Financial Action Plans: The Full Breakdown
Financial Fitness January 24, 2020, 8:38 AM EST
At a glance:
What is a financial action plan?
How to create a simple financial action plan
A sample financial action plan
Help for writing a financial action plan
Keep it simple
Practical ideas you can start with today
When you think of doing financial planning, do you picture yourself in an office, with a professional planner on the other side of the table, and hashing out a complicated set of documents with a lot of big numbers and goals that are hard to imagine you could ever achieve?
In truth, financial planning often does involve professionals, and it often does lead to a set of documents with big numbers and a list of goals.
But it need not be this involved. It can also be quite simple, as we will see.
What is a financial action plan?
A financial action plan is a plan that directs how you will manage your money in order to make progress toward your goals.
Simply knowing what you want will not get you there: you need a real plan to make it happen.
And it should be written down, with clear goals and actionable steps that can be measured in some way. When a plan is written with concrete, measurable steps, you can gauge whether or not it has succeeded.
Another benefit is that the concrete, actionable steps take the hunches and the guesswork out of your planning.
A financial action plan answers the age old question, what do you need to do to get where you need to go
It's all about your goals in life
At its core, financial planning simply means setting a number of goals and writing steps to achieve them with your money. You can start with just a few and make a living, breathing, flexible plan for yourself. Indeed, your plan can be as simple as writing down three to five goals and some steps for achieving them.
Professionally written financial plans typically encompass all areas of a person's life: debt management, investing, retirement planning, estate planning, financial forecasting, insurance, risk management, assets and liabilities and net worth, and a plan for periodic review.
Each item includes a set of steps for making it happen. Thus, it is not the same thing as a budget; it covers more than just how you will spend your money. Indeed, some personal financial plans are over 100 pages long. But every one is as individual as the person it is written for.
It's a starting point for bigger things
As you succeed at your own plan over time and refine and update it, you can expand it to include more complex goals, like a retirement plan and investments. For these, the services of a professional planner may be desirable.
How to create a simple financial action plan
No two financial action plans are the same. They differ based on how complex your needs are and how much of your life plans you want to cover. Traditionally, financial plans have a certain structure:
Setting goals and gathering financial data. This includes your income, insurance, any investments, your benefits at work, and of course, your life's goals.
Assessing your financial status. This is where calculations and financial statements come into play. For example, a net worth statement will add up your assets and subtract your liabilities to give you your financial status.
Developing the actual plan. This step is how your plan will be carried out. It will include recommended savings and investments and other means of generating wealth.
Carrying out the plan. Here, you will actually do the saving and investing; or a professional will do it for you.
Monitoring the plan. Your plan must be reviewed periodically to make sure it is on track. If necessary, it can (and usually will be) revised.
Though this may look intimidating, it's not a requirement. A financial action plan can be as simple as listing each goal and then listing a means of achieving each one:
Setting goals. Write down the things you want to achieve.
Developing the plan. Set a simple task list.
Carrying out the plan. Do the tasks and mark them as done when they are done.
Monitoring the plan. Set a reminder on a calendar or an app to see how you are doing.
To continue reading, please go to the original article here:
https://www.cashay.com/what-are-financial-action-plans-133816738.html
Tomorrow’s Election Changes Nothing About The National Debt
Notes From the Field By james Hickman (Simon Black/Sovereign Man) November 2, 2026
Johnny Moon was homeless and unemployed in the early 2000s. A high school dropout with a bad drug habit, Moon was hardly someone that banks would consider creditworthy.
And yet, over the course of a single year, he was able to borrow more than $600,000 to buy five different investment properties.
7 Surprising Benefits of Failure
By Kentin Waits WISEBREAD
Everyone loves a success story, and the world is filled with them. But what about stories of failure? Can't they be as just as educational? Just as inspirational? Equally insightful?
After all, a single big win is often built on several losses. It's a truth perfectly captured in the words of Japanese industrialist and automaker, Soichiro Honda, "Success is 99% failure."
