Building a house is a sequential process. It takes shape one brick, one stone, one board, or one log at a time. Now of course you might have an entire crew working simultaneously in which case the house will be constructed more quickly. But each person on the crew must still conform to the one-piece-at-a-time rule. You build your financial house in much the same way -one dollar at a time. And like building a bricks and mortar house in the real world, your financial house starts exactly the same way-with a solid foundation.The firestorm of the recession that has claimed untold billions of dollars in wealth which evaporated seemingly overnight continues its onslaught. Because of this, there are two kinds of people in the world today-those who have already been affected by the recession and those who will be. This has created an attitude of awareness among the people who are becoming increasingly concerned about their financial future-their financial house. The problem is that if you’ve already lost your wealth, it’s gone for good. The only thing you can do now is to rebuild.Before you can even start laying the foundation for your new financial house, you must first draw up your plans. A sound and solid financial plan is at the heart of every sound and solid financial house. The planning process should incorporate what you have now, what you are making, and what your goals are. You should also factor in contingencies for unexpected events such as the loss of a job or even the loss of your home. When establishing your goals, contemplate the lifestyle that you wish to lead in your Golden years of retirement. Figure out how much money you will need to live comfortably and to determine what you will need to make every year until you retire in order to save it.The stark reality is that most people are ill-equipped to create a plan of this sort. Without such a plan, the foundation for your new financial house cannot be laid. And it is likely that without a proper plan and solid foundation your financial house will be unlivable when the time comes for you to depend upon it.To ensure that your financial houses in order, it is a good idea to obtain a comprehensive financial education. By acquiring the skills, tools, and techniques necessary to understand and manage finances, you can create your plans, build your financial foundation and create the financial house of your dreams with confidence.