(BPT) - Creating better financial habits tops many New Year’s resolution lists every year. If it is on your list for 2013, there are a few steps you could consider to help you pursue your goals.
According the Fall Merrill Edge Report, 77 percent of mass affluent Americans – those with $50,000 to $250,000 in investable assets – said they are going to track and manage their budget over the next six months. Another 65 percent said they are going to save for retirement and 61 percent said they are balancing their short- and long-term financial needs.
kAm“(96? A=2??:?8 7@C E96 }6H *62C[ :E’D >@C6 :>A@CE2?E E92? 6G6C E@ E9:?< 23@FE J@FC 7:?2?4:2= 8@2=D[” D2JD s62? pE92?2D:2 AC6D:56?E @7 !C676CC65 2?5 $>2== qFD:?6DD q2?<:?8 2E q2?< @7 p>6C:42] “pD p>6C:42?D E2<6 @? >@C6 4@>A=6I 7:?2?4:2= C6DA@?D:3:=:E:6D[ H6 6?4@FC286 E96> E@ 82:? >@C6 4@?EC@= @G6C E96:C 7:?2?4:2= 7FEFC6 3J D6EE:?8 8@2=D[ D66<:?8 4@F?D6= 2?5 D2G:?8 62C=:6C 7@C C6E:C6>6?E 2D H6== 2D E96:C 49:=5C6?’D 65F42E:@?]”k^Am
kAm(9:=6 J@FC DEC2E68J D9@F=5 36 42E6C65 E@ J@FC F?:BF6 7:?2?4:2= D:EF2E:@?[ 96C6 2C6 7:G6 4@>>@? E:AD E@ 96=A J@F :>AC@G6 J@FC 7:?2?4:2= 962=E9 :? a_`b]k^Am
kAm$6E J@FC 3F586E 367@C6 J@F DE2CE DA6?5:?8k^Am
kAm%96 >@DE 52?86C@FD H2J E@ DA6?5 E9C@F89@FE E96 J62C :D E@ DH:A6 J@FC 4C65:E 42C5 2?5 H2:E F?E:= E96 6?5 @7 E96 >@?E9 E@ 4964< E96 52>286] rC62E:?8 2 3F586E 367@C6 J@F DA6?5 :D 2 8C62E H2J E@ DE2J @? EC24< E9C@F89@FE E96 J62C] ~?46 J@F 92G6 2 7F== A:4EFC6 @7 H96C6 J@FC >@?6J 8@6D 6249 >@?E9[ J@F 42? 7:?5 >@C6 A=246D E@ D2G6 – A6C92AD J@F’C6 5:?:?8 @FE @? E96 E@H? >@C6 E92? J@F 6IA64E]k^Am
kAm$6E 2 >@?E9=J >66E:?8 H:E9 J@FC DA@FD6k^Am
kAm#68F=2C 5:D4FDD:@?D H:E9 J@FC DA@FD6 23@FE 7:?2?46D 42? =625 E@ 8C62E6C 7:?2?4:2= 4@?7:56?46[ 244@C5:?8 E96 |6CC:== t586 #6A@CE] $:IEJ\?:?6 A6C46?E @7 >2DD 277=F6?E 4@FA=6D 2C6 5:D4FDD:?8 E96:C 7:?2?46D 2E =62DE 2 76H E:>6D A6C >@?E9[ 2?5 ec A6C46?E 36=:6G6 E92E E96D6 @?8@:?8 7:?2?4:2= 4@?G6CD2E:@?D H:== 96=A E96> 249:6G6 E96:C 7:?2?4:2= 8@2=D] x? 255:E:@?[ 4@FA=6D D2J E96J 5:D4FDD 52J\E@\52J AFC492D6D[ DF49 2D 8C@46C:6D[ ?62C=J 2D >F49 2D E96J 5:D4FDD =2C86 AFC492D6D[ =:<6 2 9@>6 @C 42C] v6EE:?8 :?E@ E96 C@FE:?6 42? 36 E96 92C56DE A2CE[ 3FE D4965F=:?8 2 >@?E9=J >66E:?8 :D 2? 62DJ H2J E@ 368:?]k^Am
kAm#2:D6 J@FC c_`W<X 4@?EC:3FE:@?k^Am
kAm|@DE >2;@C 4@>A2?:6D E92E @776C c_`W<X A=2?D >2E49 2 A6C46?E286 @7 J@FC 4@?EC:3FE:@?D] %JA:42==J[ E96D6 >2E496D 4@F=5 C2?86 7C@> ad E@ `__ A6C46?E[ FA E@ e A6C46?E @7 J@FC D2=2CJ] tG6? :7 E96 >2E49 :D 2E E96 =@H 6?5[ E92E’D 2 8C62E C6EFC? @? :?G6DE>6?E] r@?EC:3FE:?8 2?@E96C a E@ b A6C46?E @7 J@FC A2J4964< E@ J@FC C6E:C6>6?E D2G:?8D 4@F=5 96=A J@F AFCDF6 J@FC 8@2= @7 =@?8\E6C> 7:?2?4:2= DE23:=:EJ]k^Am
