What financial advisors think we should be doing with our money in 2019
New Year, New Me. Words we’ll be hearing lots over the next month as people declare 2019 to be the year they ‘finally’ get their affairs in order.
While it’s always good to take a productive step towards managing your finances, consider whether your resolutions are achievable before stressing over unrealistic or unhelpful goals.
We spoke with an independent financial advisor Chippenham to get some top tips on what to do with your money in 2019 to make the most of the ‘new year, new me’ craze.
Resolutions
Most of us make resolutions along the lines of ‘save money’ or ‘pay off debt’, but when it comes to carrying out these good intentions, not everyone follows through. The best advice when it comes to resolutions is to be as specific and realistic as possible. Giving yourself specific goals means you have a clear and measurable amount that you can easily track. For example, commit to paying £100 per month into savings via direct debit.
Consider retirement
Even if you’re years off retirement and the market is poor, never neglect the future. Although state pensions exist, retirement age is getting increasingly old, so we must make hard decisions to ensure we have enough saved to ensure a comfortable retirement.
A tumultuous market can see some people quit savings or investments out of fear, however, statistics suggest doing the opposite can work in your favour as generally markets improve over time.
Ensuring pension contributions are deducted automatically means you’re never tempted not to save, and allowing investments to run their course allows a full investment cycle to hopefully maximise gains.
You should also consider utilising financial advisors such as https://chilvester.co.uk/ to help you plan for retirement.
Protect your credit
Another top tip to building a good financial portfolio in 2019 is to take proactive steps to protect your credit. Check your allowances and accounts regularly.
Everyone’s entitled to free annual credit reports from the three major credit bureaus so utilise this by getting a report from one bureau every four months to stay updated throughout the year.
Take advantage of offers
Many banks have high interest savings accounts which are not utilised. Regularly check your savings and switch into higher interest accounts whenever possible to maximise returns.
