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6 Important Financial Strategies

6 Important Financial Strategies for Your 20s & 30s

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Personal finance goals look a little different when you’re in your 20s and 30s. While your parents are focused on managing retirement, you might be navigating the challenges of paying off student loan debt, establishing yourself in a new career, buying a home, and having a family.

You may think that you have all the time in the world to set up a financial strategy, but time goes by more quickly than you expect. Working with a financial professional may help get you out of debt faster, save for important goals, and give you a head start on retirement.

So where do you begin? Here are six moves to consider to jump-start your financial future.

1 TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR HEALTH

Wait, what? It may seem counterintuitive, but your health plays a huge part in your financial well-being. If you are not currently covered by health insurance, you should consider making it a financial priority. Even if you are generally healthy, a car accident or unexpected illness can set you back financially.1

Studies show that young Americans (age 18–34) are the age group most likely to go without health insurance. According to the Centers for Disease Control and the U.S. Census Bureau, 14.3 percent of 19-to-25-year-olds and 13.9 percent of 26-to-34-year-olds have no health insurance.2,3

If you are under the age of 26, you may be able to get coverage through a parent or a guardian. If you are not eligible for an employer-sponsored health insurance plan or your parents’ insurance, you can shop for health insurance plans on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) federal or state insurance exchanges. Visit www.healthcare. gov to get started.

2 NEGOTIATE YOUR SALARY

One of the savviest financial plays you can make early in your career is to learn how to negotiate a salary.    Since your employers will base subsequent raises and job offers on your previous salary, you can improve your lifetime wealth dramatically by negotiating for a higher salary early on.

Here are some negotiating tips for boosting your salary:

✅ Do not be afraid to ask for a raise or salary bump.

✅ Demonstrate why you are worth more money.

✅ Do your homework so you understand the market for your skills.

✅ Ask for written goals, and set a future date for a review if your request is initially declined.

✅ Consider salary alternatives, such as performance bonuses and non-cash perks, that can improve your lifestyle.

3 FIGURE OUT YOUR FINANCIAL GOALS

Do you dream of owning a home? Do you want to travel every year? Do you want your children to go to college? Whatever your personal goals are, you’ll need to prepare for them.

YOUR GOALS MIGHT INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:

Additional education: College, graduate school, and advanced certificate programs can open doors and boost your career prospects. However, tuition and fees for public, four-year colleges have been increasing by

an average of 8% each year. Living expenses and little or no income (depending on your employment status as a student) will also raise the cost of education. Preparing now can help ensure a strategy to balance your college savings and loan needs.4

A house: Owning a house is still the dream for many young Americans. For most people, a house will be the largest purchase they ever make. Now is the time to prepare by thinking about a down payment, learning about your credit score (and fixing it if necessary), and studying market trends in your area.5

A business: If you aspire to be an entrepreneur, preparing financially may help you get ahead. Create the

vision for the company you want to build, and identify the overhead you need to get started. From there, you can develop ongoing financial strategies that will help you launch a business with a sound financial standing.6

4 PAY DOWN AND ELIMINATE DEBT

When they think about saving and investing, most people’s minds immediately turn to retirement. While

retirement is an important goal, many other intermediate life objectives also require you to develop financial strategies.

The amount of debt that individuals from 21 to 34 years old hold is staggering: 31% of U.S. consumer debt is in the hands of this demographic. For example, the average student loan is $30,000.

School loans are not the only debt items holding younger Americans back. People born in the 1980s and 1990s hold an average credit card debt of $3,542—and they use roughly 36% of their available credit. This credit comes at a high cost. A report from the Federal Reserve revealed that the average Annual Percentage Rate (APR) for variable-rate credit cards is 14%.7,8

If you are living with significant debt, paying it off is one of the smartest financial moves you can make. You might be paying more interest than you are likely to earn by investing.

Download the PDF below to see a  chart that compares historical returns for investments with interest rates on school loans and credit cards.

You can see that the high APR on most credit cards pales in comparison with the historical performance of the market. For most people, it makes sense to pay off expensive debt instead of investing at lower rates of return. Every dollar that you pay toward your debt reduces the amount of your money that goes to interest.

