When I wrote about where to invest money for growth in 2022, I had no idea how much inflation would impact everyone’s mid-year financial checkup. None of us have lived through this constellation of financial events, but as has always been the case with smart money decisions, there are things under our control that we should focus on. Herewith, four things I recommend at this weird economic time, and general tuneup questions to ask
Take stock of where your losses reside
If your financial checkup reveals investment losses in liquid assets you don’t need until years down the road, give yourself a pat on the back and stay the course. These are less troublesome than say having consumer debt that is now accumulating interest at a much higher rate.
Debt costs need to be reigned in pronto! It is not sexy, but your financial checkup is much clearer in this case – your #1 goal is getting rid of your debt. There is something to be said for the simplicity of not needing to make any extra decisions.
Do not panic and sell investments unless you 1) can’t explain why you’re invested in the position, or 2) really need the money for big s*** (medical emergency, moving, starting a new business, etc.).
Be honest about how big your big s*** is. Also, a vacation is not big s*** in case you are wondering. You do not need to do your big trip during the summer when prices make little sense and you’re competing with all the school children. Besides, do you really want to be flying with the current travel chaos after two years of abnegation?
This is common sense: more things are more expensive and everyone is losing purchasing power. Use your financial checkup to identify where you can save:
- Groceries (look for Trader Joe’s/Aldi/Walmart; supplement with grocers that specialize in Asian, Middle Eastern, Caribbean, or Latin foods)
- Public transportation over driving your vehicle and on-demand vehicles (or using two-pedal power; but maybe not feasible when broiling out)
- Grab and go eateries v. sit-down restaurants (or better yet, picnics)
- Streaming services you use infrequently
- Cut out or cut down weekly purchases (the cleaning lady every 3-4 weeks instead of every week, putting a cap on how many purchased meals you’ll spring for, etc.)
Recognizing lifestyle creep and taming it sucks. But you know what? The financial checkup reminds us that all things are temporary. Once economic conditions are stable, assuming your purchasing power has recovered, you can resume. Adopt the mindset that the cuts are temporary and find that alternate reward you can safely gift yourself.
Cut housing costs
If you’re about to sign a mortgage, you haven’t lost money yet, but really think hard about why you need to make this charitable donation to the bank for the next x years. Even at the previously historically low mortgage rates of 3%, I’m not convinced that that charitable donation made sense. You lose out on the wealth generating opportunities of that combined down payment + the monthly mortgage costs you’re sending to Jamie Dimon.
Homes become people’s jails from a time and money perspective. Even if you are lucky enough to be an all cash buyer (which is one of two scenarios in which home ownership makes sense), you will still sink more time and money into your home than as a renter. The problem is compounded if you have tenants, especially crappy tenants.
It’s not popular, but whatever you can do to cut housing costs will be the fastest way for you to ace that financial checkup. Take on the extra renter, rent a room on AirBnB, look for a rent-stabilized apartment, avoid signing a mortgage at this point in time. In a worst case scenario, move to a lower cost of living locale. These are not easy or pleasant moves – this is not like going to the grocery store and buying a sack of lower cost fish. But if you do not cut housing costs, you will have to make multiple sacrifices in your entire budget.
You can either cut housing costs and deal with one deep wound that will heal stronger, or suffer death by a thousand paper cuts by making sacrifices across your entire budget.
Protect your income – my #1 financial checkup tip
Even if you hate your boss, do not burn bridges without another job lined up. You can be fired at any time. That is the reality of the world we live in and that has always been true. The dynamics of the great resignation are changing and the upper hand is not with knowledge workers (retail/hospitality workers are a different story; even then, do not be an a**hole).
The startup funding rush has cooled significantly, so think hard about accepting the job offer from a company that relies on external funding to keep the lights on. It’s not that you have to say no. This is just the sort of tripwire you want to inspect. Maybe you just need income for 1-2 years and you’d survive if you were laid off afterwards. Then by all means, try things out! But at this juncture, a steady paycheck is something to appreciate.
No, you should not tolerate a toxic environment. There are very good reasons to leave such workplaces. But line something up first – this is not the economic environment to quit with no backup. Alternatively, start building that side business you’ve been thinking of.
And while we’re at it, can you work two remote jobs? If you have a pretty good sense of your workload and the jobs have fully remote or near full-remote specifications, this is a good way to pad your wallet.
Invest in training
Look into what certifications, skills, or training you can get your company to sponsor. And don’t be afraid to pay for training yourself if it will help you in case you lose your job. It actually took me until this year to discard the mentality that I should only take training if my employer paid for it. If we’re talking about something up to the $5K range and you’re going to learn a skill you believe you can use to generate money, I’d argue that you should just do it. There will be some trainings that your employer will never pay for because it doesn’t align with the company’s mission or the skills that your employer needs to know.
Invest in yourself. The market provides no good alternative right now. An investment in your skills and your ability to make money is nearly always a 100% ROI.
Max out all your tax advantaged vehicles
These include familiar acronyms:
- 401(k)/403(b)/457(b)/TSP
- Traditional and Roth IRAs
- Mega backdoor Roth IRA (if you have access)
- HSAs
- FSAs
- Daycare credit accounts
- 529s
- Series I Bonds (+ for your dependents; I know, not a tax advantaged vehicle, but same category)
Other steps that belong in your financial checkup
A comprehensive financial checkup should take you at least a day, so the TLDR version is to act on the four steps listed above. If you have the time or are starting out, then this is a recap of the other things you should look out for:
- How are you measuring up against goals you set out earlier in the year? Are you halfway to hitting that goal? What can you do to get on track?
- Are your stock and bond allocations still in line with your target portfolio? Rebalance if not.
- What else can you automate to make your finances simpler?
- Are there accounts you can close?
- Is your emergency account full or does it need a top up?
- Did you receive an unexpected sum of money? If so, how are you going to invest or use it?
- Are you protecting your income and belongings? If not, who do you need to speak with to get those policies set up?
Austerity is never fun, but you know what else isn’t fun?
- Bankruptcy
- Your kids having to support you in retirement because you blew things
- Not being able to bail close family members out in case of catastrophe
- Fighting with your partner if you lose your job and your finances depended on a two-earner household
Stay cool regardless of what your financial checkup says. Do what it takes to eliminate debt, bring expenses down, and earn more income.
In the last three recessions going back to 2000, the longest lasting one was 27 months. The 2008 crash lasted 17 months. This weird time will also pass. Stay the course. Keep going.
