Alicia Nelson-Bell, HUD-Certified Housing Counselor
Empowering Financial Wellness Program Coordinator

Alicia Nelson-Bell
Empowering Financial Wellness Program Coordinator

Can you feel the dollars seeping out and the heat creeping into your home every summer as your air conditioner struggles to keep your home cool and comfortable? With rising costs of the basic necessities, you’re probably looking for ways to cut back on them, and to make it possible to leave money in your pocket so you can make progress towards your goals. A home energy audit is a great way to identify ways your family can make your living space more comfortable for you and your wallet. ​

Alicia Nelson-Bell, Empowering Financial Wellness Program Coordinator

Do you want a simple financial action step that thousands of people have taken that has brought them success? Who doesn’t? We’ve got one for you. 

If you’re like many Americans, saving money and reaching your savings goals while managing debt can be hard. Research from the American Psychological Association shows that only about 40% of the American population can cover a $400 expense without going into debt. Even worse, about one third of the population has $0 in savings. What can be done to help individuals be more successful at reaching their savings goals? Open multiple, named savings accounts. Experts say this simple strategy has brought many people greater success in reaching their financial goals. Let’s break down the benefits that multiple savings accounts can have: 

​February is already here. How are your New Year’s resolutions going? The resolutions that have the greatest impact are those that form useful habits that we no longer have to think about—they just happen.
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If you resolved to save money, most financial experts advise saving something and saving often. Having a savings goal is certainly a good thing, but the real celebration comes when saving becomes an automatic practice.
 
By setting up your savings with automatic contributions, your funds move into a dedicated place. This accomplishes your mission, and you now have a useful habit.
 
Apply this same useful habit to education savings by investing in my529, Utah’s official 529 educational savings plan. 529 funds can help pay for qualified education expenses like tuition, books, computers, and other supplies for traditional and technical colleges.  Savings can also be used for K-12 tuition expenses, apprenticeships and student loan repayments up to certain amounts.
 
Automating those contributions makes saving even easier.
 
It is simple to set up automatic contributions online through your my529 account. You remove the burden of remembering how often and how much to deposit into your education savings.
 
A recent Forbes article stated that more parents now plan and save for their children’s schooling. Many families, though, are still caught off guard by the high costs of postsecondary education. The sooner you can start saving and automate your contributions, the more opportunity your account has to grow.  
 
Your employer may be able to help you set up an automatic, after-tax contribution directly from your paycheck into your my529 account. Check with your employer to ensure they have the ability to offer multiple payroll direct deposits, and then enroll in this option through an online account at my529. 
 
When funds are contributed into my529 automatically, the money is less likely to be spent on other things and has more opportunity to grow. This is one resolution you can mark off your list early this year.
 
Click HERE to learn more about how to receive a $10 savings match during Utah Saves Week!

In case you haven't heard, it's Utah Saves Week! Also America Saves Week! 
America Saves Week has been an annual event since 2007. It is held the last week of February and focuses on helping people save money. Most people would like to put more money in savings, but it can be daunting to get started. The americasaves.org website is a great place to start. You can set savings goals and sign up for email and text reminders to help keep you on track. Consider these savings tips: