Personal financial planning is the part of “adulting” that a lot of people skip. Despite the existence of personal financial planning software and new features of the digital age, such as the token sale, ICO campaigns, and automated financial planning, you might be one of those who has a job, knows how to “do life,” but hasn’t reached that peak of adulting skills: personal financial planning. Take this quick quiz to see if you need to be doing more.
Answer Yes or No to Each Question
- Do you make less than $75,000 a year? On average, Americans are most likely to budget only if they’re making at least $75,000. This is concerning since the average gross household income in the United States is only $71,258. You need to be planning for the future, though, no matter what your income.
- Are you a millennial? The problem here is that only 25% of millennials interviewed by the National Endowment for Financial Education actually show even basic financial literacy. It takes more than a basic understanding of finances make a success of personal financial planning.
- Do you pay the minimum due on your credit cards? If you answered yes, that’s great. It’s just that it’s not enough. If you only pay the minimum amount due, you’ll never get out of debt and your debt will pile up. Almost a third of us are only paying this amount, according to a National Financial Capability Study, and 157 million of us need to pay off credit card debt.
- Do you have more than just credit card debt? A lot of people are struggling with debt. In fact, the average debt for a household in the United States is $132,529! A lot of that is student debt, as well as credit card debt, car loans, mortgages, etc. If your debts are high, you need to start personal financial planning right away. It’s possible to get out of debt, but planning is key.
- Are you childless? When people have children, they tend to get proactive about personal financial planning. They even do things like invest in retail financial planning. Non-parents, though, tend to avoid personal financial planning. Only 10% of those without children have written down any kind of financial plan, and only about a quarter are regularly putting money into a retirement account.
If you answered “yes” to three or more of these questions, it’s probably time to look seriously at the state of your personal financial planning goals. If you have none, it’s time to get some!
What Do I Do?
If you’re just realizing that your financial plans are going nowhere, or that you lack a plan entirely, there is help available. There are companies out there that can help you design a personalized approach to your financial situation and your future. These are people who get the digital world, know how to apply automation to finances in order to get the most out of fast-moving changes, and have the knowledge to help you get your finances on track; and leave you free to concentrate on other aspects of adult life.