11/05/2020
What Is Financial Health?
• The state and stability of an individual's personal finances and financial affairs are called their financial health.
• Typical signs of strong financial health include a steady flow of income, rare changes in expenses, strong returns on investments, and a cash balance that is growing.
• To improve your financial health, you need to assess your current net worth, create a budget you can stick to, build an emergency fund, and pay down your debts.
Rules and Tips for Financial Health
• Automate your bill pay and savings—that is, set up automatic transfers to a savings account and auto-pay all your bills.
• Always look for free checking and free accounts.
• Shop around for insurance, cable or and other recurring expenses. This includes if you already have these items.
• Use a budgeting method, such as 50/30/20, which says you should be spending 50% on needs, 30% on wants and saving 20% of your income. This 20% could include debt reduction if you have high-interest debts.
• Try to limit spending on housing (rent or mortgage) to not more than 40% of your income.
• Invest early and often. That is, try to put 10-15% of your income directly into a retirement account.