A Global Pandemic is a Good Reminder
to Stress Test Your Finances on the Regular
By Kimberlee Davis Host & Founder of The Fiscal Feminist
Not to prematurely declare the current public health and economic emergencies over, because it’s not, but the reopening of some businesses this summer presents a good time for many of us to reflect on our finances. It’s a practice we self-reliant women should be doing all the time anyway, and now there is a unique opportunity to assess and learn. With four grueling months of health scares, social distancing and financial instability, let’s look at how we did.
Specifically, there are four key pieces of our fiscal puzzle that should be analyzed in a post-mortem evaluation: retirement, budget, investments, and career. Each plays a critical role in our overall strength and well-being, and each was stressed during the turmoil known as the first half of 2020. Without these four pillars of security, it is virtually impossible to provide for your family, secure peace of mind or simply enjoy your financial independence.
1. Retirement Stress Test
If it seems like we’re starting backwards by beginning with the funds that will be used last, that’s because reverse-engineering can be the simplest way to getting the answers you need. Your retirement savings, whether it’s an employer-sponsored 401(k), individual retirement account (IRA) or something else, should never be taken for granted due to its long timeline. In fact, it’s one of the best barometers we have for our own financial health.
Think of your retirement as the proverbial canary in the coalmine. If the nest egg cracks, it will likely impact everything else tenfold. Everyone’s risk tolerance varies, but a retirement portfolio should be set up to reduce risk and exposure in your investment strategy, the closer one gets to her retirement date.
A loss of retirement funds just before that critical milestone as a result of a pandemic or other economic calamity really can be the nightmare scenario for women of a certain age.
It’s also one of the more obvious wealth sources that can be tapped during an unforeseen emergency like COVID-19. Under the CARES Act, Americans can take a withdrawal of up to $100,000 from their 401k or IRA without the typical 10 percent early withdrawal penalty; however, the distribution will be taxed at ordinary income tax rates. The total amount of the distribution is treated as income and taxed accordingly. The CARES Act gives you three years to pay the taxes on the withdrawal (normally, it is a one-time lump sum tax payment) or you can repay back what you withdrew to your 401(k) or IRA and receive a tax refund.
Although the CARES Act enables us to take a withdrawal to help us during this unprecedented time, before you take the step of dipping into your retirement, it is better to explore all other alternatives first. The permanent loss of principal from withdrawing early and the long-term benefits of compound growth is extremely detrimental to your retirement outlook. The worst time to withdraw investment assets is in the middle of a downturn and extreme volatility; investments will be worth less and, hence, investors will have to withdraw a greater percentage of their account and will turn temporary paper losses into permanent realized losses.
Even if you try to replenish later, you will have lost all the compounding of growth from the withdrawn principal and the concern is that if you take advantage of the CARES Act provisions and withdraw, there is a good chance that you will not replenish the withdrawal which will be a permanent reduction.
We all think that retirement is somewhere out in the future, but it does ultimately arrive sooner than we think, and without retirement funding, retirement can look bleak. Women live longer than men and need to understand the longevity of their retirement funding.
2. Budgeting Stress Test
The unexpected fall out from the pandemic involved many women losing their jobs. This is obviously very stressful, and although stimulus checks may have been forthcoming and unemployment compensation may be available, there could have been long delays in receiving these payments.
It is essential that every woman has a budget. Have an honest conversation with yourself about how you spend your money and track it! Even if you are the only one in your household, it is important to review your savings and fine tune your budget. Determine what is necessary and what expenses can be cut.
There are many free budgeting apps that can help you to create and monitor your budget and your savings. It’s best to track your finances in real time using a spreadsheet or tech-enabled tool such as Mint so you get the best read on where your money is going. Make sure to scrutinize your fixed costs such as rent, mortgage, utilities, cell phone, food and all insurances, including health insurance. List all credit card payments. Review all discretionary expenses and line item what you are spending that are non-essential. Eliminate or severely reduce online shopping, clothing and subscriptions. Re-evaluate your take-out food purchases. The more you understand, the easier it will be to find a way to save.
Every woman needs to prioritize having an emergency fund which equals three-six months of living expenses that can carry them through unforeseen circumstances such as job loss or illness. Regardless of your income, an emergency fund is essential! Women of all income levels need to have an emergency fund – it is the life raft when there is turmoil.
The sequence of solid budgeting is to track spending, pay down all credit card debt and establish an emergency fund. Once you do that, you can move on to investing.
