Your Life

“…sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes (insert name of childhood friend) in a baby carriage.” Yeah, right. What this little ditty doesn’t mention is the second mortgage required to pay for the wedding, the 529 Plan that needs to be established, or the tax implications of filing separately. Whatever life throws at you, we’ve got you covered.
Homeownership

College

Insurance

Marriage

Parenthood

Entrepreneurship

Retirement

 

Reach Your Milestones
Managing your money is a lifelong journey — not a sprint. This section offers tips on easing financial challenges of some of life's milestones.

  • Buying Your First Home: Determine how much home you can afford, if you pre-qualify for a loan, and whether you should use a real estate agent or broker.

  • Getting Married: When tying the knot, don't forget to establish separate and joint credit, plan for taxes, create wills and trusts, and name beneficiaries and owners of title on assets.

  • Becoming a Parent: Before baby arrives, reassess your budget, decide if one of you should stay home, review insurance, update wills and trusts, save for education, and change your tax status.

  • Starting or Buying a Business: Whether you want to create a start-up operation or buy an existing business, create a solid business plan that includes a business description, marketing position, financial objectives, and other concerns.

  • Planning for Retirement: Determine what you want to do and how you want to live during your golden years. Then review your investments, insurance, credit rating, housing situation, and income. Devise a budget and investment strategy.

  • Preparing a Will: A will legally designates how you want your money and property to be distributed after your death. Wills can contain wishes regarding funeral/burial and also allow you to name your child's guardian.

Get a wealth of articles and tools on these important milestones at 360 Degrees of Financial Literacy.

Brought to you by the North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants as part of its financial literacy
initiative, a community outreach program dedicated to improving the financial standing of all North Carolinians.

The North Carolina Association of CPAs :: PO Box 80188 :: Raleigh, NC 27623-0188 :: (800) 722-2836 :: www.ncacpa.org