A financial guru who advised people to prepare for life until they are 90 has revealed he has been diagnosed with a shocking health condition.
British journalist and author Jonathan Clements, 53, said he has been diagnosed with a serious form of lung cancer that has spread to his brain and other parts of his body.
In a blog post on his website Humble Dollar in June, Clements described the moment he realized he might only have “a good 10 months” left.
Titled ‘The C-word,Clements explained that he went to the emergency room for balance problems, but ended up in intensive care at the end of the day, where he was confronted with reality again.
He previously urged savers to follow a three-part system. It involves saving as much money as possible so that you can benefit from it later in life. You should avoid withdrawing from your Social Security before age 70, and you should seriously consider enrolling in fixed annuities right away.
British journalist and author Jonathan Clements, 53, announced that he was diagnosed in June with a serious form of lung cancer that had spread to his brain and other parts of his body.
While he may not be able to follow his own advice, Clements said The Seattle Times He doesn’t regret it much, but knows that ‘it’s definitely his turn here.’
“I have no desire for HumbleDollar to become HumbleDeathWatch. But my prognosis is not good,” he wrote.
‘I have had three rounds of brain radiation and started chemotherapy yesterday, but these measures only postpone death, and that will probably not last long.
“But as far as I know, I may only have about ten good months left.”
He added that he had last smoked a cigarette in 1987, when he was 24, and that his diagnosis is believed to be the result of “a faulty gene.”
Clements, who worked as a personal finance columnist for The Wall Street Journal for about 20 years, said he now focuses not only on writing about personal finance, but also on the “implications” of his rare and incurable disease.
Throughout his career as a journalist, Clements saved as much money as he could before joining Citibank in 2008.
There, he doubled his income. After six years of work, the financial expert managed to save about 30 percent of his income, The Seattle Times reported.
He wrote about his shock diagnosis in an article titled “The C Word,” in which he describes not only how he discovered his illness, but also how he plans to use it to inspire and help others.
He told the newspaper that getting married was also a smart move financially, as his wife and mother of his two children works in academia, providing his children with partial student finance.
Despite everything, he continued to live a frugal life so that he could save as much as possible for his retirement.
“I got to make the decisions. I got to be as frugal or as lavish as I wanted,” he admitted.
He also noted that by moving into a cheap house he could save money for his future self.
“Those first decades in a mediocre house in the suburbs of New Jersey shaped me,” Clements said.
Although he has completed the first part of his master financial plan, Clements may not be able to complete the second and third steps.
Since being diagnosed with cancer, Clements has posted several financial pieces about his terrifying diagnosis.
In a recent blog post, he compared his sudden diagnosis to managing money.
“We’re laser-focused on certain risks. Stock market crashes. Car accidents. Our house burning down. Medical bills. Losing our jobs. Major repairs to the house,” he explained.
Clements then asked whether we should really worry about these kinds of risks.
Before founding HumbleDollar, Clements worked as a personal finance columnist for The Wall Street Journal for about 20 years
“I don’t want readers to become obsessed with risk. But I would encourage people to build financially resilient lives and avoid making big assumptions about the future,” he explained.
‘Risk has now arrived for me, and it has taken a form I could never have imagined. Fortunately, I am well prepared financially, thanks to health insurance and a substantial nest egg.’
Clements founded HumbleDollar in late 2016 and, in addition to writing for the blog, is also an editor.
He is also a member of the advisory board of Creative Planning, the country’s largest independent financial advisory firm.
The successful financial mentor was born and raised in England, but now lives in Philadelphia with his wife Elaine, surrounded by his children and grandchildren, according to his website biography.