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karenpbrown12-blog · 7 years ago

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Why Financial Independence is Within Your Grasp - Even in Your 30s

Do you get totally irritated and depressed when you see articles about people who retired in their 30s?

Can't seem to scroll past them fast enough?

After all, your 30th birthday might be nothing more than a faint memory and the idea of retiring anytime soon is, well, a joke. If this sounds like you, stop beating yourself up. You are far from being alone in the financial abyss.

But why should you take my word for it? I'm glad you asked - I'm speaking from experience here, and I felt the exact same way just a few short years ago.

My husband and I are no strangers to financial missteps. We also didn't start pursuing financial independence until we were well into our 30s, which makes me someone who knows what I'm talking about.

In fact, we didn't even know there was such a movement until we stumbled upon one of those crazy FIRE/FIOR (Financial Independence Retire Early/Financial Independence Optional Retirement) articles.

Before finding our way to this offbeat, online community, my husband and I were pretty normal, meaning we were in debt and weren't making our finances a priority because, you know, financial independence and early retirement is not reality.

Our reality was enjoying our relative youth while continuing to chase a bigger house, better cars and elaborate vacations. And that's exactly what we were doing.

The last straw came when we nearly purchased a large home we couldn't comfortably afford. We'd signed on the dotted line and were under contract. And then, the panic attacks started. My husband and I were waking up in the middle of the night worrying about taking on such a huge debt.

I mean, my salary was steady and predictable, but my husband's was not. We were approved based on our income history, but what would happen if his work unexpectedly tailed off? Our income would do the same but the bills would remain sky high.

To say we were stressed about this is an understatement.

Our lucky day came when the home inspector came back with a shockingly bad report. There was mold - and lots of it. We took that golden opportunity to cancel our contract and commit to start making smart financial decisions.

We committed to stop being normal.

On that very day, I began frantically searching the internet for tips on how to take control of our money and build wealth. With a few clicks of the mouse, I found myself immersed in the concept of financial independence and early retirement.

With our new found knowledge and excitement, we embraced a frugal lifestyle, stayed in our small home, and maxed out our retirement accounts. And yes, we even cut the cable cord. Gasp!

Not surprisingly, the concept of FIRE/FIOR being attainable for normal people with normal salaries was completely fascinating. Almost immediately, we were hooked - and you can be too.

Let's do this!

How to Become Financially Independent After 30

If you're sitting there reading this with a retirement account that is pretty much non-existent, don't be alarmed when I say you can still retire decades ahead of schedule by pursuing financial independence.

By making smarter financial decisions and tweaking just a few areas of your life, you can put yourself on the path to financial independence, quite literally, overnight. By taking your money seriously, making a plan and sticking to it, you'll start to build wealth on auto-pilot.

Here are a few actionable tips:

Start a budget. You need to know how much you're making and spending.

Cut the fat. Stop paying for stuff you don't use or value. Can you cut the gym, cable, or make your own lunches for work?

Consider adjusting home, health and car insurances for better rates.

Build at least a small emergency fund of $1,000 – $2,000 before diving into debt repayment.

Make paying off debt (all debt) a priority. You'll never build wealth if you're paying significant interest on debt.

Track your net worth. This is quite possibly the single biggest motivator for building wealth. Whether you're paying down debt or investing, your net worth is going to go up. And when you see that, you'll be more likely to stick to your financial plan!

If your employer offers a matching contribution to a retirement account, max it out. This is free money. Don't leave it on the table. Increase retirement contributions each year when you get a raise until you're completely maxed out. The current maximum allowable contribution for 401(k) accounts is $18,500. This goes up every few years so make sure you adjust accordingly.

After you're at least getting the full employer match for your retirement account, consider contributing to an IRA or Roth IRA.

If you've taken care of all of the above, consider diversifying your investments into non-retirement accounts. This could mean purchasing stocks, bonds, real estate, etc.

Once you reach the end of this list, you'll be joining the exclusive ranks of the FIRE/FIOR community in no time.

