5 Things To Do Every Decade For Financial Success

by 

For many of us, January is littered with a motley assortment of resolutions.

Instead of willing yourself to give up chocolate, while saving an extra $500 a month and finally learning Chinese, try whittling down the list to what really matters.

We’ve come up with some of the most important things that will keep you on track for a bright fiscal future. In other words, these are tasks that will set you up to have a great 2013 straight through to 2025.

Related: How the $0 Day Can Help You Reach Your Financial Goals

And since our readers are all unique and in different life stages, we took the theme of “years” to a whole new level: Here are the top five things you should do in each decade of your life, from your 20s to your 60s and beyond.

5 Things to Do in Your 20s . . .

1. Build an Emergency Fund

When you’re young, saving up for a huge financial safety net can feel daunting, but emergencies, like job loss, can also be daunting. We recommend that you save at least six months’ net income in a high-yield savings account that’s reserved just for true emergencies. Once you’ve saved that amount, you’re done. So make it happen!

2. Pay Off Your Credit Card Debt

We know how easy it is to get into credit card debt, but make it a goal to be debt-free by the time you hit 30. Not only does credit card debt seriously weigh down your credit score, but it also compounds continuously, so it just builds and builds. Need help? Try LearnVest’s Get Out of Debt Bootcamp.

continue reading »