3 Ideas To Help You Get A Jump Start On 2019

We all make some kind of goal or resolution for the new year. Sometimes these are conscious decisions to be better, whereas other times they are simple little things to make life easier. In any case, it is always good to have a point of reference to get you started. If you are like me, I am always looking to make my financial life easier. Thus, I wanted to pull together 3 simple ideas and techniques to make your finances easier in the coming year. They are things you have heard before, but maybe they are not things you were able to really grasp or do at the time of seeing it the first time.

1) Refinance Your Car

I know we have talked about it before, but refinancing your vehicle is a simple way to safe a few extra bucks a month. For example, I bought a truck back in July. I had meant to refinance it sooner, but life happens and I never got around to it. However, in the meantime I have been building my debt payoff account up for the truck loan. Now, when I go to refinance the truck this week I will be able to apply a huge principal payment toward the refinance. Yes, I should have been applying these payments to principal only, but the current lender has a record of destroying credit scores through these payments. I thought it best to wait. In my situation, I am applying a large amount down to the loan to refinance a smaller portion. This will reduce the monthly payment and also allow me to make principal only payments through the new bank.

2) Setup or Update Your Retirement Account

Having a retirement account is crucial for everyone. You are not going to want to work forever! Also, the chance of having social security when you retire is slim. Thus, it is important to start planning now. If you haven’t set one up, you should meet with a financial adviser to setup a plan. The same is true if you already have a plan in place. Meeting with a financial and tax adviser will allow you to keep your plan up to date year after year until you retire. It will also ensure you are staying on track or making adjustments as they are needed.

3) Set Up a Will or Living Trust

This is a topic I have not talked about much before. Having a living will or trust is a very smart thing to have. It is especially important when you begin to start having more wealth through your financial management. Also, this is important if you have a family who depends on you. It is a rather simple process to go through, and it can save tons of stress for others after you have left this life and moved on to the next. In some cases, you will be able to get these services done free of charge through charity groups or churches. Jordan and I started the process of getting ours done through a program through our local church.

The littlest things can make a huge difference in 2019. Do not discount the small victories. As you achieve more and more small items, it will equate to a much larger accomplishment.