Brazil’s Massive Crash Is A Sign Of Things To Come In The West
Notes From the Field By James Hickman (Simon Black / Sovereign Man) October 29, 2026
On Sunday night, Brazil re-elected its left-wing president, Lula da Silva. On Monday morning the São Paulo stock market fell so hard at the open that the exchange halted trading for the first time since the pandemic. When trading resumed, Brazil’s stock market kept falling.
6 Attitudes That Breed Financial Failure
By Kentin Waits WiseBread
Financial success or failure is often the result of attitudes — both conscious and unconscious — that affect our behavior. No amount of budgeting and self-control can help us when we’re up against ingrained ideas about money management, spending, and debt. If you’re having a tough time shifting your financial behavior, maybe it’s time to change your mind about money. Here are six common attitudes that work against us financially.
Plan B Options for folks on Social Security
Notes From the Field By James Hickman (Simon Black / Sovereign Man) October 27, 2026
In the early morning hours of February 7, 1937, a young American named Stirling Dickinson got off a train in central Mexico and rode into San Miguel de Allende on a mule-drawn cart.
He and a Princeton classmate were months into a trip around Mexico looking for a quiet place to write, and a Mexican opera singer had told them to try San Miguel.
A Condo in this Ghost City Gets You Ten Years Residency
Notes From the Field By James Hickman (Simon Black / Sovereign Man) October 22, 2026
On March 6, 2016, Malaysia’s prime minister, Najib Razak, turned up for the grand opening of a city that did not exist yet, two kilometers off the coast from Singapore.
It was called Forest City, and the plan was enormous. One of the largest property developers in the world came in to build four artificial islands in the strait and put a “smart, green” city of 700,000 people on them, at a cost of roughly $100 billion.
Avoid These 4 Common Mistakes When You Get Rich Overnight
September 4, 2025 by Laura Bogart GoBankingRates
You’re about to score a financial touchdown. Maybe you’ve crushed it at work and landed a sweet promotion. Perhaps you’ve won a lottery or stumbled into a side hustle that suddenly pays off. As you near the end zone, heart pounding, head full of dreams, you can’t afford (literally) to fumble. Whether you’re blindsided by unexpected taxes or tripped up by bad financial advice, you have a lot to lose if you drop the ball.
6 Common Excuses for Not Saving Money By Tara Struyk
Have you ever settled on a new exercise program, only to get a bad cold a few days in and happily throw yourself on the couch, relieved to have a handy excuse? Excuses must be human nature; I know I usually make them when I'm facing something that’s new, that's hard, or that I just don’t enjoy. And I’ve certainly made excuses when it comes to money.
In the years that I’ve been writing about personal finance and investing, I’ve also heard my fair share of excuses, mostly from readers who don’t agree with my advice. The problem is, unlike good financial habits, excuses are easy to come by, even though most of them just don’t stand up to reason. Check out some of the ones I’ve heard most frequently so far.
How To Make Strategic Cash Bucketing Work For You
Last Edited Sep 16, 2026| Angelena Mascilli
Cash bucketing – or categorizing your funds based on specific expenses or goals – can help you organize your financial life.
Cash and other liquid assets may be the ideal place for buckets of money that you may need to access soon to cover expenses or capitalize on new investment opportunities.
3 Savings Moves To Make Post-Fed Rate Hike
By Matt Richardson September 17, 2026 CBS News MoneyWatch: Managing Your Money
With interest rates rising again, savers will want to take certain steps now to take advantage.
Savers on Thursday woke up to a new financial climate marked by the first interest rate hike from the Federal Reserve in more than three years. Now at a range between 3.75% and 4.00%, a new, higher federal funds rate is expected to lead to even higher rates for savers than they've already been accustomed to in recent years. And while that change will look different based on the account type and the bank in question, savers are undoubtedly now entering a more profitable period, especially if the Fed proceeds with another interest rate hike when it meets again in October.
5 Steps To Master Your Money
Simple strategies to help fund your future.
Fidelity Viewpoints
Key takeaways
Define clear goals and make a plan to help guide your financial decisions.
Set up automatic transfers to help boost your savings and keep you on track.
