Many people consider their career high to be somewhere in their forties. Combining the ambition and excitement of their earlier years with the experience that comes with time, your 40s could be a time where you have made the right decisions and are enjoying a certain stability in your life. It could also be the most important time to start some serious planning about your family’s future and to think about slowly easing into retirement.
Here are some tips to manage your finances in one of the most crucial junctures of your life. These can make a significant difference in your life 10-20 years from now. That may not be the most compelling case for a look at your financial profile now, but it is certainly something you will come to appreciate at a later point.
Asset Allocation
Your risk profile should and will change with age, and it’s important that you adjust your investment portfolio accordingly. Make sure it suits both your short-term and long-term goals. Investment in equity may be a great plan for when you retire, but it be would less suitable if you have financial requirements that are coming up sooner – maybe your kids are graduating in a few years and you need to plan for their tuition; maybe you are expanding your family and plan to buy a bigger house. Your plans must fit into your investment portfolio. Make sure they are well-diversified and that there is no allocation overlap.
Invest in Profitable Assets
If you have been fortunate enough to have a stable income in your 40s, you should look into making well-thought-out investments in solid assets, but you have to be careful as to what that “asset” might be. Investing in a second car might sound like a convenient idea, but it wouldn’t count as an asset because the capital cost would be depreciating down the line. Ideally, you should look into income potential for capital growth, short-term capital gains and the risk involved before you decide about investing in an asset.
Maintain an Emergency Fund
By this time in your life, you must have a decent emergency fund. If that is not the case, it is important to start now. You will find that your emergency funds will be tested more and more in your forties. Be it health troubles or your child’s education, health or even wedding expenses, it can hit you from any direction even though you might have insurance Winnipeg coverage to offset some. Make sure you maintain an appropriate-sized emergency fund and keep replenishing it as necessary. Also, it might be a good idea to reinvest it in some other taxable investment account so that it can grow, especially if you feel like you have less use for it. Withdrawing it can come with some penalties, but you’ll have a higher chance of making a sizeable growth over time.
Insurance
Making sure you have appropriate insurance coverage is one of the most important factors to take into account. Your insurance needs at 40 may differ greatly from your 30s, especially in relation to your health. Even if your employee package covers this, it would be prudent to review it now and then. Do you need a long-term care package? Would taking out disability insurance be appropriate? It could be a lifesaver in the event of income loss due to unforeseen emergencies. Have you renewed your term insurance package? Have you reviewed your claim beneficiaries in the event you’ve had some major life changes, like a divorce? If you have large assets, consider an umbrella policy that covers life, health, auto and home insurance all in one with good coverage so you don’t have to manage separate policies.
Retirement
Are you earning more now in your 40s than you were when you last upgraded your retirement account? Perhaps it is time you review your investments in that area now that you are getting closer to retirement. Many people make the mistake of siphoning off excess income into an inflated lifestyle, the net gain of which is zero. Consider boosting your retirement contribution. This could take the shape of adding to your 401K, or if you aren’t satisfied with the matching contribution you are getting, you could roll it into an IRA that you control.
With that said, don’t forget to take out some money to invest in yourself. You have worked your way up to this stage, and you deserve to sit back and enjoy some of your hard-earned money. While retirement planning is an important factor that you have to start considering from now on, don’t forget that you only get to live your 40s once.
So, what do you think ?