Preparing For Financial Emergencies
Do you know would you do financially if you could not work as a result of getting sick or losing your job? What about if your spouse dies?Being prepared for such financial emergencies is very important.
Featured below are a few simple tips that can help you get ready for unexpected occurrences.
Put money away in a savings account A rule of thumb we suggest is to save enough money to cover a minimum of two months worth of bills and expenses.
This should be enough time for you to get your finances back in order in the event of money altering changes in your life.
Use the list of expenses below when determining how much you will need to save: - Car payments (loans or leases) - Rent or mortgage - Utilities (cable, gas, electric, water) - Phone bills (home and cell phones) - Food - Home, Auto and Life Insurance - Tuition for your child's school - Money for miscellaneous goods and services ** You may have expenses not listed above.
Include any cost that you know you are going to have pay on a month-to-month basis.
Saving money is not that easy.
It requires fiscal responsibility and restraint.
You will need to develop a budget, and stick to it.
Even if you only can afford to save a small portion of your paycheck every week, its a start.
That money will accumulate quickly by earning interest.
Credit cards It is a very wise decision to have a credit card that is strictly for emergency purposes.
This card should have a high limit and not be used for anything other than urgent situations.
Using a credit card is an inexpensive substitute to spending finances from savings.
Examples of emergency situations are unexpected doctor bills, car repairs, home repairs, etc..
You will need to use your judgment when determining if your situation is classifiable as a crisis.
We feature a variety of unsecured personal loans than can be used for covering emergency costs.
Learn more about shopping for personal loans.
Personal documents It is very important to have extra copies of every type of important document in the event your wallet is lost or stolen, or your home is damaged by a fire, storm, etc..
These documents should be securely kept in a safety deposit box or with a relative that you can 100% trust.
Examples of important documents to make back-up copies of include: - Important phone numbers and contacts - Medical records - Birth certificates - Insurance certificates - Mortgage paperwork - Car loan and ownership information - Any type of legal documents - Wills - Driver's license and passport Pre-determine all of your options It is crucial that you understand all of the resources, policies and options available to you in the event of an emergency.
Thoroughly go over all of your insurance policies to educate yourself as to exactly what will be covered, and what will not.
It is also important that you find out what your company's policy is for taking time off and for borrowing from your 401 (k).
Also, find out how much severance pay you will receive if you are fired from your place of employment.
Plan for future costs and expenses You may be able to foresee a financial crisis.
For example, you can estimate how much it will cost you for regular maintenance and for making car repairs every year.
You may also be able to determine how much money you anticipate spending on holiday shopping for the upcoming year.
Bottom line, review all extra, non-essential spending.
A good idea would be to keep records of all of your current and past emergency financial commitments.
Any extra evaluating and/or planning is only going to help you prepare for a financial emergency.
Featured below are a few simple tips that can help you get ready for unexpected occurrences.
Put money away in a savings account A rule of thumb we suggest is to save enough money to cover a minimum of two months worth of bills and expenses.
This should be enough time for you to get your finances back in order in the event of money altering changes in your life.
Use the list of expenses below when determining how much you will need to save: - Car payments (loans or leases) - Rent or mortgage - Utilities (cable, gas, electric, water) - Phone bills (home and cell phones) - Food - Home, Auto and Life Insurance - Tuition for your child's school - Money for miscellaneous goods and services ** You may have expenses not listed above.
Include any cost that you know you are going to have pay on a month-to-month basis.
Saving money is not that easy.
It requires fiscal responsibility and restraint.
You will need to develop a budget, and stick to it.
Even if you only can afford to save a small portion of your paycheck every week, its a start.
That money will accumulate quickly by earning interest.
Credit cards It is a very wise decision to have a credit card that is strictly for emergency purposes.
This card should have a high limit and not be used for anything other than urgent situations.
Using a credit card is an inexpensive substitute to spending finances from savings.
Examples of emergency situations are unexpected doctor bills, car repairs, home repairs, etc..
You will need to use your judgment when determining if your situation is classifiable as a crisis.
We feature a variety of unsecured personal loans than can be used for covering emergency costs.
Learn more about shopping for personal loans.
Personal documents It is very important to have extra copies of every type of important document in the event your wallet is lost or stolen, or your home is damaged by a fire, storm, etc..
These documents should be securely kept in a safety deposit box or with a relative that you can 100% trust.
Examples of important documents to make back-up copies of include: - Important phone numbers and contacts - Medical records - Birth certificates - Insurance certificates - Mortgage paperwork - Car loan and ownership information - Any type of legal documents - Wills - Driver's license and passport Pre-determine all of your options It is crucial that you understand all of the resources, policies and options available to you in the event of an emergency.
Thoroughly go over all of your insurance policies to educate yourself as to exactly what will be covered, and what will not.
It is also important that you find out what your company's policy is for taking time off and for borrowing from your 401 (k).
Also, find out how much severance pay you will receive if you are fired from your place of employment.
Plan for future costs and expenses You may be able to foresee a financial crisis.
For example, you can estimate how much it will cost you for regular maintenance and for making car repairs every year.
You may also be able to determine how much money you anticipate spending on holiday shopping for the upcoming year.
Bottom line, review all extra, non-essential spending.
A good idea would be to keep records of all of your current and past emergency financial commitments.
Any extra evaluating and/or planning is only going to help you prepare for a financial emergency.
