Investment planning, as any financial advisor will tell you, extends beyond retirement. Obtaining financial security by the time you are ready to retire should defiantly be a long-range goal of investment planning, but you should include consideration for other life events.

Here are some significant life events an investor may need to plan for:

Buying a first home, second home, or vacation home – Planning properly for the purchase of one of these pieces of real estate can create significant savings in principal, interest, and insurance over the life of the investment.

Financing a college education(s) – Whether you plan on continuing your own education or paying for someone else’s, proper and early investment planning is key to ensuring that the needed funds are available.

Celebrating a college graduation(s) – Whether you plan on throwing the college graduate(s) a large party, sending them on a celebratory trip or rewarding their efforts with a gift of cash or stocks. Proper planning can make a significant difference in how much celebration you can afford.

Financing home improvements – Making home improvements, both to increase your comfort level in your home as well as to improve its market value, is a wise decision. How you finance those improvement can greatly affect your long-term gains. Knowing what financing options are available that create the greatest financial benefit comes from sound advice and planning.

Financing a new car(s) – Financing a new car does not have to be done via the finance company of your auto dealer. Depending on your circumstance, other financing options such as a home equity loan may be more beneficial.

Financing frequent vacation(s) – Enjoying annual or semi-annual vacations is a nice way to reward yourself and your family for hard work and smart financial planning.

Paying for a wedding(s) – A wedding is a wonderful event that can come with a steep price tag. Planning for future nuptials can help alleviate the bite a wedding or weddings can take out of your savings.

Paying for a divorce – Unfortunately, not all marriages last the lifetime they were intended to, and the cost of ending the union comes with a price tag that challenges the cost of getting married. Beyond the legal fees, the protection and division of assets need to be handled properly. Consulting with your financial planner before signing any life changing papers is a prudent decision.

Retirement planning – Enjoying the fruits of your labor is a worthwhile goal. Maintaining your standard of living while enjoying leisure activities requires having substantial revenue and a solid financial plan to follow through your retirement years.

The financial responsibilities of these events can seem overwhelming, and preparing financially for them daunting. Initiating an investment plan early, with the aid of a qualified financial planner can help you to realize your long-term financial goals and help remove some of the worry out of these events.