Evaluating your financial situation

When you’re trying to assess your financial situation, it can be tough to know exactly where you stand – or how you compare to others. To help you get a handle on how your situation stacks up, take a look at the financial questions listed below.

Do you have a low amount of debt relative to your income?

Make a list of the balance, interest rates, and monthly payments for each of your debts. Then, calculate your monthly debt-to-income ratio by dividing the amount you owe by the amount you make.

Do you have enough savings to cover an unexpected expense or emergency?

The rule of thumb is to have emergency savings to cover three to six months worth of expenses.

Are you on track with your retirement contributions?

To evaluate your financial success in this area, look at how much you’ve put into an employer 401(k) or pension, a personal IRA, a certificate of deposit, or any stocks and bonds you have designated for retirement.

Do you regularly contribute to your personal savings?

While emergency savings and retirement savings may address some of your immediate and future needs, it’s also important to have savings for other goals, such as buying a car or a house.

If your financial situation seems to be on track, you can keep that positive momentum going by building your wealth and investing for the future. If not, you may want to try building a better personal budget, so you can increase your savings or pay down any of the debt you have left. Others may consider credit counseling or debt management. You may also want to take steps to improve your credit score.