Employee Financial Wellness Initiative

When it comes to money, people will do whatever they can to get hold of your money, regardless of how it will affect you.

Don't rush into any sort of decision making. Always consult a second source.

Assuming you have enough to cover the bills and aren't pulling an overdraft fee, start by automating your retirement savings. You know you need an emergency fund, so automate. Do the same with increasing your 401(k) contributions each year, or paying off your credit card debt. 

Your future self might have more income, but it’s also fairly likely that your future self might have less income and you’ll find yourself in a really bad situation. 

Even if your future self is doing well, there are probably going to be other big expenses that you’ll want to deal with at that time, like buying a house.

• Building an emergency fund: set up an automatic weekly or monthly transfer from your checking account to your savings, then leave the savings alone until an emergency appears.
• Eliminating high-interest debt: Set up a simple debt repayment plan by organizing your debts by interest rate, then attempt to make a double payment on whatever debt has the highest interest rate.
• Saving for retirement: It will actually end up being a much smaller burden than you expect,  lifted up by the pleasure of knowing that you’re securing your retirement.

A consumer spends money and follows trends while an investor puts capital to work and takes advantage of trends.

Chronic consumers often go broke, and persistent investors often get rich.

• You feel the need to reward yourself after a hard day of work by buying new clothes/accessories or eating out.
• Lifestyle creep controls your expenses. When your income increases, you buy a new car or a more expensive house.
• You reserve your credit card for unexpected expenses instead of using an emergency fund.
• You rationalize using a credit card to buy things you might not purchase with a debit card.
• When something is on sale, you feel the urge to buy it, even if you wouldn't have otherwise bought it.
• You follow social trends.
• You don't think you have money to invest or the time for it.

The measures to stop the spread of the virus are well-known by now: staying home in lockdown, working from home as a default option, schools switching from physical classrooms to e-learning models.

Not every country has been able to make these choices fast, due to a combination of hesitation, inaction, and paralysis. Before any decision is made, the first thing to do is determine what needs to be done and at what pace and scale.

As the current health crisis steamrolls into an economic crisis unparalleled for the last 100 years, the decline in economic activity is already at par with the great depression.

This crisis of global proportions requires resilience, both for near-term issues like liquidity and cash flow, as well as long-term issues like uncertainty, personal financial stress and recovering from multiple challenges that were already present and are now further complicated due to the pandemic.

“Great wealth builders focus on both saving money and earning more.”

1. Save on vehicles. Before buying a car, investigate vehicle reliability, pricing and financing.
2. Rent. Most rentals offer more flexibility in case you need to move. Also, not having the mortgage payment allows you to start saving earlier.
3. Don’t be a consumerist, buy only the things you really need.
4. Save a percentage of your income so you have more money to invest.
5. Work hard on your current work regardless of your feelings for it. It’s easier than finding a new great opportunity and may lead you into a promotion.
6. Educate yourself even if it doesn’t bring any immediate benefit, being educated opens new opportunities on the long run.
7. Invest in yourself and your marketing to open up new opportunities.
8. Being an entrepreneur is the best way to maximize your earnings, short of being an investor. Try it, even if it fails the learning from it will be invaluable in your next attempt.
9. Real estate won’t make you rich overnight, but it’s a solid strategy to increasing your network. 

Assuming you're in your 20s or 30s and can earn an average investment return of five percent a year, you'll need to save about 20 percent of your income so you can reach financial independence when you're older.

Financial independence means that you can maintain your chosen lifestyle entirely from the interest of your investments and dividends.

The four percent rule states that you could withdraw four percent of your principal balance every year and live on this indefinitely. That means you need to save 25 times your annual expenses to become financially independent.

The four percent rule is not perfect. There is no risk-free investment that yields that much today. Sudden inflation could also cause a problem.

Your budgeting style will change over your lifetime. You may use the envelope method when you need to be stricter with yourself.

Some people feel less stressed when they use budgeting styles that track every penny. Others find it is enough to run cash flow and know there's some money left each month for nonessentials. They don't need to itemize where every dollar is spent. See what style of budgeting support your goals and sanity, then adjust as needed.

Much personal finance advice focuses on making cuts. The information is useful when you're trying to avoid mindless spending. However, there is a time to shift your focus from slashing to earning.

Polish your resume, and apply for open roles that could be earning more. If you're not looking for a career move, a side hustle can help increase your income.