What\u2019s your vision of financial freedom? Is it waking up every morning in your dream home? Or knowing you\u2019ll have the freedom in your retirement to do what you want to do?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No matter what your personal definition of financial freedom might be, Quicken\u2019s comprehensive set of tools and features can help you reach that goal with confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Do you have a vision of a perfect dream home? For some people, it might be an off-the-grid hideaway in the Hawaiian jungle. For others, it could be a ski-in, ski-out chalet in Aspen. Or a lakefront cabin in Minnesota.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whatever your dream home looks like, planning for it is the key to getting there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Quicken member C.J. is retired and building that dream home today. A dedicated investor, C.J.\u2019s biggest challenge has been staying the course, focusing on long-term goals in the face of market fluctuations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe market can have its challenges,\u201d C.J. told us. \u201cI have to remember to be diversified and not react to the swings in the market.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thanks to Quicken, C.J. has been able to track those investments in one place, watching them grow over time. \u201cI can review my investment performance monthly and adjust as needed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What\u2019s C.J.\u2019s best advice for buying or building a dream home of your own? \u201cDon’t get discouraged. Saving and investing are a long-term journey.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Working toward your dream home:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Does your vision of freedom mean having a financial cushion that can weather any storm? The key to that freedom is building an emergency fund<\/a>\u2014one that could support you by covering your expenses for 3\u20136 months if you needed it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Quicken member Dathan is keenly aware of the need for an emergency fund. \u201cCreate a plan for your long-term financial well-being and goals,\u201d says Dathan, \u201cbut make sure you provide a cushion for life’s unexpected surprises.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dathan points to things like car accidents and unforeseen medical bills that can derail your personal finances if you haven\u2019t built up a buffer to cover them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Quicken helps Dathan plan for both the short term and the long term in one comprehensive place. \u201cQuicken provides an easy way to take a broad look at our finances, then narrow our focus to specific details such as bills, expense categories, and yearly trends.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s Dathan\u2019s best advice for building your own financial cushion? \u201cDo all you can to create an emergency fund, and don\u2019t touch it until there\u2019s an actual emergency. Build that cushion into your monthly income-to-expenses ratio so you can add to those savings.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Working toward a solid financial cushion:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Does your vision of financial freedom include paying off your debt? If it does, the best place to start is by paying your minimums and attacking one debt at a time with extra monthly payments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Quicken member Krystin was struggling under medical bills and loans about ten years ago. Fortunately, Quicken provided the tools to create a solid financial plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ve paid off all my loans with the exception of one,\u201d says Krystin, who used Quicken to track them all together. \u201cThe ability to see how things changed by paying more each month or a lump sum helped a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s Krystin\u2019s advice for achieving a debt-free life? \u201cJust stick with it. Quicken rocks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Freeing yourself from debt:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Does your vision of financial freedom revolve around a stress-free retirement? One in which you can do the things you enjoy in life without worrying about money?<\/p>\n\n\n\n For long-term goals like retirement, Quicken\u2019s built-in Lifetime Planner is designed to help you stay on track no matter what comes your way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n2. Build a solid financial cushion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. Free yourself from debt<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4. Enjoy a worry-free retirement<\/h3>\n\n\n\n