Markia Brown, a Certified Financial Education Instructor and Registered Financial Associate at The Money Plug LLC, emphasizes the importance of creating a budget for financial stability. She suggests listing income sources, reviewing spending, and regularly adjusting the budget to reflect changes in income and expenses.
Brown recommends starting a savings account with Rs. 500 or 1000, considering a brick-and-mortar location, interest rate, bonuses, fewer fees, no ATM fees, and lower minimums, and setting up recurring transfers.
Jeff DeMaso, a Chartered Financial Analyst and former portfolio manager, emphasizes the importance of early retirement investment. He recommends setting aside a portion of your paycheck each month and opening a Roth IRA, using low-cost index funds, and investing automatically as income increases.
Maizes suggests starting an emergency fund with a few Rupees to save at least six months' worth of expenses. Start small with Rs.1000 a week and increase as income and financial situation improve. An emergency fund serves as a safety net.
Maizes recommends exploring scholarships and grants to reduce student loan debt. Students can apply for these opportunities through financial aid offices, academic departments, and FAFSA. Federal work-study programs can also be beneficial.
DeMaso suggests building a good credit history by using a credit card to pay off one or two items each month. However, he warns that high-interest rates can hinder financial stability, so strategic use is crucial to avoid debt.
Maizes suggests creating a debt repayment plan to quickly tackle debt. The most effective method is to order debts from highest to lowest interest rate, allocate extra funds to the first debt while maintaining minimum payments on others. This may be a medium- to long-term goal, depending on debt size and ability to reduce debt after graduation.