She Makes Cents 52 Week Money Challenge | Success Story

52 Week BINGO Money Challenge | October Recap & End of the Year Money Goals

Published on November 11, 2017 by Danielle YB VasonLeave a comment

This morning, I took out my shemakescents 52 Week BINGO Money Challenge card to forecast what the next seven weeks of the year will be like, from a money savings goal perspective. Since January, I have saved money every week with the challenge and in doing so; I have cultivated a habit of saving. Financial guru, Dave Ramsey says that “personal finance is 80% behavior and 20″ head knowledge” and I am very inclined to agree. If you are a new reader and have no idea what the 52 Week BINGO Money Challenge is, click here to catch up. After forecasting the rest of the year to see whether I would be able to hit my latest money goal, getting my student loans to $12,500 or under by December 31, 2017, I started doing money projections for 2018.

First, I calculated how much and how quickly my debt would decrease if I made the same amount of money and repeated my most success money moves as I did this year. I then upped the ante to see how adding another $100 per month or $200 per month would get me closer to my goal of eliminating my student loan debt altogether. Finally, I increased my snowball calculations to see how quickly my debt would decrease if my income increased to match what I put on my vision board. Looking at debt from these three different perspectives shows me the true cost of making different and better money moves, as well as, how quickly I can dump my debt.Why do I do this, you ask? Sometimes I need a visual reminder of my goal at hand. I hear so many people say that they will never pay their debt off or that they are so overwhelmed by their debt that they choose not to even think about it, let alone to look at it. Do you remember that time, I broke down the difference between one day versus day one? If I waited years ago to get serious about tackling my debt, especially my student loans, I would never have been projected to hit my goal date by 2020, eleven years ahead of Sallie’s Mae schedule. The visual of saving eleven years of interest is enough to keep me motivated for these next three years. That is because when you visualize something, especially positive associations with money, you give yourselves permission to prepare yourself to receive it.

You don’t have to make a lot of money to get back on course with your money savings goals, nor do you have to be a personal finance guru. In the past two years, I have thrown an extra $5,550.00+ toward this debt (on top of my monthly payment) by chipping away at it piece by piece. In order to crush your savings goals, you first must change your mindset about your ability to succeed. Then you change your bad money habits and replace them with great money habits that honor your money goals. You see, it is not what we do every once in a while that makes us successful. Success is gained in our daily habits.

As we approach the end of one year and the beginning of a new one, I look forward to making new and fresh goals for myself. I look forward to not repeating my mistakes of the past and being willing to step out on faith when it comes to opportunities that come my way. Today, I affirm my success with my money goals for myself and for you too.

This Book Is Your Next Book Club Read - Boss Women Pray- She Makes Cents Book Club

SMC Book Club: Boss Women Pray-31 Prayers to Increase Your Success & Spirit

Published on October 30, 2017October 30, 2017 by Danielle YB Vason1 Comment

Inspiration comes from many places. In my case, the inspiration for our next book club choice came from an Instagram story where another influencer, @theemmaroseagency, shared a screenshot of a page from a book she was reading. After reading the page for myself, I had to find out more information about that book that appeared to encompass money, career, and lifestyle from a woman’s point of view. This month’s She Makes Cents Book Club selection is from author and founder of the small business empowerment-coaching firm, Kachelle Kelly. Kelly coaches career-driven women to activate their hustle and their faith by providing innovative strategies to achieve authentic success and happiness in one’s business and life and I invite you to join the SMCmoneytribe as we dive into her book, Boss Women Pray: 31 Prayer to Increase Your Success & Spirit: The Comprehensive Prayer Guide for Entrepreneurs & Women in Business .

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they will help us keep this site up and running.

