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expenses Archives - Sharkey, Howes & Javer

Jan 04 2017
26

7 Beneficial Habits to Move You Towards Financial Freedom

By | Tips | No Comments

Many of us dream of the days of not having to work and traveling whenever we please. Some of us dream of living in a home owned outright. Some are looking for the security of a large nest egg to know loved ones will be taken care of when we are gone.

Whatever financial freedom means to you, there are a few important habits to help get you there.

Automate Savings and Payments
We live in a digital world and with it comes helpful tools, such as automation. Set up an automatic withdrawal from your paycheck to your retirement and savings accounts to make it feel like it was never there in the first place. Avoid unnecessary fees and keep your credit score high by setting up automatic payments for your mortgage, insurance and credit cards. These small things can help reduce stress and keep you on track to financial freedom.

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Dec 19 2016
35

New Year, New Goals: Evaluate Your Finances and Make a Plan for 2017

By | Holidays, Tips | No Comments

2016 has been a whirlwind of a year, but hopefully not on your finances. Life changes and with it come new expenses or new financial goals. It’s important to regularly check in on your finances to ensure you are staying on track. What better time than the new year?

Here are 5 things to review as we move into 2017:

Income and expenses

The key to managing a spending plan is knowing how much money is coming in and how much is going out. As we head into the new year, review your pay stubs, earnings reports and other sources of income and crunch some numbers. Once you’ve figured out your income, do the same with your expenses.

Try out an online budget tool or use online banking to automatically categorize your expenses so you can see where you are spending the most. Pull up your budget from last year to see what may have changed and adjust as needed. Remember to be realistic about how much you will spend, not how much you want to spend.

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May 20 2015
223

How much should I save for retirement?

By | Julie Fletcher, SH&J Blog, Tips, Videos | No Comments

We are asked ‘how much I should save for retirement’ all the time. It’s an important question! While we’d love to have a canned answer for everyone who asks, it’s just not that simple. We’ve found that answering a few questions really helps our clients hone in on their retirement savings goals.

Ask Yourself…

  • What age would you like to retire?
  • What kind of lifestyle would you like to live?
  • Are you going to sell your home, stay put, buy a second home?
  • Will you be traveling more often?
  • Will you still work part time or start a new business?

Those questions are a great place to start when planning your retirement. As Julie says in the video, “Get down to the nitty gritty of your desired lifestyle,” when answering the questions about your retirement. Being specific helps you (and your planner) set realistic goals and expectations.

In general we find SH&J clients need to start retirement with 100% of their current living expenses. It is rare for expenses to go down after retirement.

Whether you are close to retirement or decades away, we’d be happy to help you answer some of the questions above and make a retirement plan that makes sense for you. Give us a call at 303.639.5100 to set up a time to come in and chat.