The new year is the perfect time to plan which financial goals you would like to achieve through out the year. The top financial resolutions for Americans in 2024 are to build up their emergency savings (81%), save more money (41%), pay down debt (38%) and spend less (30%), according to Fidelity’s 2024 Financial Resolutions survey.
If you’re ready to improve your financial health, here are tips to achieve six of the most popular financial goals:
1 – Raise your credit score to qualify for better interest rates
Would you like to improve your credit score this year? There are plenty of ways to raise your credit score, and if you start now, you can end this year with a high score that can open up more opportunities for you. Paying bills on time, decreasing your credit card debt, making frequent payments, and asking for a credit card limit increase are all ways you can increase your score. You can make this goal attainable using FinLocker’s credit widget, which displays your Vantage credit score and credit report provided by TransUnion. You can also track your credit history, access credit tips, and receive notifications when your credit score changes. Before making any credit-related moves or decisions, use the credit score simulator to test various scenarios to see how they could impact your credit score.
2 – Lower or pay off of your credit card debt
It is never too late to start reducing your credit card debt. Lowering your credit card balance is simpler to achieve when you have a plan to follow. You can follow strategies such as requesting a lower interest rate on your credit card, increasing your credit card payments, or making multiple payments every month, resulting in quicker results. When you enroll your financial accounts in your FinLocker, you can easily see your total current debts and see those debts reduced with each payment.
3 – Create and commit to a budget
Look at a budget not as an inconvenience but as a financial empowerment tool that you can use to improve your finances successfully. A budget gives you the power to track your spending and identify areas where you can afford to save, and show you where you need to reduce your spending. Avoid the challenge of finding a budget template on your own and create your custom budget using FinLocker’s budget and goals feature. When you enroll your financial accounts in your locker, you can track your savings and spending to attain any goal you would like to achieve this new year.
4 – Live within your means to provide financial stability
If you are looking to be more financially responsible this year, you can set a goal to live within your means. In other words, make sure that what you are spending each month is less than what you are bringing home in income. Being conscious of how much you are making each month can show you how much you need to be spending. Living within your means is manageable if you have a guide to follow. For example, the 50/30/20 rule for budgeting says you should allocate 50% of your income towards “needs,” 30% towards “wants,” and 20% towards “savings.”
5 – Build an emergency fund
The best way to prepare for financial bumps in the road, such as unexpected car repairs, medical bills, and home repairs, is with an emergency fund. A dedicated emergency fund is essential even if you have a budget to manage your regular monthly expenses.
Ideally, your emergency fund will be held in a high-interest savings account so that the money remains separated from your everyday money and earns interest. Even if you can only add $20 per weekly paycheck to your emergency fund at a 4.5% interest rate, your savings will have earned you an additional $46.80 for an entire year. Your target goal should be three months of your current salary so that you have a financial cushion to pay your regular expenses in case of job loss. If you are the sole earner for your family or self-employed, you should aim to cover six to nine months of expenses in your emergency fund.
Learn more about how to Start and Build Your Emergency Fund.
6 – Pay yourself first to grow your savings
Paying yourself a portion of your income is a great new year’s financial resolution, as it helps you achieve both short-term and long-term goals. Start from your first paycheck of the new year, and practice paying 10% of your income to yourself first. Invest in your “future” self by putting money into a retirement account, purchasing life insurance, paying off some of your debts, and creating an emergency fund. Using the pay yourself first technique at the beginning of the year will improve your financial well-being by the end of the year.
Are you ready to improve your financial standing this year? Setting financial goals and committing to them this year can give you more control over your financial situation and successfully prepare you financially for the future.