So instead of crying over all of those pumpkin-spiced lattes and spring breaks in Miami, pull yourself together and act like the responsible 30-something (or 40-something) you are, and resolve to take control of your financial future today.

And with that, let's stand tall and consider a few of the benefits of pursuing financial independence after age 30.

You Messed Up - So What

Sayan_Moongklang/Getty Images

Now that you've lived a little, experienced some good times (and bad times, too), and can clearly envision what you want from your life, you have a much better understanding of what you need to do (and not do) to build wealth.

Having a few years on the books means you likely experienced some combination of poor money decisions relating to credit card debt, student loans, and car payments. And that's okay.

Fortunately, the best part about messing up is that experience is a great teacher.

I made almost every poor financial decision you can make. I took out unnecessary student loans and had a sports car and super expensive payment to go along with it.

I charged dinners out with the girls and new clothes to high-interest credit cards, and even borrowed money from my 401(k).

Yep, I'm pretty much a pro when it comes to doing everything wrong with money.

But you know what, I'm okay with all of it. Without my experiences, I wouldn't realize what it takes to do the right thing with money.

I found out pretty quickly that doing the right thing with money is way more rewarding. So if you're sitting there with a few poor decisions under your belt, don't worry, you can turn it around starting today.

The old adage of hindsight being 20/20 still holds true. Sure, having a degree from an expensive school is nice, but you now realize you might've landed in the same spot had you opted for the less expensive state school.

And of course you loved buying new clothes and taking fancy vacations years ago, but now you look at your retirement savings and understand the term, “missed opportunity.”

Yeah, you messed up. So what? Recognize your past but don't dwell on it.

Messing up in your 20s means you're less likely to mess up now. And that's a good thing, because now is when you're choosing to make your finances a priority.

The Big Picture

Now that you're a full-fledged adult, it's a great time to assess your current life situation, past choices, and your hopes and dreams for the future. No judgment, please.

You see, the best thing about being a bit older is you might actually know what you want out of life.

I know I sure didn't know what I wanted when I was a bright-eyed college grad in my 20s. But as time passed and I experienced more, both personally and professionally, the big picture became crystal clear.

For instance, if you prefer to work as a freelancer and live in an RV or van, you're not going to need to save as much money to reach financial independence as someone who wants to have four children and travel to Europe every summer.

So I'm going to go out on a limb and assume you also have a bit more clarity at this point in your life, too. Let's use that clarity to answer some key questions about your big picture.

Key questions to ask yourself:

Which career is more appealing? A stable job or freelancing?

Do you prefer being in a relationship or remaining single?

Are children a possibility? If so, do you want to stay at home to raise them?

Is extensive travel a priority, or do you like staying in one spot?

Are you interested in retiring as soon as you save enough money to meet the 4% rule, or do you want to build legacy wealth for future generations?

If you can answer at least some of these key questions with confidence, you'll be in a much better position to plan for your financial future and actually reach your goals.

Naturally, our lives are fluid and we all reserve the right to change our minds, but these questions present a good starting point.

The Incredible Benefits Of Pursuing FI After 30

AntonioGuillem/Getty Images

So with your answers in hand, let's check out the incredible benefits of pursuing financial independence after age 30.

You know what you want from your life - and how much money you need to achieve it

You have a better idea of whether you're pursuing FI with one income or two

Past mistakes have made you a better decision-maker

You have experienced debt and will do anything to avoid it

You want options because you know how it feels to not have them

Staying on-task is much easier with clear life goals

Obviously, there are plenty of other benefits of pursuing financial independence after age 30, but these sum up the major ones.

Our personal lives are just that, and our finances are complementary. Pretending one is independent from the other is just silly.

Contrary to popular belief, money is not the root of all evil - it is the root of all opportunity.

To name a few…

The opportunity to work or not work

The opportunity to move wherever you want to live

The opportunity to start a business

Whatever your dreams, money will provide you with the opportunity of pursuit.

Now that you understand the benefits of pursuing financial independence after age 30, don't be afraid to embrace your mistakes and chase the dream.

Oh, by the way, hoarding this incredibly powerful knowledge is just plain wrong. Pass it on!

Lisa is the founder and resident blogger at Mad Money Monster, a personal finance and lifestyle blog chronicling her family's journey from doing money all wrong to doing it all right. If you want to follow along, sign up here.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.

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lisarprahl · 7 years ago

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The Future of Recruiting: From Cookie Cutter to an Agile Mindset | An Interview with Dan Black, Global Recruiter for EY

In early February, I had the pleasure of witnessing Dan Black, Global Recruiting Leader at EY, present at the American Accounting Association's APLG conference. His presentation was titled: “The Future of Work” and helped shine further light on how the changing world around us is affecting recruiting and the accounting profession in positive and exciting ways.

I was extremely inspired by what he had to say and couldn’t wait to share this message with our audience. Dan graciously accepted my recent invitation for an interview to provide further insight on how the recruiting process is evolving to adapt to Generation Z, the positive embrace of new technology, and how firms are evolving the way they present their cultural and brand identities.

In your 20+ years of experience, what are some of the biggest ways that the recruiting process has changed?

The biggest thing that still surprises people who aren’t in the industry is how early on recruiting begins and what it actually involves. If you go back 20 years ago, which is when I essentially started my recruiting career, the process was simple and straightforward: submit a resume, go to an interview, and hope for the best. But over the course of all those years, recruiting has evolved to begin much earlier in the process.

Candidates are now much more aware of different career options, and interaction with employers or potential brands occur frequently on campus; therefore, all the things that are ancillary to the interview itself will happen much earlier. By the time a candidate gets to an interview, so much groundwork has already been laid.

That, for me, is still the biggest change and it’s also one of the things that some students grapple with because what they’re expecting and what they’ve been expertly coached on, is to go interview for a job during their senior year. But if they’re waiting until then to do so, in many cases they’ve already missed the boat. Today, recruiting is just so much more of an ecosystem than it used to be.

What do you think is the pivotal year where recruiting really gets started?

I think sophomore year is where it kicks off, particularly in our industry. When you’re a freshman, you should be exploring college and finding yourself and what you’re passionate about. During sophomore year is where awareness comes into play—you start to figure out what you think you want to do or at least which direction you may want to go. Junior year is where you begin to have preferences for industry and start to focus in on specific employers. And by the time you’re a senior, you’re solidifying some of those earlier assumptions and choices that you’ve made. So sophomore year is where the rubber really starts to hit the road.

What are some of the largest influences leading this drive of change?

Competition. Whether you’re a student or lateral hire in the market, competition is what’s driving change. In order to be at the forefront of a candidate’s mind, or to even have a chance to showcase what you have to offer as an employer, you have to do it earlier and earlier because there are so many ways that job seekers and students can get employer information--especially now through social media or the immediacy of information available online. If you wait too long, even if you’re an attractive employer, you could risk being left behind. This makes sense in so many different walks of life and industries. The formula is simple: the more exposure you have, the more you become a contender in the heavy competition for the very best talent.

Another influence of change not talked about enough is employment brand. It has a life of its own. Companies often have two identities: product brand and employment brand. Take Apple, for instance. Apple has its own product brand that revolves around innovation and putting the customer first. But they also consider their employment brand and what the value proposition for employees is. It’s important to establish both positively because they are interconnected. If you had a bad experience with a company’s product, then you might be less likely to apply for a position there.

Fully developing both brand identities takes time and can be both an advantage and a disadvantage for organizations in our profession because we don’t necessarily have the same brand recognition outside of accounting and maybe finance. But on the flip side, we do have the opportunity to really showcase what makes us a special place to work without having an established consumer or product brand to be concerned about. It just goes to show how important branding is, and what a large role it plays in recruitment practices.

How is EY’s recruiting process unique from other firms?

We are getting in front of people and spending more time talking about who we are and less about what we do. That’s information they can find out on their own and is readily available. So we want to make sure we focus on portraying what they can’t really find online or through their own research. Therefore, a very big part of our recruitment effort revolves around talking about our culture, what makes our people different, how we can contribute to the world around us, and how we make a difference. Tweet this

Something else that sets us apart is that we spend a lot of time customizing the recruiting experience in any way we can so that students learn more about what’s specifically important to them. In my opinion, that’s the very definition of successful recruiting: how much you can really speak to the student about the “why” for them, and not just about your organization in general.

