In light of the current cost of living crisis, understanding and managing our finances has never been more critical. Below, we’ve outlined a blend of fundamental and advanced approaches aimed at those eager to make 2024 a pivotal year for their financial well-being.
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Keep a Money Journal: Reflect on your relationship with money, including your hopes, fears, and financial aspirations. This can clarify your long-term objectives and help devise a strategy for the future.
Document Your Financial and Life Goals: Record these in your journal, setting a timeline for achieving them.
Reconcile Your Bank Accounts: Ensure your bank transactions align with your expenses and that all bills are accounted for or scheduled for payment.
Compare Savings Account Rates: Identify the best rates to grow or start your emergency fund. Commit to saving a fixed amount or percentage of your income monthly.
Make an Additional Credit Card Payment: Focus on reducing the balance of the card with the highest interest rate.
Calculate Your Net Worth: List your assets and their values, then subtract your liabilities to determine your net worth.
Estimate Retirement Needs: Use online tools to gauge how much you’ll need for a comfortable retirement.
Organise Vital Documents: Ensure your household can operate smoothly in your absence by securely storing and sharing important financial documents with family, a financial planner, or solicitor.
Create a Budget and Monitor Spending: Tracking where your money goes can help you manage your finances more effectively.
Automate Savings and Investments: Automatically setting aside money each month makes saving and investing easier and helps avoid temptation.
Contribute to a Retirement Savings Plan: Explore options for setting up a personal retirement account if you lack access to a government or employer pension.
Review Your Insurance Needs: Protect your assets with appropriate insurance coverage, including health, life, income protection, and serious illness insurance.
Reduce Monthly Expenses: As service contracts end, compare prices to potentially lower your bills.
Update or Create Your Will: Regularly review and update your will or consult with a professional to create one if needed.
Earn Extra by Selling Unwanted Items: Use online platforms to sell items you no longer need, ensuring secure transactions.
Implement a Document Retention Policy: Decide how long to keep important documents, disposing of unnecessary paperwork and digitising the rest.
Educate Your Child About Finances: Open a savings account for your child and teach them about saving, bill payments, and credit.
Start Saving for Your Child’s Third Level Education: Early planning and saving can mitigate the financial strain of higher education costs.
Consult a Certified Financial Planner™: For expert financial planning advice, consider a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, recognised for their commitment to competence, ethics, and client-oriented service.