5 Must-Have Long-Term Goals for A Secure Future

Published on: 04 September 2018 Last Updated on: 12 November 2021

Most of us would agree that it’s vital to set goals and make plans to achieve them. People do it all the time. For instance:

Goal: ‘Lose 5kg’

Plan: ‘Eat less and exercise more’

But financial goals, which are the life-changing goals of all, are often put on the back burner. Retiring early, setting up a business, or building an investment portfolio worth millions can all seem a bit too hard. You should prepare long-term goals that can help you to achieve your objectives. However, it’s not! With a bit of understanding and help, financial goals can be set, plans can be put into place, and the desired nest egg can be achieved. Here are a few long-term goals worth setting:

1. Having an Emergency Fund for The Rainy Days :

Life can bring economic uncertainty to many, and even for the financially secure, life happens, in the form of domestic catastrophes, medical bills, and other unplanned expenses. Therefore, it’s vital to have an emergency fund that can offer peace of mind and financial relief in such untoward situations. As a general rule, it’s good to have an emergency fund that would cover three to six months of your living expenses. So, calculate and know how much you need and set aside a certain amount from your paycheck every month. Over the years, this fund will grow, which you can use in case of an unexpected event, or when you are in financial strain.

2. Ditching Debts and Dues for Good :

Being in debt can be a stressful experience for anyone, and no matter what your circumstance is, if you have a loan, you are obligated to pay it back. Even if you have life-altering experiences like getting into an accident, losing your job, or increased expenses due to having a child.

Hence, repaying the outstanding debt and clearing of all dues is important, especially to know where you stand with respect to money matters. A simple way to clear your debts is to develop a budget that tracks your income and expenses. This will help know whether you have money left over, called the surplus. The goal is to increase the surplus and use it to pay down your debt.

3. Building Your Retirement Fund :

Although retirement may feel like a million years away, it doesn’t matter – now is the time to plan for your retirement. Investing and saving is a critical part of leading a financially independent life post-retirement. The good news is, investing even a small amount each month will pay off later in life.

Along these lines, decide what you will need during your golden years – expenses like healthcare, household costs, and additional leisure expenses. Once you know your needs, find a suitable retirement plan which can cater to those. Put simply, save, invest, and ensure yourself as a fallback option for your future.

4. Funding Your Child’s Higher Education :

Your child’s dreams can become a reality when you support him or her, emotionally and financially. Quality education should be on your and your child’s wish list. Setting up an investment plan that can help with the higher education of your child is a good idea. To do so, find a reliable child education plan that can help you create a substantial corpus for your child’s education and future needs.

5. Expanding Assets for Your Family :

Other than making arrangements for expenses, it is essential to create a secure base of wealth for your loved ones so that you can support them and maintain the lifestyle you have now. Investment in unit-linked insurance plans (ULIPs)is a good way to achieve financial growth as well as protect your family’s future in your absence. ULIPs enable you to make significant returns with a relatively low investment every month, while also offering insurance protection to you. Other benefits of unit-linked insurance plans are:

Flexibility to choose your fund option- equity, debt or balanced
Encourages goal-based saving for child education, retirement etc.
The top-up facility gives the flexibility to change your premium amount
You can opt for riders like Critical Illness and Accidental Death benefit
You get ULIP tax benefits under Section 80C and Section 80D

It’s never too late to get started. Pick one or all the financial goals listed above and start setting yourself up for your secure future.

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Top Three Investment Platforms For 2023

