Imagine that you are 60, you have just retired, and you have lost your primary source of income. Although you have some savings, they are mostly in a savings account. Now, your child is looking forward to joining a college to get a master's degree while your daughter is just about to get married. You may use your savings to pay for such expenses, but it will leave you with an inadequate amount in case of a medical emergency. It is a good thing that you are below 30 and have a long time till retirement. However, there are expenses such as buying a car or a house you will need to incur after 30, along with saving for big expenses you must cover later.

Financial management is one of the most crucial things to help you have an adequate amount to cover every life expense. This blog will help you understand 10 things to know about money before you turn 30 so that you can have an adequate amount at every life stage.

• A financial plan is a comprehensive strategy for managing income, expenses, savings, and investments to achieve financial goals.
• It is important to save and invest the saved amount to multiply your wealth.
• There are numerous factors included in the process of money management that you should consider before turning 30.

Here are the ten things to know about money before turning 30 for ideal financial management:

1. Ways to manage money: You can ensure higher savings by developing skills that are in demand and can help you earn more. Earning more can help you save more, and invest the savings to earn more returns.
2. Power of compounding: The investments you make must provide compound interest to multiply the value and provide you with higher and quicker returns. Some examples are mutual funds, PPF, NPS, etc.
3. Savings accounts are inadequate: Savings accounts provide one of the lowest interest rates. Piling cash in savings accounts can reduce their value due to lower-than-inflation rate returns.
4. Effective investments: You should determine your financial goals, risk appetite, and time horizon to analyse and compare various investments. Investing in a host of instruments, such as stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, can help spread the risk and amplify returns.
5. Long-term vs short-term investing: The investments must target your long-term and short-term goals. Short-term investments can be in equities and FDs, while long-term investments can be in mutual funds and bonds.
6. Stock market investments: A portion of your saved amount should ideally go towards investing in stock market instruments with the highest allocation towards stocks as they have the potential to provide the highest returns. However, due diligence is crucial.
7. Mutual funds: Along with stock market investments, you should invest in ideal mutual fund schemes. Investing in MFs through SIP can help you build wealth over time due to compound interest.
8. Evaluating mutual funds: It is vital that you evaluate mutual fund schemes based on their risk profile, expense ratios, and asset allocation. Align the schemes with your personal goals to choose the most suitable ones.
9. Liquidity: A portion of your saved amount must be invested in highly liquid instruments. You can also keep some cash in your savings account as an emergency fund to use quickly at the time of an emergency.
10. FDs: Fixed deposits are ideal fixed-income instruments that can allow you to earn steady returns on the investment amount. You can consider investing Bajaj Finance Fixed Deposit. With a top-tier AAA rating from financial agencies like CRISIL and ICRA, they offer one of the highest returns, up to 7.95% p.a.

Here are some more points to consider

• Analyse various types of mutual funds before investing.
• Consider investing in corporate bonds.
• Review Exchange Traded Funds.
• Consider investing in Index Funds.
• Create a diversified portfolio.
• Consider investing in 80C tax-saving instruments.
• Contribute to Provident Fund.
• Consider investing in tax-free bonds.
• Equity Linked Savings Scheme (ELSS) can be ideal.
• The National Pension Scheme can be ideal for retirement savings.
• Don’t look at insurance as an investment.
• Understand and invest in ULIP plans.
• Consider investing in dividend stocks.
• Gold ETFs can be better than gold.
• Real estate can provide long-term returns.
• Ensure that you have an emergency fund.
• Loans can help get adequate funds.
• Keep reviewing your current financial state.
• Understand the age at which you can retire.

Understanding money management is one of the most important factors, and it is important to have an adequate amount to cover short-term and long-term expenses. Now that you know the top 10 things about money management before turning 30, you can ensure a secure financial future.