14 Financial Truths You Must Know for a Secure Future
14 Financial Truths You Must Know for a Secure Future. Financial truths are the ideas and principles surrounding money and finances that have stood the test of time.
These are ideas and principles that have been proven to be effective in helping people make money, save money, and achieve financial success.
Financial truths are the building blocks of financial wisdom and can help you make the best decisions for your financial future.
Here are 14 financial truths that you need to know for a secure future.
1. You Can’t Out-Earn Bad Spending Habits
You can make a million dollars a year and still end up broke. It’s not about how much money you make; it’s about how you manage the money you make.
That’s why it’s so important to make a plan for your money.
A budget is your best tool for telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went.
With a budget, you can make sure you’re spending less than you make, you can give every dollar a job,
and you can make sure you’re saving and investing for the future.
2. Credit Card Debt is the Worst Kind of Debt
There are a few different types of debt you may run into in life, but none is more destructive than credit card debt.
That’s because credit cards have extremely high interest rates, and a single late payment can cause your interest rate to skyrocket even higher.
If you have credit card debt, it should be your top financial priority to get rid of it as soon as you can.
One popular strategy for doing so is the debt snowball, which is a way to pay off your debts in order from smallest to largest.
3. You Need an Emergency Fund
It’s not a matter of if, but when an unexpected expense will pop up. If you don’t have an emergency fund, you’ll have to rely on credit cards or loans to cover the cost.
This can lead to a cycle of debt that’s nearly impossible to break.
Instead, set aside money in a high-yield savings account. You should aim to have at least $1,000 in your emergency fund if you’re paying off debt.
But once you’re debt-free, you should have at least three to six months of living expenses saved up.
4. You Need to Save for Retirement
Retirement may seem like a lifetime away, but it will come before you know it.
You will need a substantial amount of money to live on, and the earlier you start saving, the better off you will be.
Because of the power of compound interest, you can save less money and end up with more than if you saved a lot of money later on in life.
Even if you can only contribute a small amount to your retirement, you should. If your employer offers a retirement savings plan, you should take advantage of it.
If not, you can open an individual retirement account (IRA) on your own.
5. You Need Life Insurance
If you die, what happens to your family? If you have kids, what happens to them? What about your business?
Life insurance is not for you. It’s for those you leave behind. If you don’t have life insurance, you need to get some. Life insurance is not an investment.
It is a risk management tool.
You should have 10–12 times your annual income in a good, 15–20-year level term life insurance policy. I recommend Zander Insurance.
They will shop the top companies to find you the best rates on life insurance.
6. You Need a Will
If you don’t have a will, the state will decide what happens to your assets and who will be the guardian of your children.
A will is an important part of your financial plan, and it’s not just for those with a lot of money.
If you’re young and single, you may not have many assets, but you still need a will to make your wishes known.
If you have children, it’s especially important to have a will so you can name a guardian for them in case something happens to you.
You can create a will online, but it’s a good idea to have an attorney review it.
7. You Need to Check Your Credit Report
Your credit report is a detailed account of your credit history.
It includes information about your past and present accounts, credit limits, payment history, and any accounts that have gone to collections.
Lenders use this report to determine how much of a credit risk you are.
The lower the risk, the more likely they are to lend to you and the lower your interest rate will be.
It’s important to check your credit report at least once a year to make sure there are no errors.
You can get a free credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion – once a year.
If you find an error, contact the credit bureau and the lender to get it corrected.
8. You Don’t Need to Keep Up With the Joneses
One of the biggest money mistakes you can make is to compare your life with someone else’s. This is especially true when it comes to your finances.
You don’t know everything about someone else’s money situation. They might have inherited a lot of money or have a ton of debt.
The point is, you don’t know.
Focusing on what other people have is a surefire way to get off track with your financial goals. Instead, focus on what you need to do to meet your goals.
You are the only person who knows what you want your future to look like. Don’t let someone else’s life take the place of the one you want.
9. You Need to Pay Yourself First
If you want to be successful, you need to make sure you put your future first. How do you do that? You need to pay yourself first.
That means before you pay your bills, before you pay your taxes, before you do anything,
you need to make sure you take a percentage of your income and set it aside for your future.
You need to make sure you’re saving and investing for your future.
This is the only way you’ll be able to build wealth and achieve financial freedom.
10. You Need to Have a Budget
If you want to be in control of your money, you need to have a budget.
A budget is a plan for your money. It tells you what you can spend and how much you need to save.
Budgeting is the fastest way to get out of debt and save money. If you don’t have a budget,
you’re likely living paycheck to paycheck and wondering where all your money went.
Budgeting is the key to financial success.
It’s a simple habit that will help you build wealth. I’ve been using a budget for years, and it’s how I’ve been able to save money, invest, and grow my wealth.
A budget is the foundation of your financial plan.
11. You Need to Live Below Your Means
Living below your means is the secret to building wealth. It’s not about how much you make — it’s about how much you keep.
You can’t build wealth if you’re spending every penny you make. If you want to be financially secure, you have to spend less than you earn.
That’s the only way to have money left over to save and invest for the future.
12. You Need to Know the Difference Between Good and Bad Debt
Debt is a tool, and it can be used wisely or it can be abused. It’s important to understand the difference between good and bad debt.
Good debt is used to finance investments that will grow in value and provide a return on the investment.
For example, a mortgage is a type of good debt because it is used to finance the purchase of a home, which is likely to appreciate in value over time.
Student loans are also a type of good debt if they are used to finance an education that will increase your earning potential.
Bad debt is used to finance things that are consumed and don’t provide any value over time.
For example, credit card debt is a type of bad debt because it is used to finance things that are consumed and don’t provide any value over time.
For example, credit card debt used to finance a vacation is a type of bad debt because the vacation is consumed and doesn’t provide any value over time.
It’s important to avoid bad debt as much as possible and to focus on paying off any bad debt you may have.
Good debt can be used to help you build wealth, but it’s important to make sure that you don’t take on too much debt and that you can afford to make the payments.
13. You Need to Have a Plan
Finally, you need to have a plan. There’s a saying in the financial world that goes, “If you don’t have a plan, you have a plan to fail.” That’s true.
You need to know where you are and where you want to go. You need to know what you want your future to look like and what you have to do to get there.
You need to know how much money you need to retire and what your financial goals are. If you don’t have a plan, you’re just guessing.
And if you’re guessing, you’re not going to get where you want to go.
Having a plan is the key to success in any area of your life. Don’t leave it to chance. Get a plan and stick to it.
14. You Need to Be Realistic
Finally, you need to be realistic. It’s great to dream big, but you also need to be honest with yourself about what you can afford and what you can’t.
If you have a goal that seems out of reach, break it down into smaller goals and tackle them one at a time.
This might mean you have to drive an old car for a few years, or that you have to put off a big vacation until next year.
But if you’re willing to make some sacrifices and stay disciplined, you’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish.
Conclusion
You can’t predict what will happen in the future, but you can prepare for the unknown. The best way to do that is by building an emergency fund. An emergency fund is three to six months of expenses saved in a money market account that you can access when an unexpected expense or a job loss occurs.