Things to do.
Do these today so you won’t be a deadbeat when you hit the big 3-0.
1. Build a good credit history. Time will come when you’ll have to borrow
money from the bank to buy a car or a house, or start a business. Banks
rarely grant loans to people who have no experience handling credit. As
soon
as you’re able, get yourself a credit card and manage it wisely. This is
the
easiest way to build good credit history.
Almost doing it.
2. Set up an emergency fund. As a rule of thumb, always have around 3 to 6
months’ salary on stand-by in the bank. You’ll have more peace of mind
knowing you’re protected (at least for the short-term) from sudden
financial
upheavals like losing your job.
Gotta do this one. Constantly.
3. Set up a retirement fund. The earlier you start preparing for
retirement,
the smaller the amount you’ll need to save every month, because your money
has more time to grow. Don’t think you’re too young to start building your
nest egg. If you play your cards right, your future may be so secure by the
time you’re 40 that you won’t have to work anymore.
Gotta do more of this.
4. Buy life, health, and disability insurance. A life insurance policy is a
must if you have dependents. If you don’t, think of it more as something
that can augment your retirement fund. Health and disability insurance are
absolute musts. The company you work for may already be providing this as a
standard employee benefit, but sometimes it’s better to get your own plan
so
you’ll know you’re protected even when you switch jobs.
Got to get more of this.
5. Make a will. You have nothing more than your CD collection and designer
shoes to give away in case you died tomorrow. It’s good to be familiar with
estate planning early on. You’ll want to make sure your assets will go to
the right people if you croak unexpectedly. The absence of a will means the
government gets to decide who will benefit from the fruits of your labor.
You don’t want that.
Definitely not. I’m doing it first thing later.