3. Investments Stress Test
This pillar has to do with the more active aspects of wealth creation. Stocks can be a sizeable part of an investment strategy, but diversification of asset classes – whether its mixing bonds, alternative investments (such as liquid hedge funds, hedge funds, private equity or REITs), real estate or art – is a key component of long-term financial independence. It aims to maximize returns by investing in different areas that would each react differently to the same event. If one portion of your portfolio is declining, it may ensure that other portions are not declining or not declining as much.
With that in mind, ask yourself, ‘how did my strategy fare since all hell broke loose in March?’ Did you have a diverse allocation, and did you make decisions during the volatility from fear or rationality?
A good stock selection strategy is to focus on the fundamentals of companies issuing the stocks. Remember that buying stocks is buying ownership in a company. Does the company have cash flow, too much debt, good management, and are they allocating funds for capital expenditures, shareholder return and dividends?
With the return to a lower interest rate environment, the dividend yield opportunities available within the equity market are at more compelling levels relative to fixed income securities than the historical norm. Investor income requirements will likely result in greater demand for dividend-paying stocks. More than half of the S&P 500 stocks yield greater than the 10-year Treasury yield, as of the end of last year. During such times, high dividend growers have outperformed high dividend yielders and the S&P 500. Dividend growth stock investing focuses on companies that pay dividends and grow dividends annually.
Regardless of price dips, dividends will be paid, and this especially helps investors who are living off their portfolios in retirement. Companies may change their dividend policies, so be mindful of that. Also, be mindful of over concentration in one stock – probably prudent not to have one stock make up more than 5% of your portfolio.
With respect to bond investments, consider varying elements such as maturities, credit qualities, and sensitivity to interest rate changes to diversify within that asset class.
Once you have your mix of stocks, bonds and alternatives, on a regular basis check the weightings of each allocation to make sure that they still make sense given current market conditions; from time to time you should rebalance your allocations.
Additionally, do not try to time the market or execute short-term trades as an investment strategy. Market timing can be very risky. If you have a long-term, diversified strategy, don’t let fear motivate you to cash out during dips in the market – that will result in permanent capital loss. If you stay the course over the long-term, you will benefit from the ultimate run-up and recovery.
It takes discipline and consistent investing to build wealth as well as patience and unemotional decision making. Make regular saving and investing a priority by setting up automated, regular deposits.
Reviewing your strategy shouldn’t be done only in times of crisis. It is helpful during bull markets and periods of personal and professional success as well. Keep in mind, though, that stress testing finances isn’t merely checking up on your investment accounts. Rather, it’s a holistic view of your entire financial picture.
4. Career Stress Test
The same look at how your money fared during the crisis should be applied to your job as well.
Were you able to keep your job during the quarantine? Were your salary and/or benefits cut? Is working from home something you’d like to continue?
Perhaps your career trajectory wasn’t as solid as you thought it was prior to the outbreak and some pivoting in the form of additional education and training or an entirely new professional endeavor are in order. Times of stress are not fun nor avoidable, but they can be a useful reflection tool. If it wasn’t for the disruption of the pandemic, it’s possible that you wouldn’t have found the flaws in your career – and then made the necessary self-improvements.
Unfortunately, more than 21 million Americans lost their jobs as of June, and reflection might not be a luxury all of us can afford at the moment. A crisis of that ilk requires character to persevere.
The good news is if you are smart with your finances, you have options. In addition to federal economic stimulus – and likely subsequent waves of stimuli – private companies have demonstrated leniency. From utilities and car payments to mortgage forbearance and credit card interest rates, there could be a deal to be struck somewhere. Additionally, there are always the 0-percent credit card options, either as a balance transfer or a place to temporarily park debt for free until your finances are right-sized.
Whatever it takes, you will do what you have to in order to feed those who depend on you and rise another day. With this unique opportunity for reflection – and the ongoing stress-testing of your finances every three to six months – we’ll all be stronger when we come out the other side.
Kimberlee Davis is your host of The Fiscal Feminist, a show about women and their relationship with money and finances. Her mission is to help all women of all ages and wealth levels –to embrace their responsibility to themselves to achieve solid financial footing in both calm and turbulent times. Kimberlee Davis has more than 25 years of finance, legal and corporate experience, her career has included being a corporate securities lawyer, investment banker, and Chief Financial Officer. Currently, she is Managing Director and Partner at The Bahnsen Group, a private wealth management firm. She specializes in personal wealth advising and oversees financial and retirement planning solutions.
Samantha A. Gregory is an author, consultant, and speaker. She’s a single-mom lifestyle, money, and parenting expert featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Essence Magazine, HuffPost, ABC News, and Mint.com.