Boss Women Pray

The book Boss Women Pray will take us on a 31-day journey that is slated to inspire us to go after our dreams and visions by eliminating distractions. Who doesn’t love a good inspirational read? It comes from a faith over fear approach to business and life and is rated 4.9 out of 5 stars on Amazon and 4.5/ 5 on Good Reads. The prayers on each page will ignite something inside of you and make you feel like you were right there as these prayers were written. According to those who have already taken this 31-day journey, you no longer have to feel alone in your business endeavors. You will walk away from this book empowered out of your mind to reach your full potential in business and in life! I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to dive into this book with the read of the SMCmoneytribe.

How Our Book Club Works

We select a new book from a mix of editor and reader’s suggestions. For reader suggestions, we ask that selections embrace powerful women, business “cents”, fictional favorites, and anything that informs and inspires us. We then announce that selection before the start of the month to give you time to opt in and go get the book. Since the paper copy is just about sold out everywhere, you can order a digital copy here. As you read the book, please leave your questions or comments for the book club in the comment section below. We will begin discussions for this book on November 1^st on Instagram and our Facebook group.

First Time Millennial Home Buyers - Get Your Questions Answered About the Home Buying Process on She Makes Cents

Millennial First Time Homebuyers: Send Me Your Questions

Published on October 13, 2017October 13, 2017 by Danielle YB VasonLeave a comment

Millennials are breaking into the housing market with great force with hopes of attaining one of the biggest stepping-stones to the American Dream- homeownership. Whether or not the American Dream still exists is questionable, but one thing that is certain is that as the largest active generation in the housing market at 34%, millennials are making lemonade out of lemons and turning the boomerang generation into homeowners.

Millennial First Time Home Buyers | Get Your Questions Answered on She Makes Cents

Buying a house is the largest financial investment that most people make in their lifetime. Its benefits, especially if the path to homeownership is achieved by establishing better money habits before buying, result in financial rewards throughout the year.

Before buying a home, first-time buyers should save for a down payment, raise one’s credit score, and figure out how much house they can actually afford. To take the savings benefits one step further, first-time millennial buyers are urged to do a little research of their own to see what tax breaks are available that makes the home buying process a little more affordable.

Keeping affordability in mind, the housing and financial industries have teamed up to offer resources that make the transition of renting to owning easier for first-time and millennial buyers. By anticipating some of the financial setbacks plaguing millennials, such as staggering student loan debt, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) have changed the amount allowed to be financed and lowered some of the qualifications to attract young buyers. I bought my house five days after my 24th birthday with an FHA loan. This was the best move for me at that time because I was looking for a nice apartment when I came across a property that was priced so well I couldn’t miss out on the opportunity. I hadn’t saved specifically for a home or better yet a traditional 20% down payment, but I did have enough to put down to secure an FHA loan and become a homeowner by age 24.

Homeownership is affordable, attainable, and provides financial advantages for those who choose this path over renting. While millennials are changing the narrative of the American Dream, one thing still rings true. Homeownership is still a good way to achieve wealth in the United States and thanks to the financial advantages of homeownership, the dream is so much sweeter.

Are you thinking about buying your first home and have questions about the homebuying process? Leave your comment or question below and/or tweet me @shemakescents to have your question answered.

Date Night Ideas | How to Go to the Movies for Less

How To Make a Movie Date More Affordable

Published on October 11, 2017October 11, 2017 by Danielle YB VasonLeave a comment

Do you remember when dinner and a movie was a go-to date night activity? It was fun, it was easy if you and your date liked the same movies, and it was cheap…ish. Nowadays, dinner and a movie can easily run a couple close to $100.00+. If you break down the price of two tickets, dinner, and libations you can easily drop some serious cash before you even sit back to watch the movie. Seven dollar popcorn and a five dollar soda, anyone? Umm…no thank you. According to the National Association of Theatre Owners, the average cost of going to the movies hit a record high in the of $8.84 in the first quarter of 2017. I don’t know about you, but a $9.00 movie ticket sounds good to me considering the prices in my area are more along the lines of $16.50 per ticket. In fact, at the time of writing this post, I checked on two standard tickets to my local theatre and with taxes, the total comes up to $39.56 for just two standard movie tickets. No reclining seats, no RPX upgrades, no popcorn, and no candy. Affordable Date Night Ideas | How to Go to the Movies for Less Since our very first date to the movies, the Mr. and I have been regular moviegoers and during that time, we have picked up a few ways to make the experience work a little better for our budgets. Below are a few ways we experience one of our favorite date night activities… dinner and a movie.

