Reaching your goals

If you don't have a financial plan, start by coming up with one for the short term. Once that's done, you can turn your attention to your long-term financial health and some steps you can take to set yourself up for success.

• Learn more about money. Find free videos or classes on financial literacy to make sure you understand the accounts and loans you have. If you have kids, talk to them about money so they can start learning the basics too.
• Write down your goals. Figure out what you’re working toward and how long you need to get there. If you’re not sure, try starting a journal and then look for common topics.
• Open a separate savings account. This account should be for long-term savings only, not your day-to-day spending. Use it to build your emergency fund by picking a dollar amount or percent of your income to save each month.
• Save your money automatically. Set up an automatic transfer from your paycheck or enroll in programs that round up your purchases to the next dollar and put the difference in savings. The best ways to save are those you don’t have to think about. 
• Be sure you’re insured. If the worst were to happen, insurance can help pay to rebuild a home or replace a car. You may also want to consider life insurance if you have children or other dependents.
• Think about retirement. Use a free online calculator to determine how much money you’ll need to retire, then build that amount of savings into your long-term financial plan.
• Don’t get distracted. Stay focused on your goals, even with the holidays coming up.

Remember, you can get professional help with your financial plan. The staff at Veridian is here for you, and anyone with Certified Financial Planner (CFP) certification has to put your interests first when giving you guidance.

For more advice about your individual financial situation, fill out the form below.