Samantha founded the award-winning RichSingleMomma.com™, the first online magazine featuring personal finance, parenting, and personal development content and courses for single moms.
She aims to inspire women who are ready to thrive and not just survive in their single motherhood journey. Connect with her on Instagram @richsinglemomma.
Being a parent isn’t easy and is filled with stressful moments. No matter how busy you are between work and family, always make time for yourself. Even just 15 to 20 minutes a day to get quiet and relax can do wonders for your stress level, mental and physical health. Not only will you feel better, you’ll also be better at the things you take on and more aligned in your relationships.
Focus on overall wellness:
The importance of exercise, eating right and taking care of yourself can’t be said enough, especially for parents who lead busy lives. All of these things have a direct impact on your stress. If you eat right, get plenty of physical activity and just take better care of yourself, your mind and body will thank you. Best of all, you can instill these important values in your kids as they grow up.
Don’t let things fester:
When problems arise, and they will, take them on quickly and effectively. The problem when we procrastinate and put things off is small issues turn into big issues and this drives our stress levels off the charts. Even if you don’t feel like dealing with something, it’s always better to face it and get it over with rather than keep putting it off and allowing it to bother you and raise your stress. For parents, that might mean planning out specific tasks that have to get done each day. Monday might be laundry day. Tuesday could be food prep day. Wednesday cleaning day. And so on.
Focus on proper breathing:
The problem with incorrect breathing is it can make you feel even more stressed and worried than you already are. Improper breathing raises CO2 in the body while reducing oxygen consumption which makes us tired, dizzy and anxious. The correct way to breathe is slowly in through the stomach area, hold for a few seconds, and then slowly exhale through the lips. It might take some practice to get used to, but this is definitely something that will significantly reduce your stress.
Get out of the house:
Right now, many parents are feeling stressed out and overwhelmed during the COVID pandemic because they can’t leave the house. It’s still important to get out each and every day. You can go for a walk, drive around with no destination in mind while you crank up the tunes, visit a friend or family member while practicing social distancing. A change of environment is important to reduce stress.
Get the kids involved:
Many parents are stressed out right now with kids home for summer with nothing to do. Keep your kids busy with educational activities like reading, give them an allowance for taking on chores around the house, and make sure they have enough time play time each day outdoors. Happy and healthy kids will make your life much easier and reduce your levels of stress.
Have something to look forward to:
Having something in the future to move toward and look forward to is important to all of us, especially parents who find themselves stressed. Maybe it’s a vacation or road trip six months from now. You can even have something small to look forward to each day like a television show or family dinner. This puts us in a better frame of mind, reduces stress and keeps the “feel-good” chemicals pumping in the brain.
Get involved in activities that are inspiring to you:
It doesn’t matter what it is, just get involved in any activity that inspires you. When you are feeling inspired and into what you are doing, it’s hard to feel stress. Not only that, but when you are doing something you truly enjoy, your mind is occupied and won’t have time to entertain worry, anxiety and stress.
Focus on the outcomes, not the struggles:
In almost everything we set out to accomplish, there is stress along the way. This is true even of positive forces in our lives. Instead of becoming stressed by the struggles, stay focused on the outcome. For instance, it’s easy to get flustered when trying to explain a math assignment to your kids. But remember how great it feels when it finally clicks for them and the sense of achievement it gives both you and them.
Recognize when you need help:
Every parent deals with a certain amount of stress and that is perfectly normal. But sometimes our stress becomes something bigger indicative of an anxiety disorder or something else. When you’ve tried to face things on your own and you aren’t feeling better, it’s time to get professional help. Parents with an insurmountable of stress are doing themselves and their families a favor by getting help.
Samantha A. Gregory is an author, consultant, and speaker. She’s a single-mom lifestyle, money, and parenting expert featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Essence Magazine, HuffPost, ABC News, and Mint.com.
Samantha founded the award-winning RichSingleMomma.com™, the first online magazine featuring personal finance, parenting, and personal development content and courses for single moms.
She aims to inspire women who are ready to thrive and not just survive in their single motherhood journey. Connect with her on Instagram @richsinglemomma.
Trying to make your money go further? When you’re a single parent, every cent counts. Often, our first instinct is to cut costs, deprive ourselves, and go without in order to spread our money as thinly as possible. However, cutting back can only get us so far. Sometimes, the issue isn’t how we’re using our income — it’s the income itself.