Tuesdays. Before we were married, Thursday was our standing “date night”. This all changed when I found out about Ticket “Twosdays” that many service providers and rewards programs offer. As an AT&T customer, we take advantage of the nice perk of two standard 2D movie tickets for the price of one. I love it because it saves money and it breaks up the week to get us out of our routine. If we are having a movie-themed date night, we try to plan for Tuesday and you can too even if you don’t have AT&T. Other companies like T-Mobile and AMC movies have similar deals.
Movie & Then Dinner. Going to the movies before dinner is a nice twist on the dinner and a movie classic. If you eat dinner first, you miss the opportunity to save on matinée pricing, which depending on where you live could be a savings of $7.00 or more per ticket. Additionally, you are less likely to load up on movie food or overpriced drinks by going to dinner first. If this is the first date, having a shared experience of attending the movie first can help fill in the blanks of awkward first date conversation during dinner.
Actually Netflix & Chill. You can save money on a movie night experience from the comfort of your own home. In fact, this may be one of the best ways to watch a movie with your significant other… all snuggled up on the sofa together. You can have wine, whatever you like to eat, and you never have to worry about missing an important scene during a bathroom break. We all know what the teenage colloquialism of “Netflix and chill” means, but this money-saving tip works best if you actually watch the movie.
Free Movie Screenings. The word “free” simply means that you don’t have to pay money. That being said, you can get access to advanced movie screenings weeks before the official release date in exchange for your opinion of it. How do you do it? Check out sites like GoFoBo.com or AdvancedMovieScreenings.com and sign up. I have done this a couple of times and really enjoy it because I can usually get two tickets and share the experience with someone else. Pro Tip: Make sure that you arrive early. They often over share the free code to attend the screening, so once theatre is full you will be denied entry.

If going to the movies is one of your go-to date night ideas, why not save money doing it. In fact, with these tips, there is little reason to ever pay full price for a movie if you can help it. The stars do not always align where people are able to make an earlier movie or get out on a work night, but if you can, use your “cents” and save some money!

10 Inspiring Habits of Highly Successful People from Atlanta Blogger, Danielle YB Vason of She Makes Cents

How Defining Success Will Make You Successful

Published on September 27, 2017September 26, 2017 by Danielle YB VasonLeave a comment

How do you define success? That is one of those open-ended questions that many people are asked in an interview. To be honest, we should be thinking about it outside of the normal boundaries of interview prep. Again, I ask, how do YOU define success? I am starting to believe that knowing the answer to that will help make decisions about money, career, and lifestyle clearer. Warren Buffet measures success by whether the people close to you are happy and love you. Deepak Chopra says, “Success in life could be defined as the continued expansion of happiness and the progressive realization of worthy goals”. For President Obama, “success isn’t about how much money you make. It’s about the difference you make in people’s lives”. I believe success is being happy with the life you create, which ultimately is a culmination of daily choices. The thing is, identifying what success means to you should help guide the path to reaching success, accomplishing your goals, and living the life you always wanted.

To dominate your goals, you must first write them down and second choose a date to strive for. One of my very first money goals was to be debt free. I later realized that being debt free is not a goal, but being debt free by age 35 is. Do you see the difference? It goes back to the whole “day one or one-day” paradigm. To be successful at this aspiration, I have to make sure that my daily actions reflect my purpose. I will be honest, it is hard and sometimes I get off track, especially when the goal date seems so far away. My trick to conquering the hard times is to break my larger goal into micro goals. I take that larger target and break it into small manageable bites that are easier to digest. You can do this with money goals, career goals, relationship goals, and lifestyle goals.

