the 1877 war between the U.S. Army and the Nez Perce tribe.  (On my third book now.)  The Nez Perce resided in central Idaho and eastern Oregon when longstanding disputes over land encroachment culminated in what is now referred to as the Nez Perce war.    

During the war, numerous skirmishes and battles were fought as the U.S. Army chased the Nez Perce for 126 days across 1,170 miles spanning four states (Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana).  The Nez Perce were attempting to reach Canada but in a final battle were forced to surrender two days shy of the border.  Still, a band of the Nez Perce tribe escaped during the cover of darkness and reached Canada, anticipating a life of less conflict.

However, after being homesick in Canada for 9 months, the Nez Perce band decided to try to return to their homeland and began a challenging journey back to central Idaho.  During their return, they frequently encountered unwelcoming settlers, unfriendly Native Americans, and ill-disposed U.S. military scouts.

The challenges of that return journey can be a lesson for us as we journey through life and into retirement.  Many of us spend our working years saving for retirement, diligently investing for our future.  We expect that our financial decisions will diminish when we reach retirement.  However, financial decisions continue in those golden years, as we encounter twists and turns in our retirement journey.

One of the biggest challenges in retirement is structuring our investments to cover living expenses. The strategy can take many forms, depending on our financial situation. We may not be encountering the same challenges as the Nez Perce did during their return to their homeland, but we will encounter challenges relevant to our day and age.  At Christian Wealth Management we can help you journey through retirement making wise financial decisions. And we even have good book recommendations to learn more about the Nez Perce war.

Doug Hanson, MBA

Wealth Advisor

208.697.3699

doug@christianwm.com