Making more money can feel like a herculean task, but there are some subtle and simple ways to bring in extra cash. Here are some tips to help you boost your income:
The Side Hustle
If you’re already working full time or near-full time, you can consider adding a side hustle to get a little extra cash. When you’re taking care of a little one on your own, it’s important that any extra work you take on is on your terms. That’s why freelance and contract work is such a good fit for single parents. When you work as a freelancer, you set your own schedule, define your own workload, and can pick up or drop work as needed.
However, getting started as a freelancer can be a little tricky. Many people are unsure of what their rates should be, and wind up underselling themselves on the market. Here is the big freelancing secret: You’ll only get the money you fight for. Know your own worth, and don’t be afraid to turn down offers that don’t meet your standards.
Asking for a Raise
If you’ve been at your company for a while and you know you’re making an impact, ask for a raise. There is an art to the raise conversation — your first step should be gathering evidence of your impact on the company. This can be anything from figures showing value added or money saved on a project to feedback you’ve received from superiors saying you’ve done well. If you’ve had a written positive review, be sure to bring that along during the conversation.
Just as with freelancing, it’s important to know your worth and be willing to ask for what you want. The worst you can get is a “no.” That said, you need to be prepared with what a “no” will mean for you. Will you be willing to bargain down to a smaller raise? What if they’re not willing to give you a raise at all? Will that mean you look for different work? There’s no one right answer, but you should consider these questions before you begin the conversation.
Online Work
In today’s digital age, there are a ton of options for people who want to find work online. You can write for a blog, work as a social media manager, create your own online shop; you’re almost only limited by your own imagination. That said, there are potential pitfalls in online income generation. Turn to trustworthy e-commerce resources to make sure you’re on the right track.
Avoid Scams
Be sure to stay savvy along the way to avoid money-making scams. Pyramid schemes and other get-rich-quick methods target single parents because they know they’re a vulnerable population. Be wary of anything that promises instant results, and especially suspicious of any job that you have to pay to do.
We hope this article helps you find ways to bring in some extra money. Supporting a family alone is hard work, and any additional income can make it just a little easier. Here are a few freelance and work from home jobs you might want to consider:
Blog writing can be a lucrative way to build your brand and bring cash in at once.
Companies value Excel experts who can use Visual Basic to automate tasks.
Graphic designers can make a tidy income designing logos and marketing imagery.
Security specialists can perform audits to help companies ensure their data is safe.
Web developers can bring a business’s website to life and make it good-looking.
Samantha A. Gregory is an author, consultant, and speaker. She’s a single-mom lifestyle, money, and parenting expert featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Essence Magazine, HuffPost, ABC News, and Mint.com.
Samantha founded the award-winning RichSingleMomma.com™, the first online magazine featuring personal finance, parenting, and personal development content and courses for single moms.
She aims to inspire women who are ready to thrive and not just survive in their single motherhood journey. Connect with her on Instagram @richsinglemomma.
If you have a baby on the way, congratulations! That’s wonderful news. At the same time, you may have a few concerns about your budget. After all, you’re now responsible for supporting at least one new life.
Few would argue that giving birth is inexpensive. However, you can get your budget under control by simultaneously cutting back in some areas while boosting your income. Here’s how.
Tips for Saving Money
Ah, the lure of those adorable baby outfits and that to-die-for nursery gear. You might feel tempted to break out the credit card, but before you do, remember! Most baby items see limited use.
Do you genuinely need a designer outfit your kiddo will wear once, spit up all over, then outgrow?
1. Shop in Your Closet
Chances are, you have a few items that you can wear even in your third trimester, like maxi dresses. Plus, if you find yourself now working from home, you don’t need as extensive of a maternity wardrobe.
Your baby will throw up all over their shirts, and that’s not all. Why let them defile a $40 set of duds? Plus, they outgrow clothing faster than you can buy them.
If you have a family member or friend with a few hand-me-downs to spare, take advantage.
3. Refinance
Depending on your circumstances, now may be the ideal time to refinance your mortgage. If you wait until you go on maternity leave to apply, your income will likely decrease.
Additionally, your lender might have questions about your future ability to make payments. If you have a partner who also works, you will probably have a more streamlined time winning approval.
4. Click Unsubscribe
Like it or not, you live in a subscription economy, and many people have recurring charges for items they no longer use. One fellow found he paid $40 a month for in-flight WiFi for eight months while he was safely grounded. That amount would pay a monthly utility bill in some areas.
Download an app like Truebill and enter your information. Do you need a subscription to the Tai Chi Move-of-the-Month club any longer, or can you go without to save money?
