By Courtney Burrell, Empower 2024
Making progress against your money goals can be challenging. With inflation and the cost of living on the rise, many Americans are focused on making enough money to pay their bills on time and retire when they want to. Here are some steps to help build a sense of financial security. With time, incremental financial goals can become attainable with planning, discipline, and patience.
1. Assess Your Financial Goals
Sometimes we feel like we aren’t making progress because we may be starting out too ambitious and not spending enough time on the fundamentals. Good money habits take conscious effort and consistency.
SMART Goals: Ensure your goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
2. Be Your Biggest Ally
Celebrate the small, incremental financial wins on your journey to the larger ones. Take a moment to acknowledge your achievements, whether it’s paying off a credit card, reaching a savings milestone, or consistently sticking to your budget.
3. Identify the Struggles
Journal about your finances to uncover money habits that impact your ability to stick to a specific financial goal. Ask yourself critical questions about your spending, savings, and potential obstacles.
4. Come Up with a Plan
Create a Budget: Track your income and expenses, and identify areas where you can cut back.
Build an Emergency Fund: Start by saving a small amount each month to cover unexpected expenses.
Maximize Income Streams: Consider ways to increase your salary or find additional sources of income.
Prioritize Your Bills: Pay your bills on time and in full to avoid falling behind.
Maintain Perspective: Recognize if financial strain is temporary and identify steps to overcome it.
5. Use the Tools at Your Disposal
Take advantage of free online financial tools and resources. Empower offers a comprehensive library of free financial resources to help you manage your cash flow and reduce financial strain.
Upcoming Webinars by Empower
Empower will be hosting several webinars to help you further your financial education and reach your money goals. The topic for June is Take control of your finances with free tools. You can view the full schedule and choose the session that best fits your schedule here.
Reminder: Empower provides live monthly webinars where you can get practical tips from professionals on money matters, investments, and retirement planning. Visit learningfromempower.com to learn more.
About Empower Retirement
Empower Retirement is a premier retirement services provider transforming the way people approach retirement planning. Serving Alliance 403(b) Retirement Plan participants, Empower makes retirement planning personalized, accessible, and easier to understand. They help over 9.6 million people with a simple mission: to help people save enough today and work toward a secure future.
