With Fourth of July around the corner, independence is on the mind. Many of us mistakenly believe that financial independence is simply being able to pay all of our bills, while maybe even socking away some extra money into a savings account. The truth is that there are seven stages of true financial independence. Four of them mark financial survival, and three involve thriving.
Survival Stage 1: Financial Dependence
We all start somewhere. Each of us has been dependent on someone at one point or another in our lives. Whether a young person is being supported by his or her family or an adult has fallen on hard times and relies on others, this stage is marked by the inability to pay your life expenses with the income you make on your own.
Survival – Stage 2: Financial Solvency
As we regain control over our finances, we enter into financial solvency. This means you are able to remain current on all of your bills without the help of others. To get here, you may have found full-time employment for the first time or perhaps you found a better paying position to support your lifestyle. Oftentimes, the transition from dependency to solvency involves cutting back on extravagances or perks. Regardless of how you got to this stage, it’s important to recognize the achievement you have made.
Survival – Stage 3: Financial Stability
Marked by the ability to save money each month, the second stage of financial independence involves building a base of savings that could support you in the event of an unexpected emergency or new life circumstance. Regardless of whether you call it a rainy day fund, buffer account, or simply savings, financial stability is an essential step in achieving financial independence.
Survival – Stage 4: Debt Freedom
A stage that deserves celebration, entering the fourth stage means you have paid off all your debts, including your cars, student loans, and mortgage. At this stage, money is no longer a safety net, but a tool that you can use to build the life you have always dreamed of. Now that you have reconciled all of your debt, you are moving into the financially thriving time of your life.
Thriving – Stage 5: Financial Security
When you began your financial journey in the Financial Dependence stage, your goal was to learn how to live within your means and pay off your debts. Now that you realized that achievement, your goals change. In the thriving stages, your income begins to detach from your lifestyle, meaning that your lifestyle can be supported by your investments instead of your paycheck. Once you are able to pay your basic expenses with your investment income, you have reached the Financial Security stage.
Thriving – Stage 6: Financial Independence
The goal for most people, Financial Independence means your basic needs and some comforts can be met by your investment income. Your lifestyle and paycheck are nearly completely detached at this point, and you could stop working altogether if you chose to. Congratulations! You have made it.
Thriving – Stage 7: Financial Abundance
Believe it or not, this is an actual financial stage, and it carries a relatively significant burden with it. Because your accumulated wealth surpasses your lifestyle needs, you now have to decide how to properly manage the surplus.
At every stage of the financial independence process, it’s important to have trusted advisors that can help you create a strategy for leaping into the next financial stage of your life. For answers to your questions, please contact us here.