We have all heard that it take 21 days to make or break a habit. Recent studies have found that it actually takes about 66 days to cultivate a new habit. The key to staying motivated is understanding how long it takes to become prosperous in a new habit. It is important to be intentional with your everyday thoughts and actions. That is because success is found in your daily routine.

{Money & Relationships} 5 Reasons to Have the “Money Talk” with Your Partner

Published on September 26, 2017February 16, 2018 by Danielle YB Vason3 Comments

You and your significant other have been together for a while. You have met the parents (and they like you…hopefully), you leave stuff at each other’s homes, and you’ve even claimed each other on social media! Sure, you have done all of the public things to show your significant other and the world that you care about your relationship but have you taken the necessary steps to reduce stress and drama in your relationship from a financial standpoint? I will be honest with you; having the money talk isn’t fun or comfortable, but it is enlightening and crucial to all serious relationships.

I bet you searched him on Google and scoped his Instagram page when you were first getting to know him. Outside of being curious, you wanted to protect yourself by getting a head start to any red flags. Simply put, you wanted to figure out what you may be getting yourself into. No judgment, it’s smart and we all do it. If you protected yourself in the beginning, why wouldn’t you protect yourself now that things are getting serious? Starting the conversation does not make you greedy or look like a gold digger. In fact, it shows that you are looking at this relationship for the long-term. Former Secret Service agent and Cosmo contributor, Evy Pompouras’ gives advice about reading people in any situation, which will come in handy when you have the conversation with your beaux. Pompouras says, “don’t openly judge, even if you don’t like what they have to say. When people feel your disapproval, they will filter themselves, hold back information, or shut down”. Remember you both had a life before your relationship and both of your financial decisions up until now will reveal that. If you are ready to get serious about your relationship you should also be ready to get serious about your finances if you haven’t done so already.

FIND OUT EACH OTHER’S SPENDING & SAVING STYLE

This makes sense on so many levels. This is not a situation where you are trying to figure out if he is a spender or a saver, but more so how he spends and how he saves. This may be an eye-opening revelation for you as well since most people do not generally look at money and relationships in those terms. Are you financially compatible? Does your super saver style clash with his overspending?

KNOW THINE SELF

In the midst of “The Talk” you may start to learn things about yourself that you didn’t know before. It is easier to see red flags in others than it is to see in ourselves. You may find areas of yourself and your financial situation that need to be cleaned up… not for him or a relationship, but for your own financial security. This is the time for you to take some responsibility for yourself, review your debts and assets, and come up with a personalized financial plan.

HELPS YOU PLAN FOR A SHARED FUTURE

Let me first say that a shared future does not necessarily imply marriage. A shared future looks like whatever you want it to look like as long as you two are in it together. Some couples will move in together and will have to decide who will pay what. Others may continue to live separately and your money talk for the future may include more social decisions. How often will we go to restaurants, movies, concerts, on vacations? Who will pay for what? Or for those who see wedding bells in their future, well you should get in the habit of having weekly money talks and a review of how finances coming in and going out are affecting the household dynamic. You don’t want to be the woman who hides shopping bags in the trunk of her car, but rather a woman who proudly shows off the goodies that she bought with financial confidence.

PREVENTIVE CARE FOR YOUR RELATIONSHIP

If I told you that you could reduce the chance of burning yourself using a curling wand while creating date night hair just by using the little black gloves that come with it, would you use them? How about if I showed you the hands of someone who burned themselves because they didn’t use a glove? Would you be more likely to use a glove then? Probably, even if it was just for a short time. Well, what if I told you that having the “money talk” and the subsequent follow-up talks with your significant other will reduce the chance of financial stress and lessen the risk of break up? How about if I followed up stories about real relationships that burned because of money issues? Would you have the talk, then? Think about it like this, taking these steps becomes preventive care for your relationship. Beyoncé said if you like it then you shoulda put a ring on it. I’m telling you if you like it then you should put the black gloves of your relationship on and have the talk! Save your relationship before it needs saving.