Student-loan interest rates are typically lower than most other forms of unsecured debt–such as credit cards and medical bills–so deciding whether to pay down debt instead of investing is a more complex problem.

5 PROTECT YOUR CREDIT

For better or worse, your credit score is one of the most important indicators of your financial health. A variety of people and institutions can use your credit to make decisions about you, such as lenders, employers, and landlords. Among other debt characteristics, your credit score can reveal whether you pay bills on time or have ever defaulted on a loan. Damaged credit can be very costly over time. The chart on the next page shows how credit scores can affect mortgage points.

The graph in the PDF below details a $250,000 mortgage that is assessed 1 loan-discount point, resulting in $2,500 of closing costs. High credit rating scores–such as 740–show that you are a less risky borrower, while lower credit scores reveal higher risk.

Remember, your FICO score is essentially your credit score. Mortgage lenders give applicants with lower credit scores a higher risk rating since lower scores indicate a higher risk of applicants defaulting on their mortgages. Thus, lenders will assign higher borrowing costs when you pose more risk to them as a borrower. This calculation translates into higher closing costs, as shown in the downloadable PDF.

For example, a credit score of 640 incurs $7,000 in closing costs, whereas a credit score of 740 incurs $0 in closing costs. Many people can’t afford to pay these extra costs at closing and choose to convert the discount points into an increased mortgage rate, raising the overall cost of the loan. Typically, every discount point converts into a 0.25% increase in mortgage interest.9

Unfortunately, no secret formulas or easy fixes exist for bad credit. Rehabilitation takes time and discipline, but improving your credit is entirely possible.

Here are some simple steps that you can take now to improve and protect your credit:

  • Check your credit report every year for free, and dispute any errors.
  • Pay all bills on time by setting up payment reminders or enrolling in autopay when possible.
  • Avoid late charges (all collections report to the credit bureaus).
  • Pay down any balances on cards (high balances relative to your total available credit may impact your credit score).
  • Pay off your credit cards in full each month.

6 INVEST FOR THE FUTURE

  • Automate your savings: The simplest way to save is to automatically direct a portion of each paycheck into your investment accounts. You will quickly become used to your adjusted budget.
  • Focus on saving a percentage of your income: Saving even 5% of your income is a great first step.
  • Build a budget: If you include a monthly goal in your budget, you are more likely to stick to your strategy than if you save whatever money you have left at the end of the month.

CONSIDER INVESTING

Investing is one of the best ways to grow and protect your hard-earned wealth over the long term.

Let’s say Joe is a 25-year-old investor who deposits $10,000 into an account. If his portfolio earns an average rate of 8% per year, that single contribution could grow to $217,245 by the time Joe is 65, even if he doesn’t add another dime to his account. However, if Joe waits until he is 35 to start investing, that same $10,000 investment would only grow to $100,627. Although this simple example that discounts the effects of fees and inflation, and it is not representative of any specific investment, the basic principle is evident: Time is one of the most important ingredients to long-term investment success.*

Investing involves risk, and the return and principal value of investments will fluctuate as market conditions change. Your investment strategy should take into consideration your goals, time horizon, and risk tolerance.

When sold, investments may be worth more or less than their original cost. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Putting your money to work through investing gives you a greater potential for return than saving alone. It is important to know that all investments involve some degree of risk. Understanding and managing risk is one of the most essential pieces of a long-term financial strategy.

As a long-term investor, it is important to develop a clear understanding of your goals, risk tolerance, and timeline. A financial professional can help you identify your risk tolerance and work with you to create an investment strategy that helps you manage risk while pursuing your long-term financial goals.

TAKE YOUR INVESTING TO THE NEXT LEVEL

New investors often start out investing on their own and then turn to a financial professional when they want access to sophisticated tools, experienced advice, and help developing targeted financial goals. An investment representative can help you find the answers to important questions, like the following:

  • How does my company’s retirement plan work with my other investments?
  • Are there any other investment strategies that I should know about?
  • Which investments are right for me?

IN CONCLUSION

We hope that you have found this guide interesting and informative. While tackling all of these financial moves at once may seem overwhelming, you can start today by focusing on small steps and establishing good habits. Remember, there’s no better time than now to start taking control of your finances.

