Financial Planning For Gen Z and Millennials – A Starter Guide

Modern life is full of temptations. Thanks to the influencer culture, social platforms are filled with shopping haul videos enticing you to spend your money on this or invest in that expensive luxury item or its dupe that costs a slightly smaller sum. If you keep spending money recklessly, you’ll never have enough savings. So, when you are surrounded with so much temptation, how can you, ever save money? If this situation feels familiar, and you need a wake-up call, do yourself a favour and read this piece on money management tips for Gen-Z and millennials.   

Financial Planning For Gen Z And Millennials 

A lack of savings, over-indulgence, and financial inexperience can impede your financial growth. But if you apply these mantras to your live, you can fulfil your various desires and #LiveYourBestLife. 

• Apply the 50-30-20 Salary Division Rule  

You know that joy that you feel when your salary hits your account? That strong urge to buy everything on your wish list? Well, that’s going to have to take a backseat. From here onwards, if you apply the 50-30-20 salary division rule, you’ll soon be on track to create savings. Essentially, you must allocate 50% of your income to your needs (paying rent, utilities, etc.,) 30% to your wants (Okay, you can check a few things off that wish list) and 20% to savings, to help fulfil your short, and long-term goals. This is an incredibly effective approach that helps with financial planning.  

• Create a Mood Board Featuring Your Personal and Financial Goals 

As a child, you may have had all those materialistic dreams of buying that gorgeous villa or that luxury car. But adulting is realizing it’s not that easy. To achieve any goal, personal or financial, you must first define it. You may also want to ask yourself that cliché question “where do I see myself in X years” and decide your number – the amount you want in your bank account to retire comfortably. A good practice to keep your eyes on the prize is to create a mood board featuring your various goals that reminds you to stay on track and keep striving to achieve them.   

• Learn The Art of Debt Management 

When speaking about financial literacy for millennials and Gen Z, debt management is an important topic we need to touch upon. Yes, you can use your credit card to pay for your expenses, but you must only spend what you can afford to pay back. Stacking up debt and paying compound interest can suck you into an abyss, from where you may not be able to dig your way out. Conversely, it is not wise to have no credit record either. Timely debt repayment translates to a good credit score, which comes in handy when you need a loan for important things like buying a house or a car.  

• Let Experts Guide Your Finances 

There’ll come a time in your adult life, when you’ll hear words like mutual funds, share market, money market instruments, etc. These may be billed as quick ways to grow your money. You may think, and rightly so, that these are excellent tools to help achieve the financial goals for Gen Z and millennials. But investing without knowledge is like going to war without your armour on. You’ll feel like a headless, directionless chicken. Instead of venturing into an unknown, unfamiliar territory on your own, you can seek expert advice from experienced financial planners. 

• Understand the True Meaning of ‘Return on Investment’  

Technically, the term Return on investment (ROI) is used in context to investments that generate returns, usually in the form of interest, income, or dividends. But what about those investments that come to your rescue when you most need it. Think about it – you invest a few thousand rupees, and in return, you get coverage worth lakhs, sometimes crores of rupees. We are, of course, talking about life and health insurance products. The ROI you get on these in higher than any other investment, not to mention, the peace of mind they provide during testing times – that is priceless.  

Adulting Like A Pro – Think You’re Up to This Challenge? 

Adulting is easy – said no one ever. It’s a rough mountain to climb, and each time you reach close to one peak, you see another in the background. But when you have the road map to get to the top, you can breathe a sigh of relief. Think of this article on Gen Z and millennials financial planning tips as your personal road-map and apply the advice to your everyday life. In doing so, you’ll not only reach your various goals, but you’ll be also able to enjoy meaningful experiences, and live a rich, fulfilling life. Happy Adulting!