5. “Upcycle” Your Produce
Things could be worse — the current pandemic could have struck in the dead of winter. Now, however, you don’t have long to wait until planting time. If you live in the south, you could enjoy peak season already.
Learn how to save the seeds from your produce and start seedlings indoors. When they grow large enough, replant them in your garden. This way, your family will always enjoy a supply of fresh vegetables, even when the grocery budget gets tight.
Tips for Increasing Your Income
In addition to cutting your budget, you can increase your income, even during tumultuous times. Here are some ideas.
1. Become a Virtual Assistant
Scores of companies need virtual assistants for handing everything from customer calls to emails. You might manage social media posts or help with bookkeeping tasks.
Sites such as Fiverr allow you to offer your services for sale to the highest bidders.
2. Sell Crafts on Etsy
Are you a crafty mama-to-be? If you have knitted more adorable baby booties than your child could wear by the time they turn 21, why not sell the excess on Etsy?
You can set the price for your wares, and once you establish yourself as a seller, you can do well. You can also search your home for any high-value items like electronics you don’t need or use, and see if you could possibly pawn them for a little extra cash.
3. Teach or Tutor Online
In case you missed it, many schools have shuttered for the rest of the year, and the demand for online teachers is high. If you have a certificate, you can work for a virtual school.
However, even if you lack a credential, you can tutor if you have a bachelor’s degree.
4. Start a YouTube Channel
Do you have a skill you can share? One grandmother recently gained significant stardom when she started a YouTube cooking channel to pass down her recipes.
If you can do yoga, knit like a fiend or make a tutorial on how to build a better birdhouse, you could earn residual income through advertising revenue.
Get Your Budget Under Control Before Baby Arrives
Once your baby arrives, you will have plenty to occupy your mind. In the meantime, get your budget in order so that you feel secure in your family’s finances.
Samantha A. Gregory is an author, consultant, and speaker. She’s a single-mom lifestyle, money, and parenting expert featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Essence Magazine, HuffPost, ABC News, and Mint.com.
Samantha founded the award-winning RichSingleMomma.com™, the first online magazine featuring personal finance, parenting, and personal development content and courses for single moms.
She aims to inspire women who are ready to thrive and not just survive in their single motherhood journey. Connect with her on Instagram @richsinglemomma.
Lost your job during the Coronavirus shutdown? It’s pretty scary but now is the perfect time to learn new skill that is crisis-proof. Here are a list of free classes you can take to upgrade your career skills or start a business that allows you to work from home.
Brit and Co.
If you are a creative who enjoys drawing, painting, and photography you will love the classes featured on Brit+Co. You will learn skills that you can use to become a graphic designer, illustrator, or photographer. These skills will fit into a work from home role or in your own digital marketing business.
Get certified to manage social media. With a certification from Hubspot you will be ahead of the curve in your company. You can leverage these skills into a new role or turn it into a Virtual Assistant or Social Media Management agency.
You get a free month to learn any skill in any category over at LinkedIn Learning. From programming to digital marketing and Microsoft certification prep to technical writing. There is something for everyone. All courses are rated for beginner to advanced so you are never in over your head.
Skillshare is giving you two free months to learn something new. You can focus on fun topics like cooking or art or upgrade your skills when you learn how to manage social media, start your own business, or invest money. The options are limitless.
Access 2000 free online courses from 140 leading institutions worldwide. Gain new skills and earn a certificate of completion. Join today for free.
Edx offers free classes from Colleges and Universities around the country – edx.org
Six classes help you move from survival mode to thriving through your single mom journey. Get the Single Mom Survival and Success Kit – https://richsinglemomma.vipmembervault.com/products/courses
A Decision to Change Your Life Forever
Getting through a crisis take a lot of mental and emotional energy. It can have a negative affect on your life if you let it, but you have options (free ones) to help you move past the mental and emotional turmoil. You can turn what looks like defeat into victory by making the decision to take a class that will change your life for you and your kids.
Samantha A. Gregory is an author, consultant, and speaker. She’s a single-mom lifestyle, money, and parenting expert featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Essence Magazine, HuffPost, ABC News, and Mint.com.
Samantha founded the award-winning RichSingleMomma.com™, the first online magazine featuring personal finance, parenting, and personal development content and courses for single moms.
She aims to inspire women who are ready to thrive and not just survive in their single motherhood journey. Connect with her on Instagram @richsinglemomma.
Hi! Welcome to RichSingleMomma.com. I started this website almost a decade ago because I couldn't find any blogs back then that helped single moms with money. I was having some success in that area so I decided to share what I knew about side hustles, making extra money, and managing money. Read more...
