Recently I did a blog about what I see financial freedom, or financial independence, as and how it can be vastly difference for everyone. Have a read here – Financial Freedom
Today I thought I might follow up on this by doing a step-by-step guide to financial independence, no matter what your goal is.
- Setting Clear Financial Goals
• Your goals need to be ‘SMART.’
– Specific (Clear and well-defined goals)
– Measurable (Trackable and quantifiable)
– Achievable (Realistic and attainable)
– Relevant (Aligned with long-term objectives)
– Time-Bound (Specific deadlines)
• Examples of common financial goals are saving for retirement, buying a home, or paying off debt. - Creating a Budget
• Something people dread doing but is absolutely key to all of this is creating a budget and tracking income and expenses.
• A really good, free, budget template can be found here – Budget Planner - Debt Management Strategies
• Reviewing debts and making a strategy around tackling this debt is paramount to financial independence.
• Interestingly you really don’t need to be ‘debt-free’ to be financially independent. - Building an Emergency Fund
• Everyone should have an emergency fund.
• As part of your budget you can decide how much you should have set aside for emergencies and start to save for it. - Investing for the Future
• Whether this is via superannuation or in your personal name, once you find some space in your budget you will need to start investing that money.
• This can be in shares, property, term deposits, bonds, or simply interest-bearing cash accounts. - Retirement Planning
• Saving for retirement is an absolute must.
• This doesn’t have to be in superannuation, if you don’t like the idea of locking money away until you meet preservation age, it can tie in with your investment strategy. - Tax Efficiency
• Once you start investing you then need to consider the implications of tax.
• Superannuation contributions are tax deductible and earnings are taxed at 15% rather than your individual tax rate. This can be one tax planning option. - Monitoring and Adjusting Your Plan
• This plan needs to be reviewed regularly and any time there is a significant change to your circumstances.
• For example, if you were to receive a large inheritance or start a family your goals would need to be adjusted.
Financial Independence is not an easy road, but it is incredibly rewarding for those who do take it on. As always we are more than happy to help you take this trip, so reach out when you are ready to start.
For any Financial Services assistance, please speak to a Financial Planner now at BW Private Wealth Financial Planning | Ballarat | Ararat | Surrounds