So you now have an idea of what you are getting yourself into… remember this is just the start and you should have several follow-up conversations. It may be uncomfortable at first, but it will be well worth the effort in the end. We were seriously dating the first time the Mr. and I discussed money in detail. It was slightly difficult to start the conversation because I didn’t want him to think that I was only after him for this money. I explained to him that I was needing reassurance that we were financially compatible and I wanted to introduce a sort of financial intimacy into our relationship. He was open to it and so was I. If you have never discussed personal finance with your partner, I encourage you to not let another day go by. If you are starting the conversation TODAY and don’t know how to start, check out this list of questions that I reference every time the Mr. and I have “the talk”.

Data Breach: What To Do If You Are a Victim of Identity Theft via Millennial Personal Finance Blog, She Makes Cents

Equifax Data Breach: How To Find Out If Your Personal Information Was Stolen

Published on September 8, 2017September 8, 2017 by Danielle YB VasonLeave a comment

Equifax, one of the three largest US consumer credit reporting agencies, announced this week that they were victims of a cyber-security data breach that will potentially affect 143 million U.S. consumers. The cyber hackers got access to names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses, and driver’s license numbers to nearly half of the U.S. population, with potential breaches also affecting consumers in Canada and the United Kingdom. Although the official statement from Equifax was released this week, the unauthorized access occurred from mid-May through July 2017. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Richard F. Smith maintains, “We pride ourselves on being a leader in managing and protecting data, and we are conducting a thorough review of our overall security operations. We also are focused on consumer protection and have developed a comprehensive portfolio of services to support all U.S. consumers, regardless of whether they were impacted by this incident.” Just because you are not a consumer of Equifax doesn’t mean that this breach won’t directly affect you. According to CNN, Equifax gets its data from credit card companies, banks, retailers, and lenders who report on the credit activity of individuals to credit reporting agencies, as well as by purchasing public records.

How Can You Find Out If You Were Affected By the Equifax Data Breach?

Equifax will send direct mail notices to consumers whose credit card numbers or dispute documents with personal identifying information were impacted. Additionally, Equifax has established a dedicated website, http://www.equifaxsecurity2017.com, to help consumers determine if their information has been potentially affected. As a consolation, Equifax is offering one year of credit file monitoring and identity theft protection, copies of Equifax credit reports, the ability to lock and unlock Equifax credit reports, identity theft insurance, and internet scanning for Social Security numbers for all U.S. consumers.

Equifax Data Breach: How Can You Find Out If You Were Affected By the Equifax Data Breach?

What You Should Do In the Event of Identity Theft

1. Review your financial accounts daily
2. Check your credit history at least twice a year
3. Immediately report any errors or disputes (click here to see how to get the process started)
4. Destroy all inactive and expired credit cards
5. Contact your bank and/or credit card company to set up fraud alerts
6. Change your passwords
7. File a formal report with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

Monday Motivation | Measure Your Progress Not Your To Do List

Published on August 28, 2017August 28, 2017 by Danielle YB Vason2 Comments

The other day I was thinking about all the things I still want to do this year and started to get a little overwhelmed. As someone who is always looking forward and setting new goals, it is easy to get lost in what is left on the rolling to do list. Raise your hand if you can relate. By spending energy constantly thinking about how much we still have to do, we lose focus on what we have done already. One of my personal goals at the beginning of the year was to celebrate my successes, big and small, which to be frank; I have not really kept up with.