We also want to offer ourselves as a resource to you, your family, and your friends. We are happy to talk with you about your current financial situation and future goals. If you have any questions about the information presented in this report, please contact us through the form to the right. We would be delighted to speak with you.

6 important financial strategies JMC Wealth

 

 

FOOTNOTES, SOURCES, DISCLOSURES

[Insert your broker/dealer disclosures here: i.e., securities offered through “Your B/D Name Here,” Member FINRA/SIPC. Neither the named representative nor the named broker/dealer gives tax or legal advice.]

Information current as of August 12, 2020.

Opinions expressed are not intended as investment advice or to predict future performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Consult your financial professional before making any investment decision. All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however, we make no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. Please consult your financial professional for further information.

These are the views of Platinum Advisor Marketing Strategies, LLC, and not necessarily those of the named representative, broker/dealer, or investment advisor and should not be construed as investment advice. Neither the named representative nor the named broker/dealer or investment advisor gives tax or legal advice. All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however, we make no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. Please consult your financial professional for further information.

By clicking on these links, you will leave our server, as they are located on another server. We have not independently verified the information available through this link. The link is provided to you as a matter of interest. Please click on the links below to leave and proceed to the selected site.

*Diversification cannot guarantee a profit or protect against loss in a declining market. Sources

  1. TheBalance.com, May 27, 2020
  2. U.S. Census Bureau, November 2019
  3. Statistia.com, May 2020
  4. TheBalance.com, September 27, 2019
  5. Forbes.com, July 15, 2020
  6. America’s Small Business Development Center, in partnership with the Small Business Administration, 2020
  7. NPR.org, February 13, 2020
  8. FederalReserve.gov, June 5, 2020
  9. FoxBusiness.com, July 14, 2020
small business owner

5 Retirement Mistakes Small-Business Owners Make & How to Avoid Them

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As a business owner, you face unique challenges and opportunities when building a financial future. This special report provides insights on mistakes to avoid and steps to take when building the retirement you desire—while managing your myriad of responsibilities.

Small-business owners are an essential component of America’s economy. In the United States, 99.7% of all firms are comprised of small businesses with 500 or fewer employees.1

Too often, however, a small-business owner spends so much time and energy building their company that they neglect their personal financial futures.

With this report, our goal is to show business owners how to maximize the value of their companies with business strategies that may also help them prepare for retirement.

Strategy 1 – Create a Retirement Roadmap

ONE-THIRD OF SMALL-BUSINESS OWNERS DON’T HAVE RETIREMENT STRATEGIES IN PLACE.2

Building, running, and growing a company is tough. Business owners have countless responsibilities and too few hours in the day. Often, in the midst of fulfilling your professional priorities, you end up putting your personal financial life on the back burner.

If you have not prepared for your retirement, you are not alone. Many entrepreneurs think growing a business is all they need to retire. However, just having a business does not automatically mean you have a retirement strategy in place. Without a documented roadmap—one that goes beyond the hope of simply selling your business or passing it to your family—you could end up pushing back your ability to retire. In one survey, 34% of respondents said that they have no retirement strategy, while 12% have no plans to retire at all. Both of which are likely short-sighted.3

Delaying retirement is not always an option, though. Life often brings surprises, and you cannot always control when you will retire. For example, you may retire early because of certain challenges, such as health problems or disability. In 2020, only 28% of retirees were very confident in their abilities to cover medical expenses during retirement.4

To help ensure you can experience retirement on your terms—rather than reacting to what life or the business world throws your way—you need to proactively address these items today.

WHAT TO DO NOW

  • Define your ideal retirement. Clarify when you want to retire and what lifestyle you hope to enjoy.
  • Build strategies to address your retirement. Determine the actions needed to take to fill the gaps between your current assets and the income you will need to support your desired retirement.
  • Hold yourself accountable. Do not let the busy life of business ownership keep you from staying on track toward the retirement you desire.

Strategy 2 – Have an Exit Strategy

NEARLY ONE-THIRD OF U. S. BUSINESSES SURVIVE TO THE SECOND GENERATION—AND ONLY 12%, TO THE THIRD.5

For many business owners, the idea of selling their companies for top dollar or passing them down to future generations is a retirement dream. Many entrepreneurs, however, are not doing the work necessary to turn this dream into a reality.

