APRIL 2011

Get Your Financial House in Order

Think your financial goals are out of reach? Sometimes it just takes a little organization and commitment—and if the situation calls for it, some help from a professional. April is Financial Literacy Month, the perfect time to let SAM help you get back on track financially.

Make a commitment. Set aside 30 minutes a week for ‘finance time.'

• Examine your priorities and set realistic goals.

• Put together a monthly budget and track your spending weekly to identify any leaks.

• Enhance your financial intelligence with SAM’s resource library.

Get in touch with your financial values. Take the LifeValues quiz and share your results with your partner to be sure your goals are in sync.

Consider hiring a financial planner. Planners can help with general financial direction or specific financial situations, such as:

• Facing a financial crisis.

• Adding a member to the family.

• Saving for college.

• Dealing with tax-related questions.

• Assessing your retirement savings.

Find out more. Ask the right questions and learn more about the financial planning process before hiring a financial planner.

Featured SAM Community Question:

Q: How do I figure out if we make enough money to purchase a home, and if we do how much we can afford to buy? Is there an online calculator or a document here that talks about this?
— SandyBeaches

A: If you are planning to buy a home, or a car, you need to know what your credit rating is, AND fix mistakes on your report if there are any. This is on here to help you get started. I found errors that went back 8 years on mine!
— JorgeM