Better Money Management Habits This Year?

This is the time of the year that most of us take a few moments to reflect on the events of the past year and to take stock of those things that we would really like to improve upon in the new year ahead. 

I like to challenge my clients in December to set at least one financial goal and to make a commitment to begin tracking every penny they spend in the new year. Keeping a detailed list of daily expenditures is the first step in truly working to improve ones personal and/or business finances. I say if you're not tracking it, you're not working on it. When money is tight, people are more likely to pay close attention to their spending. When times are good and cash flow is plentiful it's easy to waste money by over spending on things that we really don't need.

Good money management requires two components, a financial goal, and a system for tracking progress toward that goal. If your goal is to accumulate $1,000 in your savings account by March 31st. and your game plan for accomplishing that goal is to cut out all unnecessary spending so that you can save as much as possible each week, then your system for tracking the goal and game plan is to track any and all spending. Your commitment to the goal and the act of tracking your spending will cause you to think about your goal before making any expenditures.

Successful people do the things that unsuccessful people are unwilling to do. My experience in working with people who have created personal financial security and wealth for themselves is that they didn't do so by accident. They pay close attention to their spending and they avoid wasteful spending by focusing on goals.  Developing good money management habits happens on purpose and it happens over time.  

Challenge yourself to become a better money manager in 2016. Set a specific savings or debt reduction goal by March 31st. 2016, and begin tracking your spending and progress toward the accomplishment of that goal today. Best wishes for a Prosperous new year.

Preparing a Personal Balance Sheet

Taking control of your financial future is a process. And, as with any process, it is important to monitor your progress. One of the best ways for you to measure financial progress is to periodically prepare a personal balance sheet to determine your net worth.

Calculating your personal net worth is also the best way to know exactly what your starting point is as you begin to develop a financial plan and set goals for yourself. A balance sheet calculates your net worth by comparing your financial assets (what you own) with your financial liabilities (what you owe). The difference between the two is your personal net worth. Don’t be discouraged if your net worth is negative, keep in mind that this should be an accurate depiction of your financial situation. Setting goals is much easier once you know what your current net worth is.

Before you get started, pull together all of the information that you have available. You’ll need your latest bank statements, as well as the principal balance of any loans you have. Once you have all of that information available, start developing your balance sheet by listing all of your assets (financial and tangible assets) with the values.

• Cash (in the bank, money market accounts, or CDs)
• All investments (mutual funds, college savings accounts, individual securities)
• Home value (the resale value of your home)
• Automobile value (the resale value of your car)
• Personal Property Value (resale value of jewelry, household items, etc)
• Other assets

The sum of all of those values is the total value of your assets. Your goal should be to continually increase your assets.

Next, you can look at your liabilities, which should be everything you owe. Here are some common liability categories:

• Remaining mortgage balance
• Car loans
• Student loans
• Any other personal loans
• Credit card balances

The sum of all of the money you owe is your liabilities. As you start to pay down your debt, your total liabilities will decrease. The difference between your assets and your liabilities is your net worth. You can start to increase your net worth by decreasing your liabilities, increasing your assets, or by doing both! For many people developing a debt reduction plan is the best place to begin taking control of their personal finances and growing their net worth. Remember, a dollar saved is a dollar earned, and reducing debt and interest payments can eventually lead to financial freedom. Make sure you continuously update your personal balance sheet (I recommend quarterly) to ensure that you are tracking the progress toward reaching your financial goals.