Studies show that 50% of business owners plan to leave their businesses in the next decade. However, fewer than 30% have a business succession plan. One-third of business owners plan on their retirement to begin sometime between their mid-fifties and mid-sixties.6,7

No matter how long you want to work and how much you love your business, a clear exit strategy is necessary to help foster the company’s longevity and preserve your financial health. If you want to be able to retire when and how you would like—and have your business last beyond your career—you need an exit strategy for accomplishing that goal.

WHAT TO DO NOW

  • Define your ideal exit strategy. Do you want to sell your business? Pass it to the next generation? Find an outside successor?
  • Determine the real value of your business. Hire a qualified professional to provide a clear valuation of your company as it is today. Depending on how far you are from retirement or exiting, you might need to revisit this valuation in the future.
  • Create a strategy—and stick to it. Your exit strategy might require you to hire new people, adjust your services, or implement a number of other changes.

 

Strategy 3 – Separate Your Retirement Savings

IN ONE SURVEY, 61% OF RESPONDENTS CLAIMED THAT PREPARING FOR RETIREMENT MAKES THEM FEEL STRESSED.8

Trying to build retirement savings, while you foster your business, can be challenging. With only so many dollars to go around and an endless list of professional expenses, you might rather reinvest in your company. However, even if you are ready to sell your business at retirement, you need to have savings that are completely separate from your business.

The reality is that solely relying on the value of your business to carry you into retirement is a risky approach, which can easily backfire. Not only can industries change, and companies falter, but many baby boomers are selling their businesses right now, which could potentially make a sale tougher in some markets.

Would you and your family be able to enjoy a comfortable retirement without your current income or profits from selling your business? If the answer is no, now is the time to start building your savings.

 

WHAT TO DO NOW

  • Balance your personal and professional finances. When deciding how to invest your available assets or what salary to draw, make sure you focus on addressing both sides of your financial life.
  • Explore available retirement-savings tools with your financial professional. With the passage of the SECURE Act, many rules regarding retirement plans have changed, making this a great time to evaluate your strategy.
  • Review your budget and create a disciplined savings approach. Identify ways you might be able to trim your current expenses or save on your tax liabilities. Also, establish a habit of regularly contributing to your personal retirement savings.

Strategy 4 – Get Sufficient Life Insurance Coverage

IN AN EFFORT TO SAVE MONEY, SOME SMALL-BUSINESS OWNERS DON’T CARRY ANY INSURANCE AT ALL.10

Most people are familiar with life insurance, but the role this product plays for small-business owners often is more complex than for the typical individual. Of course, sufficient life insurance can help protect your family’s financial security if you were to pass away. 

A business owner, though, could have an extra liability: business collateral. If you take out loans to support your business, using personal assets as collateral, and you pass away, your family members may be on the hook for that debt, which could jeopardize their financial standing. However, life insurance provides an added layer of protection for your loved ones.11

Keep in mind that this article is for informational purposes only. It’s not a replacement for real-life advice, so make sure to consult your legal or tax professional before considering using personal assets as collateral.

 

WHAT TO DO NOW

  • Analyze your current life insurance coverage. Do you have the right tools? Do you have unrecognized gaps?
  • Address your family’s life insurance needs. Calculate your total debts and expenses to find the amount your family would need if you were to pass away prematurely.
  • Uncover the opportunities life insurance may bring to your business. Work with a professional to determine how life insurance might be able to help support both your business needs and retirement goals.

* Several factors will affect the cost and availability of life insurance, including age, health, and the type and amount of insurance purchased. Life insurance policies have expenses, including mortality and other charges. If a policy is surrendered prematurely, the policyholder also may pay surrender charges and have income tax implications. You should consider determining whether you are insurable before implementing a strategy involving life insurance. Any guarantees associated with a policy are dependent on the ability of the issuing insurance company to continue making claim payments.

Strategy 5 – Hire Outside Support

OVER 60% OF SMALL-BUSINESS OWNERS REPORT THAT REGULATIONS NEGATIVELY IMPACT THEIR GROWTH.12

Running a successful small business requires a number of skills—from delivering your product or service to managing employees and growth. Accustomed to shouldering a vast number of responsibilities, many business owners seem to forget they do not have to do it alone.

