It’s that time of the year again when you are looking to close the year and begin a new one. Here are some tips that will help you close and get started on the right foot.
1. People First
As Suze Orman says, People first, then Money, then Things! Make sure you use your money in such a manner that I reflects who is important in your life. Buy that nice gift for your spouse or child (as long as it’s affordable) and your relation will flourish.
2. Retirement Savings Most people need to ideally save about 15% of their income for their retirement purposes in order to live comfortable at that time. In case you are not doing this then now is a good time to move closer to that level. If it seems too far for you to reach in one go, then move up by a couple of percentage points. Whatever additional you save, will go a long way to help you in your retirement.
3. Wholesome Financial Plan A lot of investors make the mistake of making all the right decisions, but independent of one another. Sometimes when all put together they may no longer reflect financial acumen. To avoid this unnecessary disaster go back to your financial plan and look at it in a wholesome fashion.
4. Education Savings Most people think that tuition saving instruments known as 529 plans are only for children. This is not the case and there are a lot of adults that also use the. You can use it for graduate school or certain classes that you want to take at the local community college. The 529 plans offer a federal tax benefit which is that investment earnings are not taxed if they are used for educational expenses. So go ahead and learn, and save at the same time!
5. Watch your Holiday Expenses This is the time to be jolly and most people are jolly when they buy or receive nice (read expensive) things. Don’t restrain yourself to such a limited happiness but learn to enjoy the simpler (and cheaper) pleasures in life. This will not only enable you to save more, but also to value more what you have already saved. Definitely a winning proposition from any side wouldn’t you say?
