A financial guru who recommended people prepare to live to 90 has revealed he has been diagnosed with a shocking health problem.
British journalist and author Jonathan Clements, 53, has shared that he has been diagnosed with an intense form of lung cancer that has spread to his brain and other parts of his body.
In a June post on his Humble Dollar web blog, Clements detailed the moment he realized he might only have “a dozen good months” left.
Titled ‘The word C,Clements explained that he went to an urgent care clinic for balance issues, but at the end of the day, he ended up in the intensive care unit with reality staring him right in the face.
He previously urged savers to follow a three-part system, including saving as much money as possible to benefit later in life, avoiding taking Social Security before age 70 and seriously considering immediate fixed annuities.
British journalist and author Jonathan Clements, 53, revealed he was diagnosed with an intense form of lung cancer that has spread to his brain and other parts of his body in June.
While he may not be able to follow his own advice, Clements said: The Seattle Times He doesn’t have many regrets, but he knows that “he definitely has a fixed schedule.”
“I have no desire to see HumbleDollar become HumbleDeathWatch, but my prognosis is not good,” he wrote.
‘I have had three radiation treatments to the brain and started chemotherapy yesterday, but these measures are only postponing death and perhaps not for long.
“But from what I’ve been able to gather, I may only have a dozen good months left.”
He added that the last cigarette he smoked was in 1987, when he was 24, and that his diagnosis is believed to be the result of “a defective gene.”
Clements, who worked as a personal finance columnist for The Wall Street Journal for about 20 years, said he has now turned his attention to writing not only about personal finance but also about the “implications” of his rare and incurable disease.
Throughout his career as a journalist, Clements saved as much as he could before accepting a job at Citibank in 2008.
There he doubled his income. After working there for six years, the financial expert managed to save about 30 percent of what he earned, The Seattle Times reported.
In an article titled “The C Word,” she posted about her shocking diagnosis. In it, she describes not only how she discovered her illness, but also how she plans to use it to inspire and help others.
He told the outlet that getting married was also a smart financial decision, as his wife and mother of his two children works in academia, which offered his children partial tuition benefits.
Despite everything, he continued to live a frugal life so that he could save as much as possible for his retirement.
“I was the one in charge. I could be as frugal or as wasteful as I wanted,” he admitted.
She also noted that deciding to live in an affordable home helped her save for her future.
“Those early decades in a mediocre house in suburban New Jersey were what got me through,” Clements said.
Even if you have accomplished the first part of your master financial plan, Clements may not be able to complete the second and third steps.
Since battling cancer, Clements has published several financial pieces in relation to her terrifying diagnosis.
In a recent blog post, she compared her sudden diagnosis to money management.
“We’re focused on certain risks: stock market crashes, car accidents, a house fire, high medical bills, job loss or major home repairs,” he said.
Clements then questioned whether risks like these are what we should really be worried about.
Prior to 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 do want to encourage people to build financially resilient lives and avoid making big assumptions about the future,” he explained.
“The risk has come to me and it has taken a form I never imagined. Fortunately, I am well prepared financially, thanks to health insurance and a generous savings fund.”
Clements founded HumbleDollar in late 2016 and, in addition to writing for the blog, is also its editor.
He also serves on the advisory board of Creative Planning, one of the country’s leading independent financial advisors.
The successful financial mentor was born and raised in England, but now lives with his wife Elaine in Philadelphia, surrounded by their children and grandchildren, according to his website bio