Comments on: Financial Planning Basics in 9 Steps

By: Perez Akello

Perez Akello — Sun, 17 Feb 2019 19:29:26 +0000

Great information has helped me keep my focus Thanks

By: Rachel

Rachel — Tue, 05 Jul 2016 16:53:37 +0000

Setting up that college fund will be so important for future children. It’s something I would like to get an early start on, and it sounds like building a financial plan is the best way to go about doing it. Thanks for the advice.

By: Maggie Allen

Maggie Allen — Tue, 24 May 2016 18:44:29 +0000

This is some really great basic advice on financially planning your future! Personally, I would say that I struggle a bit at saving for retirement. Since it seems so far away to me, I feel like it is justified for me to spend those savings. Plus, I don’t think I’m putting enough money into my retirement funds. It might be a good idea for a professional to take a look at all of that, and see if any adjustments need to be made!

By: Wendy V.

Wendy V. — Thu, 30 Jul 2015 21:49:14 +0000

Great article, Jeff. I plan to pass it along to my daughters, both in their 20’s, thank you. While I do like the psychological advantage of paying off small debts first, one should also look at the interest rate of each debt. Go after the higher interest rate debts first, so you don’t end up paying way more than needed. Pay off 0% loans on or just before the intro period expires to avoid any penalties, which can be substantial. I had a friend who missed the final deadline on a 0% furniture loan by just a few days and interest had accrued (and was due) from the inception of the loan — in this case, 36 months and hundreds of dollars. Yikes! Be careful and make sure you understand all of the terms of deals such as these and are diligent about paying them off in time. Thanks again.

By: Robert

Robert — Thu, 16 Jul 2015 03:02:49 +0000

The most important takeaway from this post that I found is the need for creating an emergency fund. Going down the path of paying off debt and then having an unexpected expense can be very discouraging. Living from pay check to pay check can be extremely stressful as well. I like the 3-6 month strategy. If both you and spouse work would you suggest 3-6 for each incomes?

By: Duncan's Dividends

Duncan's Dividends — Fri, 10 Jul 2015 22:02:43 +0000

Agreed about if people followed this advice we’d be much better off. The average savings rate in America is 5.1% and that’s the average. There’s a whole lot of people out there saving a heck of a lot less or 0% of their savings. Putting money away and paying off debt is critical to successfully managing you finances.

By: Mrs. Budgets @MrandMrsBudgets

Mrs. Budgets @MrandMrsBudgets — Thu, 09 Jul 2015 12:57:31 +0000

Always good to get back to basics and make sure your financial life is in order. I don’t have a will and thank you for reminding me to stop wasting time on this one.

By: Natalie @ Financegirl

Natalie @ Financegirl — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 20:04:22 +0000

If everyone followed the advice in this post, we would be living in an entirely different world — one of financial responsibility and success.

By: Kali @ XY Planning Network

Kali @ XY Planning Network — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 12:05:25 +0000

Starting with your goals is so important. It’s hard to know when you’ve reached success if you have no idea where you’re going — or why! Understanding what motivates you, and what you value, doesn’t sound like it belongs in financial planning but it’s a crucial first step.