Money.com lists 25 basic things you should and shouldn’t do, if you want to be ‘rich’. How many of these are you following?
- For return on investment, the best home renovation is to upgrade an old bathroom. Kitchens come in second.
- It's worth refinancing your mortgage when you can cut your interest rate by at least one point.
- Spend no more than 2 1/2 times your income on a home. For a down payment, it's best to come up with at least 20%.
- Your total housing payments should not exceed 28% of your gross income. Total debt payments should come in under 36%.
- Never hire a roofer, driveway paver or chimney sweep who is going door to door.
- All else being equal, the best place to invest is a 401(k). Once you've earned the full company match, max out a Roth IRA. Still have money to invest? Put more in your 401(k) or a traditional IRA.
- To figure out what percentage of your money should be in stocks, subtract your age from 120.
- Invest no more than 10% of your portfolio in your company stock - or any single company's stock, for that matter.
- The most you should pay in annual fees for a mutual fund is 1% for a large-company stock fund, 1.3% for any other type of stock fund and 0.6% for a U.S. bond fund.
- Aim to build a retirement nest egg that is 25 times the annual investment income you need.
- If you don't understand how an investment works, don't buy it.
- If you're not saving 10% of your salary, you aren't saving enough.
- Keep three months' worth of living expenses in a bank savings account or a high-yield money-market fund for emergencies. If you have kids or rely on one income, make it six months'.
- Aim to accumulate enough money to pay for a third of your kids' college costs. You can borrow the rest or use some of your income to help out when your child is in college.
- You need enough life insurance to replace at least five years of your salary – as much as 10 years if you have several young children or significant debts.
- When you buy insurance, choose the highest deductible you can afford. It's the easiest way to lower your premium.
- The best credit card is a no-fee rewards card that you pay in full every month. But if you carry a balance, high-interest rates will wipe out the benefits.
- The best way to improve your credit score is to pay bills on time and to borrow no more than 30% of your available credit.
- Anyone who calls or e-mails you asking for your Social Security number or information about your bank or credit card account is a scam artist.
- The best way to save money on a car is to buy a late-model used car and drive it until it's junk. A car loses 30% of its value in the first year.
- Lease a new car or truck only if you plan to replace it within two or three years.
- Resist the urge to buy the latest computer or other gadget as soon as it comes out. Wait three months and the price will be lower.
- Buy airline tickets early because the cheapest fares are snapped up first. Most seats go on sale 11 months in advance.
- Don't redeem frequent flier miles unless you can get more than a dollar's worth of air fare or other stuff for every 100 miles you spend.
- When you shop for electronics, don't pay for an extended warranty. One exception: It's a laptop and the warranty is from the manufacturer.