Hiring outside help not only gives you access to experienced professionals who can apply their expertise to your specific needs, but it can also save you significant time. In a 2019 survey of almost 2,285 growth-oriented small businesses, almost 60% expressed challenges with understanding and managing laws and government regulations.13

In fact, they spent an average of 6 hours a week just dealing with regulation and tax compliance.14

So, business owners have both personal and professional financial strategy needs on top of regulatory and tax burdens, thus, increasing their need for professional support.

WHAT TO DO NOW

  • Determine what professional support you need. You likely should consider hiring a tax professional, attorney, and financial representative. Your unique circumstances might require additional support.
  • Ask your professionals to work together. Aligning your financial life requires an understanding of its many facets. Make sure your support team has a clear picture of how your various pieces intertwine.
  • Embrace the benefit of outside professionals. Your financial representative and other professionals are there to help support your needs with their guidance. Let them provide the insight you need and take the weight off your shoulders.

HOW CAN WE HELP

Launching and growing a small business is a challenging, time-consuming endeavor that is not for the faint of heart. As experienced financial professionals, we are here to help you overcome the obstacles that business owners often face and help you seize the opportunities before you.

In times of economic fluctuations and changing regulations, we believe it is critical to seek guidance from a financial representative. The tips in this report are a helpful overview of what you might need to address for your own retirement, but your complete answers are as unique as you are. From our experience, small-business owners who recognize and avoid these common mistakes—and take proactive steps to plan for the future—are better able to enjoy the lives they desire.

We know balancing your personal and professional priorities is tough. We are here to serve as a resource for you and your family. We are happy to discuss your current financial situation and future goals.

If you have any questions about the information you read or would like to discuss your specific needs, please contact us by filling out the form on the right. We would be delighted to speak with you.

 

 

 

 

 

FOOTNOTES & SOURCES
1 Fundera.com, April 15, 2020
2 Score Association, April 9, 2020
3 Forbes.com, February 23, 2020
4 Employee Benefit Research Institute, April 23, 2020
5 PwC, 2019
6 The Canadian Federation of Independent Business, November 2018
7 Score Association, April 9, 2019
8 EBRI.com, 2020
9 BizBuySell.com, 2020
10 FitSmallBusiness.com, 2020
11 PolicyGenius.com, 2018
12 GoldmanSachs.com, 2019
13 GoldmanSachs.com, 2019
14 GoldmanSachs.com, 2019
401k

Take Charge of Your 401K

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HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

  • Powerful information that could potentially save you thousands in taxes and fees
  • Tips to help put you one step ahead in your retirement preparations
  • Critical mistakes that cannot be corrected (and how to avoid them)

HAVE YOU EVER SWITCHED JOBS?

Research shows that the average American employee switches jobs 12.3 times before retiring.1

Job changes can mean that many Americans have old 401(k) plans, which may not be allocated properly to help them prepare for retirement.

Every time you change jobs, you have some choices to make about your old 401(k). Generally, there are four basic options:

  • You can leave the assets in your former employer’s plan if permitted.
  • You can rollover the assets into your new employer’s plan if one is available.
  • You can roll the assets over into an Individual Retirement Account (IRA).
  • You can take a cash distribution (and deal with the potential tax consequences).

Each of these options has advantages and disadvantages to consider. In this special report, we’ll help you hopefully avoid common (and expensive) mistakes and show how you can use your 401(k) as a tool to help with your retirement preparations.

 

1. Roll Over Your 401(k) to Access More Investment Choices  (That Benefit YOU)

Every investor is different, and volatile markets make customized strategies important when pursuing your financial objectives. Workplace retirement strategies often offer limited investment options that may not be right for your financial situation. In contrast, IRAs can hold nearly any type of investment, which allows for flexibility in your investment strategies. By rolling over your 401(k) savings into an IRA, you open up a universe of investment options that you can use to build an investment strategy aligned with your long-term goals.

Under the 2019 SECURE Act, in most circumstances, you must begin taking required minimum distributions from your 401(k) in the year you turn 72. Withdrawals from your 401(k) or other defined contribution plans are taxed   as ordinary income, and if taken before age 59½, may be subject to a 10% federal income tax penalty. Also, once you reach age 72, you must begin taking required minimum distributions from a Traditional IRA. Withdrawals from Traditional IRAs are taxed as ordinary income, and if taken before age 59½, may be subject to a 10% federal income tax penalty. Under the SECURE Act, you may continue to contribute to a Traditional IRA past age 70½, as long as you meet the earned-income requirement. The CARES Act has allowed some one-time exceptions to distributions and penalties in 2020. These rules can be difficult to understand. So, please, contact us, and we will provide the most up- to-date information.