So today, I am encouraging everyone, myself especially, to review how we measure success and progress. Instead of focusing on how much you have left to do on a goal or project, measure your progress by much you have done already. Success Magazine backs up this paradigm with research. According to an article by Mel Robbins, a motivational speaker and entrepreneur, “research proves that seeing your progress and how much you have completed will inspire you to keep pushing”. I will celebrate the fact that I hit my money milestone with my student loans and not on the fact that I have a way to go before I can eliminate my student loan debt altogether. Reaching that milestone was not easy so I have to take a moment and appreciate how far I have come on that path to financial freedom. In addition to keeping a rolling to do list, start a “did it” list that you can go back and refer to when you need a motivational push to keep going. As I said, it is easy to get overwhelmed and forget all the great things you have accomplished. Measuring your progress by what you have accomplished and keeping a rolling list of things that you have completed so far will help each action, big so small, feel more impactful.

How to Make Money from Cash Back Apps | Ibotta Hacks

Ibotta Review | How To Make Money with Cash Back Apps

Published on August 27, 2017September 9, 2017 by Danielle YB Vason3 Comments

I am always researching ways to save more money and I kept coming across this app called Ibotta. I would see it most on blogs where bloggers shared their income reports and I noticed that they were getting more money from cash back apps than they were with some of the sources of income associated with their respective blogs. I thought it was interesting, but I put it on the back burner… something to check out for another day. Well, that day came last month when I was researching ways to save more money on the category that I spend the most frequently- groceries. So what did I do? I decided to give it a try for a month and share my review with you. So sit back, grab your cell phone because you are going to need it and get ready to save.

This post may contain affiliate links at no cost to you. This keeps our lights on. See our disclosure policy for more info.

So What is Ibotta Anyway?

Ibotta is a free app that you can download on apple and android that pays you for everyday purchases. It collects rebates from grocers, retailers, and experience brands like Uber, Groupon, and Amazon and pays you according to the rebate terms. It’s all in one place so no need to spend time searching around for coupons and discount codes. Since downloading the app, I have a balance of $22.87 that can be redeemed via Paypal, Venmo, and gift cards. The first $10.00 came from the welcome bonus for signing up (get your $10.00 welcome link here). I was so excited about how easy it was that I even got hubby on board to try it out.

How Does Ibotta Work?

Before I go shopping, I check out the app and add rebates on the brands and items that usually make it onto my shopping list. I shop as I normally would and then scan my receipt(s) to redeem the cash, which usually shows up on my account after about 48 hours. After about 2 weeks of doing it this way, I found it easier to scan my items as I shop instead of after I have made my purchases. PRO TIP: Do not buy things that are not on your list just to get the cash back. You will not save or make money by doing it.

How Do You Join Ibotta?

1. Create an Ibotta account using this referral code. This will allow us to be teammates so we can earn bonus cash together.
2. Log in on a unique mobile device that has not been associated with another Ibotta account.
3. Redeem your first rebate. (Any Brand and Any Item rebates do not qualify for the referral bonus.)

Things You Should Know About The Cash Back App

To redeem the $10.00 welcome, you must download the app and use my promo code tahbinu. Once you claim your first rebate (any brand and any receipt offers excluded) you will get $10.00 added to your account.
You can start redeeming your money after you have $20.00 on your account (which is super easy to do).
The highest paying opportunities that I have seen come from beer, wine, and liquor sales. Think $3.00 – $5.00 per bottle. So, if you need to stock your bar, this is a good time to get paid to do so.
You can use Ibotta along with your store rewards cards.
Teams are utilized to complete teamwork bonuses, of which there is a new teamwork program each month. By working as a team, we can all earn more cash back together!!

Long gone are the days where you sit around and cut coupons to save money. Now are the days for cash back apps, digital coupons, and automatic promo codes that make the things we buy every day, more affordable. If you are not saving a little money on your everyday purchases, you are missing out. Last month, I was trying to think of ways to save some extra money in on groceries. This month, I have created a new habit of redeeming money by scanning my receipts. I’m not really the coupon cutting type but when technology makes things so darn easy, I’d be crazy not to use money saving apps like Ibotta.