Last but not least, I know that all firms invest a lot of time and effort into recruiting; they all do a world class job. But one thing we pride ourselves on is an investment that remains steady no matter what’s happening in the market. We believe that recruitment is an investment in the firm’s future, and we treat it accordingly.

What is EY doing to meet the demands of Generation Z?

Gen Z has many more expectations of what a good recruiting experience is. So we do things like video interviews, online chats, and virtual presentations to accommodate the agility/flexibility that surrounds their lifestyle even during the interview process.

We’ve also made a lot of changes based on those needs, —to address the “What’s in it for me?” What we’ve heard from this generation is access to other benefits, such as the same amount of parental leave for men as women; health benefits; and the capacity to have a good work/life balance. As a result, we have adjusted what we offer to better accommodate their changing needs.

How are those who have been in the firm for a while adjusting to meeting the needs of Gen Z?

There was a bit of a resistance at first, but only because we have enjoyed many years of success and recognition as a great company to work. So it was natural for some people to say, “If it isn’t broke, why fix it?” With that being said, meeting the needs of Gen Z was also a big educational process for all of us. Sometimes the media can portray generational differences as being negative and you have to fight an uphill battle against the misconceptions.

But in the end, you realize that there are great things they bring to the table. They’re tech natives, have great global connections and awareness, and the kind of changes they want are actually the ones that a lot of us would ask for today. Once you help your colleagues understand the differences but also similarities among the generations, it really helps the dialogue.

What are the implications for firms that don’t adapt to agile recruiting and remain “cookie cutter” in their recruitment processes?

The fact is they will lose out on the best candidates. In this industry, you have to adapt and address the needs of the individuals. You can’t do a one size fits all approach, because the truth is one size fits none. Tweet this If companies are not adapting, they’ll not only lose candidates, but also miss out on the opportunity to really define who they are in the market.

How do you think the recruiting process will change 10 or 20 years from now?

Definitely for the better. One big way I think it will change is the way companies are working with technology to help us get better at finding the best candidate with the right skills/competencies for the positions we’re looking to fill. There is already a lot of technology available now that’s helping the right people find the right job in a way that’s meaningful and unbiased, but it’s only going to get better from here. This change will benefit both the company and the candidate, saving valuable time and effort for both.

The one thing that will never change in my view is we’ll always need that human element in recruitment. Ask anyone why they came to EY, and 95% will say, “Because I talked with a specific person or group of people and I had a real connection with them.” No one ever says, “I came because you had great technology in your application process.”

Don’t get me wrong—technology enables you to get in front of the right candidates—that will always be part of the process and gives you a means to an end. The end being, “How can I have more of my people spending more time in deep, critical conversations with candidates?” If I can create more head space for my recruiters to engage in meaningful dialogue and relationship building, then I’ve done my job.

What’s your best piece of advice for students looking to get recruited by the Big 4 and become successful in their accounting careers?

Don’t get yourself overworked about exactly what you want to do and where you want to be. If you commit yourself to saying, “I want to be an associate in this practice, in this location, servicing these lines”, you’ll be doing yourself a disservice. Having an agile, open mindset, especially in your job search, is important. Be open to other possibilities and gear your academic experience toward them. Tweet this Take a philosophy or IT class; go on an overseas trip for a semester. That will expose you to potential options for the start of your career.

Also, in the end, think about what type of employer you want to work for. Ask yourself: Is this employer going to be supportive of me and my aspirations as I evolve? If the answer is yes, then it becomes much less critical what role you start in. It’s more important to find the right organization that will help you be successful no matter where your career takes you.

Charlotte Roberts has been dedicated to empowering the next generation of business leaders by providing a multifaceted perspective on the profession for the past 13 years. She is currently the Senior Vice President of eLearning at Roger CPA Review.

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