2. Understanding Expenses

401(k)s and other workplace retirement accounts come with administrative fees and expenses, which may take a big bite out of your investment gains. IRAs also have fee structures that include various fees and expenses.

As independent financial professionals, we’re committed to making certain you understand what costs are associated with your IRA. We believe in being completely transparent about the costs and fees associated with any investment we recommend. We work with each of our clients to find investments that are best suited to their needs and long-term goals.

3. Don’t Be Tempted to Cash Out!

When our clients come to us for guidance on rolling over a 401(k) or other workplace retirement strategy, we walk them through the four options previously discussed.

One of those options is liquidating your old plan and receiving the money directly. While it can be tempting to see your savings as a quick source of cash, cashing out can be a big mistake that may cost you thousands in penalties and taxes, and it may prohibit you from years of future growth.

If instead, you decide to take a distribution from your old plan or don’t roll over the assets within the 60-day window, you will trigger an IRS reporting, and potentially, saddle yourself with a big tax bill. Taking a check from your old plan administrator will require an automatic 20% withholding tax and be reported to the IRS. 2,3

If you delay moving the assets to your IRA account, you could miss your 60-day window and be forced to pay penalties and taxes on your entire distribution.

4. Take Control of Your Financial Life

One of the best arguments in favor of rolling over your old retirement plan is that it can help simplify your life. In our experience, investors tend to lose track of accounts that aren’t right in front of them. Life gets busy, and failing to modify your investment strategies to keep up with your needs can undermine your long-term financial success. Putting your assets in one place can help ensure that your investments are reviewed regularly and remain consistent with your financial goals. As a former employee, dependent on the plan, you may not be able to make changes to your investments, preventing you from adjusting your allocations to fit your current circumstances and long-term goals.

  

Why Work with a Financial Professional?

One of the benefits of working with a firm like ours is the comfort of knowing that you have a team of professionals continuously monitoring your investments and keeping you on track.

Investments are just one piece of your overall financial picture. As professionals, we take every aspect of your financial life into consideration when building customized strategies for your retirement. To take one example, many investors fail to consider how taxes may affect their investment returns.

By not taking taxes into consideration, a hypothetical $150,000 portfolio could lose nearly

 $500,000 to taxes over 30 years.4 Tax-efficient investing strategies can help you manage your tax burden.

Please remember: this hypothetical example that’s used to illustrate one potential situation. It’s not a replacement for real-life advice, so make sure to consult your tax, legal, and accounting professionals before modifying your strategy if you’re concerned about your total tax obligation over time.

What Should You Do Next?

Whether you’re leaving your job to pursue other opportunities or on the wrong side of the economic downturn, the transition can be a stressful experience. Discussing your situation with a financial professional who specializes in working with executives can help you relax and explore all your options.

RESERVE YOUR FREE FINANCIAL STRATEGY SESSION TODAY 

Fill out the form to the right, and in our complimentary session, we’ll take a look at your current financial situation and present you with strategies that make the most sense for you and your financial future.

WE’LL TEACH YOU:

  • How to negotiate the best settlement or compensation package
  • What to consider if you own company stock
  • The dangers of holding too much company stock
  • How to prevent job losses or money emergencies from derailing your financial future

We developed this session format after helping hundreds of clients manage their finances during critical life transitions.

To schedule your no-obligation session, please call our office at 312.275.1900

 

 

 

 

 

FOOTNOTES & SOURCES
  1. Bureau of Labor Statistics, August 22, 2019
  2. Please discuss taxation issues with a qualified tax specialist.
  3. IRS.gov, February 6, 2020
  4. Calculation assumes initial investment of $150,000, a 7% compound annual return over 30 years with a 2% loss to taxes, and no contributions or withdrawals. Example excludes the effects of interest, dividends, fees, and inflation. This hypothetical example is not representative of any specific investment. Your results may vary.