Jason Brown, stock market expert and author of “Five-Year Millionaire,” recently gave advice to the PIX11 Morning News team during its PIX Financial Fix segment on smart money moves people can make this summer.
The financial educator and motivational money coach said that “June is the perfect time” to get finances in order, as it marks the halfway point of the year. Performing a financial check-in can help ensure finances are on track or allow enough time to be reset, ensuring goals are met by year-end.
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Here are Brown’s five tips for getting your finances in order this summer.
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Schedule a Money Meeting
First, Brown suggested getting organized. To do this, he suggested setting a money meeting with yourself or with a partner or spouse to determine the state of your finances. The experts at First United agree that a midyear financial check-in is critical.
According to their website, a summer assessment can ensure that there is enough time to make adjustments if things have gotten off track. It is also a good time to set new goals if there have been significant life changes since the beginning of the year, such as a job loss, promotion, graduation, change in health or change in marital status.
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Figure Out Your Needs, Nice-to-Haves and Wants
The second smart money move Brown suggested making this summer is to determine your “needs, nice-to-haves and wants.” He explained that your needs include things like food, shelter and what you must have to live on. Nice-to-haves, on the other hand, are things that you may not need to survive but would be nice to have, like a new car to get to work. The final category is wants, which is made up of things like vacations, new clothes and other nonessentials.
According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, understanding the difference between a “need” and a “want” can help inform spending decisions and help set people up for financial success. The Bureau emphasizes implementing these strategies at an early age, including in high school.
Map Out Your Finances
Next, Brown recommended taking the time to understand your finances this summer. This means categorizing your money into four groups: earnings, expenses, investments and charity. Mapping your money into these categories can help you understand whether you are “net negative or net positive” at the end of the month.
Start Investing
Investing, even a small amount, is another smart money move you can make this summer. The founder of The Brown Report noted that in his book, he describes how you can take “$4,000 and you can grow it to about $1.2 million in five years.”
He said hopeful investors who may be nervous about where to start can open a virtual account to get a simulated environment to gain an understanding of the stock market before investing actual money.
Keep It Personal
Finally, Brown explained that people should remember personal finances are personal, meaning that there is no one-size-fits-all approach that will work for everyone. It is important to strategize the best game plan based on personal financial goals, not a broad stroke opinion that applies to everyone.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 5 Smart Money Moves To Make in Summer, According to Investing Pro Jason Brown
