6 things Gen Xers can do right now to improve financial wellness
Build your emergency fund. This is #1 on my list always, not just during the pandemic. Ideally, you should have 3-6 months of living expenses in a savings account, including funds to cover health insurance if this is an expense for which you need to budget.
Update your household budget. If you don’t have one, create one! A notebook, Excel spreadsheet, or an app like Mint or Simplifi make this an easy task. Most likely, expense buckets have shifted during the pandemic, and you might be surprised to discover that you could pay off more debt or put more into savings.
Take a financial inventory. Make a list of what you have going on financially, where it is, and how to access it. Include investments, insurance policies, bank accounts. It could be handwritten or an Excel sheet. Put it on paper and put it in a safe place like a fire lock box or online in the cloud. Make sure your partner or trusted family member knows where to find it in an emergency. I like to update twice a year, when we move the clocks forward or back.
Check your credit report. Annualcreditreport.com is the official site to check your records with the three reporting credit agencies. You can do this for free once a year normally, but during the pandemic, you can check them WEEKLY for free here.
Pay less interest. If you have a mortgage, it’s not too late to check into refinancing. Rates are so low, you might be able to shave years of payments and tens of thousands in interest off your mortgage. Brokers are a great no-obligation resource to check rates.
Update your Will. I saved the best for last! With what’s going on in the world, it’s more important than ever to have plans in place for your money, property, stuff, and kids. Please do not DIY your Will. Ask friends to recommend an Estate Attorney and either map out or tune up your plan based on recent life changes. And if there’s a charity or person you want to remember in your plans, now’s a great time to include them.
