Stress is a constant in today’s world. Everyone has their own things that make them stressed. Things that keep you up at night worried. Am I going to keep my job? Am I a good parent? How am I going to finish this project in time? Did I hurt my friend’s feelings by making a bad joke? 

One of the biggest stressors in life can be traced back to money. Especially in a time of massive inflation, you probably are worried about your future. Can you afford to buy groceries? Will your next raise be large enough to cover higher bills? Can you ever buy a home? These questions and more might be making you feel very stressed.

While you can’t eliminate financial stress entirely, you can help reduce and control it. By making plans, taking action, and growing a safety net, you can be more confident in your financial future.
 

Make a Financial Plan
 

With so much uncertainty and fear of the future, it might feel like you are a victim to the waves of fate. But don’t be! Take a firm grip on your future by making a strong financial plan.

A good financial plan has three parts:

• Goals
• A budget
• Steps to take

Financial goals should be what you are wanting to accomplish in the near and far future. This can include: buying a car, buying a home, having a strong savings, growing your wealth and income, having enough to retire.

With a budget, you detail out your current financial situation. This includes how much money you have coming in monthly, how much you have going out for expenses, and how much you put into savings. This is important information for accomplishing your goals so you have a starting point.

With goals and a budget, you can can start making action steps to reach your goals. If you want to buy a car, look at your budget for ways to save money. Then, start saving that money and put it towards buying a car.
 

Remove or Automate Stressors
 

Do you dread paying bills? Does checking your bank account make you depressed? Is it hard to deposit your paycheck having to look at how much you make? 

All of these stressors and more can go away or be automated! It’s still important to do things like pay your bills or deposit your paycheck, but you can automate them. For example, put your bills on autopay. If you have bills that are the same every month, like your phone bill, just schedule it in your online banking to pay it automatically. Similarly, rather than having to check your account to see how much money you have, set up an alert to warn you if your account drops below a certain amount. myPioneer Online and Mobile Banking has several ways to automate tasks to keep them off your mind.

If you have a stressor that is out of your control and you can’t automate, just do your best to remove or ignore it. For example, if you want to buy a home but the interest rates aren’t agreeable, don’t keep checking everyday. Give yourself a break and make a plan to check again down the road.
 

Build Your Credit the Right Way
 

Credit scores can feel like a mystery if you don’t understand them. It doesn’t help that there is tons of incorrect or outdated advice for raising your credit as well. If you want to build your credit the right way and remove the fear about it, we can help.

First, get a Pioneer Credit Checkup. It’s a process where a Pioneer professional pulls your credit report and analyzes your situation. They’ll explain how a credit score is made, what contributes to it, and what might be hurting and helping your credit score.

Then, you can take steps to build your credit. A common early step is, if you don’t have one already, to open a credit card and use it responsibly. Pioneer’s Platinum VISA Credit Card is a great fit for this. Not only does it help build your credit having a credit card open, but when you use the card, you earn Rewards points you can redeem for gift cards and more!

Open a Pioneer Credit Card