Income alone doesn't ensure financial security for you and your family. Financial security depends on your ability to handle your financial obligations and to save, even during a rough financial period. The following suggestions can help.
If your bank account and wallet are often nearly empty before paydays, you may be overspending and possibly adding some debt to tide you over when you’re short. Setting a spending limit is a practical way to keep your ordinary living costs comfortably below your income.
Tapping a credit card when you have to repair the car or cover another unplanned large expense can make such spending costly and add to your monthly cash flow needs. Instead, gradually build an emergency fund, ideally equal to several months of income, that will let you avoid most forced borrowing.
Borrowing is easy, but the subsequent payments can become a prolonged drain on your income. Limit your use of credit cards to an amount you can comfortably pay off each month. Take loans only for major, long-term items like a house, education or a car.
The liability limits that are built into your homeowners and auto policies might not be large enough to protect your assets in the event that you are sued. The cost of increasing your policy limits may be very low relative to the security you’d gain. Also, consider an excess liability (or umbrella) policy to supplement the covered limits on your homeowners and auto insurance policies.
Disability coverage also deserves a careful examination. Would long-term disability insurance received through your job replace enough of your pay? Would the qualifying requirements make it hard to collect? For example, find out if your claim could be denied if you’re able to engage in “any occupation,” not necessarily your “own occupation.”
Make sure that you regularly invest some part of your income for the long term. Whether you use your employer’s retirement savings plan or another tax-deferred account, the best rule is to start early and keep going for as long as you work.
Article is adapted from content provided by DTS.
