在不确定时期管理财务:老年人的计划

全球健康危机, 意外的医疗诊断, 灾难性天气事件, or national economic downturn can quickly undo your upcoming retirement plans. Your first instinct might be to delay retirement or revise your investment portfolio. While you may need to take these actions, there are other options.

In addition to using the checklists below to help manage your finances during uncertain times, seniors should also visit the following websites to determine how their benefits might be impacted during times of financial uncertainty.

官方U.S. 政府医疗保险网站

社会保障局

美国国税局

预算刷新清单

Creating a budget lays the groundwork for successful money management regardless of the state of the economy. Use this checklist to help create or improve your current budgeting process and achieve your financial 目标s now and in the future.

• 选择一个系统来跟踪收入和支出. This can be a mobile app, an online spreadsheet, or a pencil and paper. At a minimum, the system must include a place to input income along with fixed and variable expenses.
• 从所有可用的来源计算你的实得工资. 这包括来自传统雇主和兼职的收入.
• 收集上个月的账单，方便参考. Input the required payment and due dates for all of your fixed expenses, e.g.，按揭或租金，手机，学生贷款等.，输入您选择的预算跟踪系统.
• Refer to the last three months of bank statements and receipts to average and record how much is spent in each variable expense category, e.g.，杂货，汽车汽油，娱乐等.
• Your budgeting tool may be able to tell you with one click whether you're overspending or have surplus income.
• 如果您致力于手动流程, simply calculate where you stand by adding your variable and fixed expenses together and subtracting the total from your income.

你花的比赚的少吗? 祝贺你! 你有盈余收入. Deposit the excess money in a dedicated savings account you only touch in an emergency. Money in this account can help you pay your bills if you experience a job loss or have a necessary expense that would otherwise wreck your budget.

你的支出是否等于或超过你的收入? Apply the suggestions in the 费用削减清单 below to create surplus income.

如果你失去了收入...
联系你的州和当地政府办公室寻求帮助. This may include filing for unemployment and securing alternative health benefits.

费用削减清单

If your budget leaves you with little to no surplus income each month, it's time to trim expenses.

• 回顾你的固定成本. Housing costs will probably be your largest fixed expense and bring the biggest relief to your budget. Are you able to make alternate living arrangements, such as moving in with family? Can you 移动 to a smaller home or find a roommate to share expenses?
• 回顾你的可变费用. 消除娱乐费用，选择免费娱乐. Obtain a community library card and borrow eBooks, eAudiobooks, and music at no cost.
• 探索你的选择. Contact creditors and lenders to determine if you can secure a reduced interest rate on loans or transfer balances to a lower-interest rate account. They may also be willing to temporarily waive fees or allow you to skip debt payments, 而不受惩罚, 如果你能解释一下你的经济状况.

如果你是一个有收入的房主, you may be able to refinance your mortgage. A low-interest rate refinance can mean lower monthly mortgage payments. Contact the Credit Union of Colorado at 800-444-4816 to see if you qualify.

• 计划吃饭. 使用网站和像Supercook这样的移动应用程序, which allow you to plan meals based on what's already in your pantry.
• 货比三家寻找成本较低的服务. You might find less expensive cell service or car insurance with just a phone call.
• Schedule automatic payments for fixed expenses using your financial institution's online banking or mobile app. This will help ensure bills are paid on time and can help you avoid late fees.

如果你是一个有收入的房主...

您可能有资格获得房屋净值信贷额度(HELOC)。. This loan allows you to use checks and a VISA credit card tied to your account to access cash, 当你需要的时候. Contact the Credit Union of Colorado at 800-444-4816 to see if you qualify.

• Contact creditors to adjust due dates if it becomes difficult to pay bills on time.
• Avoid making changes to your investment portfolio based on emotion or the 24/7 news cycle. 与值得信赖的理财规划师谈谈你的投资. They may be in a better position to provide expert guidance on how the current situation will affect your retirement planning.

If you're a homeowner with a small (or zero) mortgage loan balance...

你可以考虑反向抵押贷款. 专为62岁或以上的老人而设, this type of mortgage loan is similar to a HELOC in that it requires your home as collateral. 房屋净值转换按揭(HECM) 是最常见的反向抵押贷款类型之一吗.

hecm可能比传统的HELOC更昂贵, 但你不需要偿还贷款，直到你卖掉你的房子, 移动, 或死亡. 由于与反向抵押贷款相关的规则和成本, seniors should first carefully review other options before applying for a HECM. 最好和专业人士讨论一下你的情况. 找到一个 hud认可的HECM顾问 通过访问美国.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) website or by calling 800-569-4287.

如何避免诈骗清单

骗子总是在寻找受害者. During times of economic uncertainty, they work overtime to take advantage of people's fears.

• 通过以下方式警惕潜在的欺诈行为:
• 挂断自动电话.
• 忽略不明来源的邮件和短信.
• Visiting official governmental sites for up-to-date information on changes to your benefits or other disaster relief programs.

有关如何保护您的帐户的更多信息，请访问 安全资源 页面.