Times are going to get hard post coronavirus and these tips will help you prepare for the incoming recession. 
- Taking Advantage of the Match
Most tax-saving strategies you will be given is adding as much as possible to a 401k plan. There is a $19,500 you can contribute this year that is going to give a guaranteed return and most employers match it. According to a CNBC report, the average match reached by employers was 4.7%. This is like someone is giving you free money. You are going to save the money and it grows with time and increases depending on the market.
RELATED: 4 Ways To Boost Your Retirement Income
- Investigating Your Budget
Parts of the country are under some form of stay-at-home orders, and this has meant changes in people’s expenditure. The economy is currently heading into a recession, which has made it a good idea to have a closer look at your spending and the changes over the past couple of months. You will use what you learned during this period in the future when the economy starts getting better. If you find yourself facing a financial emergency visit www.loanza.us/best-online-payday-loans.
RELATED: Are Payday Loans Bad?
Most banks offer a budgeting tool that has been built into their platform. Log into your account then look for tools and resources to use in researching. Look at your expenses then tag your expenses to categories like food/dining, housing, entertainment, healthcare, etc. Through this, you are going to find a distribution of your spending behavior. Compare it to how your expenses were before the pandemic. What is the difference? Where have costs increased or decreased?
- Expanding your Investment
There are many other places to save apart from a 401k. There is a wide range of options when it comes to investment opportunities and some of them can be set up easily. If you have made savings in the recent man, use the savings for creating a personal investment fund.
If you have saved $500 on food and entertainment in a month, take that money and put it into a brokerage account. Things are going to add up fast, and you will be surprised at how the small amounts become a lot of money. You will have the option of buying stocks and other investments. Another benefit is that you can easily access the savings compared to a 401k. If you happen to have an emergency, you can withdraw the funds or sell the shares.
Another option is funneling the extra savings to a low/no risk account so that you can save for a large investment. Have a 3-year savings plan so you can save more regularly. A couple of thousand dollars might be all you need to get started with property investment, but this is going to depend on your location.
RELATED: Your Guide to Staycation Holiday Lodge Investments
There are many options, but the main takeaway from this is to put away money, and with the recession, you need to look for ways of investing your money to build long-term wealth.
- What You Shouldn’t Do
Do not wait until the recession gets worse before you put your finances in order. There are some things you need to resist when it comes to a market filled with uncertainty. The first is withdrawing from your 401k. Compounding is very powerful, and withdrawing early from the 401k might set you back years, and you might never recover from that. If you have no other option than withdraw, consider talking to your wealth advisor before doing it.
Another is investing like a 20-year-old when you are in your 60’s. While the market is going to give you a great return with time, if you plan on retiring five or ten years from now, it might not be the best of ideas to invest in high volatile market sectors.
Investment strategies need not change during a recession or negative market event, like the one caused by the pandemic.