5 Things Every Millennial Should Know About Life Insurance

Published on August 22, 2017July 30, 2018 by Danielle YB Vason9 Comments

A few weeks ago, a company called HealthIQ that celebrates health-conscious people with social and financial rewards, contacted me to create a quiz about millennials and life insurance. Yes, I can now add professional quiz writer to my resume! Since then, I have been reflecting on what happens to our loved ones financially when we pass on. This also came around the time a classmate of mine from high school passed away suddenly from a random heart complication leaving his fiancé and young daughter to pick up the pieces. One day you are living life and YOLOing and the next moment….well, you know how that goes. I am no longer in the headspace of thinking I am invincible, which means it is time for me to get a plan for my family in case the worst happens. Apparently, that means I’m growing up. While doing my research for my quiz, which you can take here, I realized there are several benefits to buying life insurance at an early age and right now millennials are in the best position to take advantage. While it is not a cheerful conversation to have, it is a necessary one and one that can protect those who depend on you and your income should the worst-case scenario happen. Since many millennials are delaying marriage and children, it is easy to say that there is no benefit of buying life insurance; however, that is not the case. Other dependents such as parents who co-signed a loan or business partners for the millennial entrepreneurs out there also depend on you and your income and will be left with a great financial burden of debt, your funeral expenses, and trouble covering living expenses if proper measures are not in place.

What Is Life Insurance?

If you ask my new insurance agent, he would tell you that life insurance is a “love policy”. I, however, prefer the explanation from Fidelity, which explains that, a life insurance policy as “a contract with an insurance company. In exchange for premium payments, the insurance company provides a lump-sum payment, known as a death benefit, to beneficiaries upon the insured’s death”. To bring it to terms that we can all understand, it is what GoFundMe has become when loved ones pass. I have to say this, but GoFundMe should not be your go-to plan to cover the funeral expenses of a loved one or to cover the financial burden that you may leave to your family.

Do Millennials Need Life Insurance?

Yes and yes. It will be easier to understand once you break things down into life stages. Millennials make up the awesome generation of people who are born between 1982-2002 which means that older millennials could be in the home buying, marriage, and kids stage while younger millennials are in the college life and first real job stage. So do all millennials need life insurance? The answer to that will depend on whom you ask. I believe everyone should have life insurance that at least covers one’s funeral expenses. Now in terms of a larger payout, known as a death benefit, I think that depends on who relies your income. To determine if you need life insurance, financial expert, Suze Orman, presents this question for you to ask yourself: “If I were to die today (or if my spouse/partner were to die today), will those I/we support be able to take care of themselves? If the answer is no, then you need life insurance”. Let’s be honest here, the subject of life insurance is morbid, boring, and a bit off-putting, but it is a necessary conversation that needs to be had by all.

