30几岁千万不能犯的7个理财错误
爱思英语编者按:当20几岁无忧无虑的日子过完,你就应该开始考虑金钱方面的事,为今后的日子做打算了。刚开始的时候可能你会经验不足,这篇文章你告诉你需要避免的一些错误。 7 Money Mistakes You Can’t Make In Your 30s So the carefree years of being in one’s 20s are over, and life is becoming more settled. With increasing income, financial responsibilities also increase, and wise decisions and actions made now can set a course for a solid financial future. 1. Using savings unwisely Is it to be used an emergency fund, or a vacation account, or a holiday fund, or all of the above? If you spend half of your savings on a vacation, will there be enough left over for an emergency? It may be time to consider separate accounts for different purposes, or define certain portions of it to be used solely for specific expenses. 2. Budgeting for the short term Take a look at long-term expenses and figure out the areas that will need your attention in three, five, and 10 or more years down the road. If you own a home, how soon will it need a new roof? A kitchen renovation? College for kids? Don’t let these expenses become surprises, and don’t raid other emergency accounts if you can avoid it. Start planning and saving in your 30s for the bigger expenses to come. 3. Not assessing your housing situation If you haven’t purchased a home, but are thinking about it, be honest with yourself about what you will really need, and if owning a home suits your lifestyle. Homeownership doesn’t provide an ideal lifestyle for everyone, but for many, it’s a great choice. When budgeting for mortgage payments, don’t forget about all the added costs, like insurance, repairs, maintenance and associated equipment, and the amount of time required to fulfill those responsibilities. If you own your home and you’ve had your mortgage for a while and haven’t looked intorefinancing, doing so can be a wise idea. If you’re making more and saving more since you took out your mortgage. Your credit score may be higher, so you might be able to get better terms, or even afford to pay off the loan in a shorter period of time. Interest rates are still low, so it makes sense to revisit your loan terms to see if it’s time for a refinance, or at minimum, if it’s time to commit to making higher payments to pay it off early. If you’re not keen on saving $5,000 to $10,000 or more for a new roof and you’re getting tired of upkeep costs, or you’d like more mobility around the country, maybe renting is more your style. Or maybe you’re realizing you went too big or too small with the first house. Making housing changes are easier to do on your 30s rather than later. 4. Not tracking your retirement account 5. Not putting more money into retirement 6. Not having enough insurance 7. Not having a will It’s also important to start having end-of-life discussions with family members, such as estate issues and how you want to be buried, or if you prefer cremation. You may find that some of your loved ones won’t be on the same page with your preferences, so early discussion is important to work out the differences. While it may not be pleasant to consider, or may seem too far off to be important, accidents happen and it’s important to plan. |