kAmrC62E6 2? 6>6C86?4J 7F?5 3J D6EE:?8 2? 2FE@>2E:4 565F4E:@?k^Am
kAm~G6C E96 ?6IE D:I >@?E9D[ cf A6C46?E @7 E96 >2DD 277=F6?E D2J E96J 2C6 4C62E:?8 2? 6>6C86?4J 7F?5[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 |6CC:== t586 #6A@CE] *@F D9@F=5 H@C< E@H2C5 92G:?8 E9C66 E@ D:I >@?E9D @7 D2G:?8D :? 2? 6>6C86?4J 244@F?E] %92E E@E2= :D =6DD 52F?E:?8 :7 J@F 2FE@>2E:42==J 565F4E 2 4@?EC:3FE:@? 7C@> J@FC 244@F?E 6249 >@?E9] p7E6C 2 4@FA=6 @7 >@?E9D[ >@DE A6@A=6 368:? E@ E9:?< @7 :E 2D 2 3:== E96J 92G6 E@ A2J 2?5 :? ?@ E:>6[ J@F’== 92G6 7F==J 7F?565 J@FC 244@F?E]k^Am
kAm~A6? 2 4@==686 D2G:?8D 244@F?Ek^Am
kAmt:89EJ\7@FC A6C46?E @7 >2DD 277=F6?E H:E9 J@F?8 49:=5C6? 2C6 4@?46C?65 23@FE E96 C:D:?8 4@DE @7 4@==686[ 2?5 92=7 @7 2== >2DD 277=F6?E A2C6?ED Wd_ A6C46?EX H:D9 E96J 925 DE2CE65 D2G:?8 7@C E96:C 7:CDE 49:=5’D 65F42E:@? 62C=:6C] %96 36DE E:>6 E@ DE2CE D2G:?8 :D ?@H[ 2?5 E2=<:?8 H:E9 J@FC D2G:?8D AC@G:56C 23@FE @A6?:?8 2 4@==686 D2G:?8D 244@F?E :D 2 8C62E H2J E@ 86E E92E DE2CE65]k^Am
kAm%96D6 2C6 ;FDE 7:G6 BF:4< E9:?8D J@F 42? 5@ E@ 96=A :>AC@G6 J@FC 7:?2?46D :? a_`b] p55:?8 E96D6 2?5 >@C6 E@ J@FC E@\5@ =:DE 4@F=5 96=A J@F 36 >@C6 @C82?:K65 2?5 4@?7:56?E ?@E @?=J 23@FE ?6IE J62C[ 3FE :? E96 J62CD E@ 7@==@H]k^Am
kAmtsx%~#’$ }~%tik^Am
kAm|6CC:== t586 :D 2G2:=23=6 E9C@F89 |6CC:== {J?49[ !:6C46[ u6??6C U2>Aj $>:E9 x?4@CA@C2E65 W|{!uU2>Aj$X[ 2?5 4@?D:DED @7 E96 |6CC:== t586 p5G:D@CJ r6?E6C W:?G6DE>6?E 8F:52?46X 2?5 D6=7\5:C64E65 @?=:?6 :?G6DE:?8] |{!uU2>Aj$ :D 2 C68:DE6C65 3C@<6C\562=6C[ >6>36C $x!r 2?5 2 H9@==J @H?65 DF3D:5:2CJ @7 q2?< @7 p>6C:42 r@CA@C2E:@?] x?G6DE>6?E AC@5F4ED 2C6 ?@E usxr :?DFC65[ 2C6 ?@E 32?< 8F2C2?E665 2?5 >2J =@D6 G2=F6]k^Am
kAm%9:D :?7@C>2E:@? D9@F=5 ?@E 36 4@?DECF65 2D :?G6DE>6?E 25G:46] xE :D AC6D6?E65 7@C :?7@C>2E:@? AFCA@D6D @?=J 2?5 :D ?@E :?E6?565 E@ 36 6:E96C 2 DA64:7:4 @776C 3J 2?J |6CC:== {J?49 6?E:EJ E@ D6== @C AC@G:56[ @C 2 DA64:7:4 :?G:E2E:@? 7@C 2 4@?DF>6C E@ 2AA=J 7@C[ 2?J A2CE:4F=2C C6E2:= 7:?2?4:2= AC@5F4E @C D6CG:46 E92E >2J 36 2G2:=23=6 E9C@F89 E96 |6CC:== {J?49 72>:=J @7 4@>A2?:6D]k^Am
kAmq2?<:?8 AC@5F4ED 2C6 AC@G:565 3J q2?< @7 p>6C:42[ }]p][ |6>36C usxr]k^Am
kAmk:>8 DC4lVk2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]2C24@?E6?E]4@>^AC:?ED:E6^x>286(C:E6C]2D9In2CE:4=6:5l`f`bgU2>Aj>6>36C:5lfac`fQm9EEAi^^HHH]2C24@?E6?E]4@>^AC:?ED:E6^x>286(C:E6C]2D9In2CE:4=6:5l`f`bgU2>Aj>6>36C:5lfac`fk^2mV 3@C56ClV_V H:5E9lV`V 96:89ElV`V ^mk^Am