5 Things Every Millennial Should Know About Life Insurance

If Your Parent Is a Cosigner On Your Student Loans. A few years back, I remembered hearing a story about a grieving father who was struggling to pay his dead son’s student loan debt. During the height of his grief and after paying for funeral expenses, debt collectors began to harass him regarding his son’s missed student loan payment. That was the first time I remember learning that your debts don’t always go away when you pass. I thought about that Dad and then I thought about my own. So what happens to your student loan debt if you pass away? If you have Federal student loans, your loans will be discharged and your family will not be responsible for your debt. Parents with Parent PLUS loan borrowers are also eligible loans to have their loans discharged in the event of the student’s death since it is also a Federal loan. To receive the discharge, the surviving cosigner must submit a copy of the death certificate to their loan provider. However, if you have private loans, your family may inherit your debt, which for the class of 2016 is an estimated $37,172 and growing. According to this article from CNBC, “Even if your spouse doesn’t co-sign for you, he or she can also be held liable for a private student loan if you borrow while married and you reside in a community property state”.
If You Are a Single Parent.
While millennials are delaying getting married, a recent poll from Gallup reveals that almost half of surveyed millennials age 34 have children although they have never been married. Because of their single status, many parents elect their minor children to receive the death benefit to financial protect their children if something were to happen. Making a minor a beneficiary will cause major problems since life insurance companies do not payouts to children under the age of 18 or their guardians. If you are a single parent, you should consider setting up a trust to benefit the child and naming that trust as the beneficiary. This way, you can avoid costly court fees and you can have things managed based on the directions you have left in your trust.
If You Have Life Insurance Through Your Employer.
Congratulations, you have a real job with real benefits! I am so proud of you. Now it is time to go through and fully understand the scope of your benefits package. Many employers offer life insurance as a part of their benefits package, but is that enough? Something else, I would like you to consider is how long you plan to stay with your current company. According to a Gallup report, 21% of millennials have changed jobs within the past year. Employee life insurance is provided as a group life plan and when you leave your job, you are no longer a member of the “group”. Your former employer is no longer obligated to pay the premium; therefore, your coverage is terminated unless you convert your policy to an individual plan, often at a higher rate. Your best bet is to get an individual term policy in addition to your employer-based policy so that you will be covered.
If You Think Life Insurance is a Financial Investment.
Life insurance is NOT a financial investment. Let me say that again. Life insurance is NOT a financial investment But what about cash value life insurance, you ask?
That’s not what your agent told you, is it? The good folks over at Investopedia define cash life insurance as “a type of life insurance policy that pays out upon the policyholder’s death, and also accumulates value during the policyholder’s lifetime”. Sounds good, right?
Well not so fast… The idea of investing is appealing… even sexy to most millennials (or is that just me?) but insurance as an investment is a terrible idea that yields a very low return. If you are looking to invest your money or save your money, there are much better options out there like mutual funds, Roth IRAs, stocks, and bonds. Suze Orman maintains, “Under no circumstances do you want ‘cash-value insurance’ no matter how fabulous the agent makes it sound”. My financial guru, Dave Ramsey, agrees. Ramsey argues, “It is a horrible product that makes insurance companies the most money, which means insurance salespeople get the best commission on this trash”. I am inclined to agree with them both. Insurance is insurance and your investments are investments. Does life insurance provide financial protection for your family? Yes. Is the “investment” component of a cash life policy, also referred to as whole life, universal life, and variable life, a good investment? Absolutely not. If you have this type of policy, you should cancel it and thank me later.
If You Don’t Know Where to Start.
Many people know the importance of life insurance but have not taken the plunge. For the millennials out there, you will never be as young as you are right now in this moment. Why not take advantage of the financial benefits of buying life insurance while you are young and in presumably good health. Millennials with a clean bill of health will find qualifying for coverage easier and more affordable, think less than $300.00 for the year for a $500,000 policy. So what type of policy do you recommend? Millennials looking to buy into a life insurance policy should consider a term insurance policy because the policy length can be tailored to your needs, it’s affordable, and you can lock in your rate while you are young. The maximum term for a life insurance policy is generally 30 years. Since premiums never get cheaper, millennials can get an upper hand on their finances by locking in a lower rate for the maximum term.

I recently read something from Dave Ramsey that completely changed how I think of all of this… adulting. “The death rate for human beings is 100 percent. You are going to dies someday! None of us know when that’s going to happen, but that doesn’t mean it should catch us totally unprepared”. Yes, you can still enjoy your youth while protecting your future. That’s why I have recently jumped on the life insurance bandwagon and you should too. Last week the Mr. and I met our agent in person to talk about our options and I encourage you to do the same. In fact, through a collaboration with Health IQ, I am now able to offer readers of She Makes Cents and exclusive discounted rate for life insurance (for more information, click here).

Do you have life insurance questions or want to tell me about your experience with life insurance, please comment below or leave me a message via Twitter or Facebook.