Planning your financial future is important in how you live now and what plans you have for the years to come. Being fiscally responsible means taking steps ahead of time to plan for career changes, retirement, and unexpected emergencies.
There are hundreds of ways that you can learn fiscal responsibility and perhaps hundreds more on how to manage your personal finances. However, there are some important rules you should memorize to help you start managing your personal finances more efficiently. Here are five rules of personal finance that everyone should memorize.
1. Time is a very important factor
Time is a key factor in finances, whether that is an investment, money in your savings account or putting in money for retirement. Interest rates are always fluctuating so keeping on top of where your money is going will be very important in the long run.
If you begin to save now, you are setting up a better financial situation for yourself years from now. In addition to this, your spending in the present will become a factor for the future so keep in mind that time is a very important thing to consider when managing personal finances.
2. Ensure you have a plan
Ensuring you have a plan is a very important rule. It isn’t something you can take as an optional choice, especially because everyone has to have a financial plan. Keeping track of money and putting aside for the future will allow you to have flexibility in financial decisions you make in the future. For example, what if you decide to switch jobs in five years and need to fall back on your savings?
Having a rainy day fund in this situation would give you some breathing room while you figure out the next step in your career. Even something more sudden like a death in the family or a house fire might require you to think quickly. Having a plan will allow you to make decisions quickly and without concerns.
3. Discuss money with your family
A large part of having a plan is to be able to discuss your finances with your family. For example, creating a joint bank account with your spouse might allow you to save more if you come up with a smart plan on how much each person will put in and where your expenses are. You might decide that because your spouse has a higher percentage of student loans left, that you might pay a bit more towards expenses each month. Discussing your personal finances with your family will help you develop a future plan and may help you avoid running into financial issues in the future.
4. Keep updated on your Credit Report
Make sure to review your credit report and stay updated on it. If it is not so great, come up with a plan on how you can get it up higher. A credit score typically ranges from 500 and 850. A credit score is a reliable way for banks and businesses to ensure that you are on top of your credit and that you are handling your finances well. Your credit is your line of trust that proves you are fiscally responsible.
5. Pay monthly bills on time
Credit card debt is a very serious matter, as it is something that is very hard to get out of once you are already in. If you use your credit card on any large purchases, make sure you have the cash in your bank account to pay for it. This means having the means to pay all of your monthly bills on time. This includes, your credit card bills, your electricity, gas, and heating expenses as well. Get ahead of the curve and stay on top of your monthly expenses.
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