Financial security is the comfort of knowing your family’s standard of living is secure even when a life-changing event occurs. It is also about having the means to achieve your most important goals, like owning a home, sending your kids to college, being able to retire comfortably. Many of us are working hard to reach those goals. Some of us may have achieved them. But ongoing economic turmoil has been a rude wake-up call for all of us.

We have seen events beyond our control decimate our savings and retirement accounts, knock down the value of our homes and diminish our job security. In the face of this adversity, it’s important to understand that we are not helpless. We each have the ability to build–or rebuild–a solid financial foundation using the same building blocks as before–a combination of savings, insurance and investments.