Build up your emergency savings to cover unexpected essential expenses
Debt management: How To Avoid Common, But Costly, Money Mistakes
May 27, 2026 Malena de la Fuente and Aaron Goodman
Americans are carrying more debt than ever before. Total household balances now approach $19 trillion, reflecting a steady increase over the past decade.1 In 2025, millennials in their mid-30s held roughly twice as much nonhousing debt—including student loans, auto loans, and credit card debt—as baby boomers did at a similar age.2
9 Ways Retirement Will Be Different in 2026
By Cameron Huddleston and Deirdre Shesgreen, AARP
How changes to Social Security, Medicare, 401(k) contributions and more will affect your finances
Retirement may seem like the most stable period of your life, with no work demands, no kids to cart around and lots of free time. But this dynamic new chapter comes with its own twists and turns. Your lifestyle, expectations and finances continue to change. And in 2026, big shifts are coming — from Social Security payments and Medicare expenses to how you save and spend.
12 Key Habits for Achieving Financial Freedom
Set yourself on the path to saving with these habits
By Matt Danielsson Updated March 06, 2026
Key Takeaways
Set financial goals and create a plan to achieve them.
Make and stick to a budget covering all financial needs.
Pay off credit cards monthly and minimize debt.
Automate savings with an emergency fund and retirement contributions.
U.S. consumers can request a free annual credit report from major agencies.
The Seven Deadly Sins Of Personal Finance
By J.D. Roth —03 June 2019
I've been reading and writing about personal finance for more than thirteen years. In that time, I've consumed a lot of books about money. Lately, I've found that it's fun to revisit old favorites.
Recently, for instance, I've been re-reading Brett Wilder's The Quiet Millionaire [my review]. It's different than most personal finance books. It's targeted at those who are farther along their financial journeys rather than at those just starting out. Still, there are bits and pieces in The Quiet Millionaire that are applicable to everyone.
5 Reasons Not to Use Debit Cards When You Shop Online
By Holly Johnson.
Many consumers use their debit cards for everything they buy. Using debit instead of paying with a credit card can help you avoid the potential for debt. The money is taken out of your bank account directly and immediately, so there’s little chance to spend more than you have, unlike using a credit card.
5 Pieces of Financial Advice to Avoid at All Costs
Suze Orman on the commonly accepted money tips it pays to ignore.
By Suze Orman
Bad financial information doesn't come only from scammers; even our loved ones can unwittingly steer us wrong. That's why knowing what not to do with your money is often your biggest asset. In general, there are two little words that should set off everybody's suspicion meter: Trust me. Anyone who gives you this line—whether a financial adviser or your significant other—is disrespecting you.
Powerball Winner Wished He 'Tore Up Ticket' After $315m Jackpot Destroyed Him
Story by Liam McInerney
The world's largest lottery is launching in the UK this week - offering a fortunate British player the chance to become more than £300million ($400m) wealthier. Powerball, an American lottery game, awards massive jackpots that are distributed over a 30-year period.
Today (July 23) marks the inaugural UK draw with an estimated top prize exceeding £300m - the biggest jackpot ever made available in Britain. Allwyn, which operates the National Lottery, has opened the game to UK participants, who will be entering alongside American players.
No Such Thing as Enough Money
Jacob Schroeder Oct 27, 2021
How much money is enough?
It’s a philosophical money question that often arises out of discontent. We see someone of substantial means, like a celebrity, live a troubled life. Or, we ourselves experience great fortune yet feel unhappy.
It makes us wonder where the finish line is, the point when you can stop striving for more and settle into a life of satisfaction.
There’s a Different Way
Notes From the Field By James Hickman (Simon Black / Sovereign Man) November 6, 2026
A friend of mine got legal residency in New Zealand a couple of years ago as global tensions rose around wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. He was only half joking about why. His reasoning is that if WW3 breaks out and the nukes start flying, he would want to be in New Zealand.
But he’s not picking up his life, abandoning all caution, and permanently moving to a new country. He just has a plan, and the basics in place.