The ever-increasing interest rates have many people wondering about a potential recession that could be just around the corner. While some might think that there is no good place left to invest your money, we are here to tell you that you can potentially expand your investment horizon and set up this year for better returns later on. Here are three great investment platforms to invest your money and generate profit in the long run. Read on to learn more! What Is Meant By Investment Platforms? An investment platform refers to a digital tool or service that helps investors access as well as manage different financial instruments. It can either be a stock, a mutual fund, a bond, or an exchange-traded fund. Such platforms offer a user-friendly and convenient way for investors to purchase, sell, and monitor their portfolios. Investment platforms can be found in multiple forms, such as online brokerage, peer-to-peer lending platforms, and robo-advisors. Each platform type caters to multiple investment strategies as well as requirements, thereby providing a ton of fees, support services, and features. But as for now, it is significant to opt for the right platform for making investments. Investment Platform Types You Should Know Investments are mostly categorized under closed-end funds, unit investment trusts, and mutual funds. All such investments have their own set of challenges, risks, and benefits. Well, it’s pretty much the same case for investment platforms. Before setting foot, it is significant that you discover its primary types: Robo-Advisors These tend to be the automated investment management platforms that make use of algorithms for creating as well as managing portfolios. Typically, the portfolios are customized according to the investor’s financial goals and risk tolerance. Some popular robo-advisors are Wealthfront, Digital Advisor by Vanguard and Betterment. 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During the recession, Gold can establish a diverse portfolio, which further reduces your exposure to riskier assets. High-Yield Savings Accounts In case you haven’t heard about a high-yield savings account before, you should know that it pays the investors interest on their cash balance. Like any other savings account at any physical bank, a high-yield account is instantly accessible for cash. A savings account is a brilliant option for those looking forward to a contingency plan. Also, if you want to avoid the risk of losing your money while investing, then a high-yield savings account might be just the right option for you. However, before you start investing in a high-yield savings account, you will want to assess your finances and create a budget. The key to having a budget is that you will have a clear overview of your incoming and outgoing money. And you will know where you are overspending and how you can cut your expenses. Once you have a better overview of your incoming and outgoing money, you will find it easier to stick to a budget. The Bottom Line Investment platforms have a pivotal role to play in the current financial landscape. Not only does it provide investors with the resources and tools needed to manage their portfolios, but it also builds an opportunity for having a passive source of income. By comprehending the most popular investment platforms, it’s your chance to boost your investments. So, what are you waiting for? 2023, 2024, and the subsequent years have proven lucrative for the investment industry. Make hay while the sun shines, or you can lose great opportunities to circulate your money. Read Also: What Will A Financial Retirement Plan Including Gold Look Like Investors Agree: Gold And Silver Is The Way To Go 5 Fun Facts About The American Eagle Gold Coin

Millennial Investors Will Drive Bitcoin Price Growth in 2019

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Bankruptcy Means Test: Why It Matters?

Bankruptcy means a test is done to determine who can file for chapter 7 bankruptcy. The means test considers everything while determining your current position to pay your debt to the creditors. It goes through your income, expenditure, assets, and family members. The means test was designed to reduce the number of debtors willing to get their debts erased. It has been seen that most of the debtors who have applied for the means test have passed. Those people who cannot qualify for chapter 7 or want to keep their assets to themselves can apply for chapter 13 bankruptcy. How Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Works? Applying for chapter 7 can be an expensive and lengthy process. The means test helps the government clarify who is eligible for chapter 7. The Means Test has two parts. Both parts are designed to see through your income and assets and determine the current financial standing. You have to apply for the Means Test only for the primary consumer debts like medical debt or credit card debts. You do not have to apply for this test if your debt is related to business loans. First Part The part of the Means Test determines whether your house income is below the state's median income. The means test starts gathering information about your income, expenses, and assets. These data are mostly collected from the past six months. However, there have been cases where this six months time duration can be changed. After all the reports, if it is being found out that your income is below the median income, you will qualify the Means Test. In a report made by the US government in 2013, more than 12% of the debtors were able to qualify the Means test in the first stage. Second Part The second part consists of going through all your expenses. These expenses consist of everything you pay for, starting from paying your utility bills, grocery bills to the travel expenses and education expenses. Out of all the expenses, only the allowable expenses are considered to be used by you. Other expenses that are not necessary are used to pay off your debts. While you document the list of expenses, be thorough about the things you add to the list. Remember, those expenses will decide whether your petition will be accepted or not. Allowable expenses are based on the local and national standards used by the IRS. The national list covers items like food and clothing, and local items cover housing expenses and car payments. You need to work carefully to ensure that all your expenses are thoroughly documented. What's Next After You Qualify for the Means Test? Passing the means test means you have the green light to apply a petition for chapter 7 bankruptcy. Once your petition is accepted, most of the unsecured debts will be forgiven. That does not mean that this will be the best route for you. There are also chapter 13 bankruptcy that might give more advantage over chapter 7 in many cases. Chapter 13 will help you put a hold on all your debts, mortgages, overdue loans, and bank taxes. What Will Happen After You Fail The Test? Once you fail the Means Test, there are no more appeals for a certain period. You can apply for the chapter, or you can wait for the cooldown time to apply again for the means test. We have already mentioned that the Means Test goes through all your financial income and expenditure in the last six months. That means, after a failed attempt at the Means Test, you can apply again after six months. However, if you do not intend to apply for the Means Test again in the future, you will be restricted to chapter 13 and will have to pay off your debt based on the chapter 13 provision. The Bottom Line Is it really hard to apply for a loan after bankruptcy? Well, you can say more than hard; it is more complex. You first need to qualify the Means Test, and then only you can apply for chapter 7. It is better to have an attorney while you are managing legal documentation. Read Also: 8 Simple Tips To Pay Off Your Loans Faster 5 Must-Have Long-Term Goals for A Secure Future What are the types of debt that can be discharged in bankruptcy? Using Short-Term Loans to Help Rebuild Your Credit Score

5 Must-Have Long-Term Goals for A Secure Future