Feb
27
2024
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Understanding Discretionary Expenses

By | Budgeting & Goals | Comments Off on Understanding Discretionary Expenses

When it comes to spending money, there are the needs in life, and then there are the wants. Of course, when it comes to essentials, you need to shell out for a roof over your head, food, healthcare, WiFi, and other essentials. But those enticing wants can open up a world of fun purchases, dining out, travel, and other discretionary expenses.

What is the definition of a discretionary expense? It’s a non-essential outlay of cash. Examples are any spending that is not required or that is driven by individual preference (say, a brand new fully loaded Bronco vs. a used minivan). They’re optional things that you can choose to spend money on or not. Think of upgrading to a new phone because the camera is cooler or deciding to head to the beach for a long weekend. Those are discretionary, for sure.

Digging into the difference between discretionary and essential spending can help you understand and optimize your spending and your budgeting.

Because discretionary expenses are unnecessary, they can be a good place to trim one’s budget and find more funds to use elsewhere. Read on to learn more about these costs and how to manage them.

Key Points

•   Discretionary expenses are non-essential costs that can be adjusted or eliminated to free up money for savings or other financial goals.

•   Examples of discretionary expenses include dining out, entertainment, vacations, and luxury items.

•   Differentiating between discretionary and non-discretionary expenses helps prioritize spending and make informed financial decisions.

•   Tracking discretionary expenses can reveal patterns and areas where adjustments can be made to save money.

•   Balancing discretionary spending with saving and investing is key to achieving financial stability and reaching long-term goals.

What Are Discretionary Expenses?

So, how can someone identify discretionary expenses? To do so, it can be helpful to take a step back and consider what a necessary expense is.

Needs are more or less mandatory or unavoidable. For example, housing expenses, like mortgage payments or rent, are things a person can’t do without.

Most workers have to pay federal and state taxes on their work income. People with outstanding debt are generally expected to make monthly payments. And, in everyday life, food (aka groceries) and fuel (aka gas or public transit) are typically must-haves.

Some of these necessary expenses will still be variable, changing every month. For example, an electricity bill may go up and down depending on how much time is spent at home and the season of the year.

However, the wants of life (or what some people may call the fun stuff) are those expenses paid from your discretionary income. They reflect the goods and services that may not be vital for survival but that people frequently spend money on.

Types of Discretionary Expenses

What are discretionary expenses exactly? Here’s a list of some common ones to consider.

•  Eating out: Your everyday meals are a necessity, but when you grab a pricey green juice to go, take a seat at the sushi bar, or join friends for drinks on a Friday, those are discretionary expenses.

•  Grooming services: Soap and shampoo may be musts, but massages, manis, facials, and the like are luxuries. Same goes for sending your furbaby to the doggie spa.

•  Entertainment: Concerts, movies, comedy shows, and plays can be wonderful experiences. Though you may argue that Taylor Swift or Beyonce tickets are necessary for survival, these are discretionary spending in truth.

•  Media: Books, streaming platforms, magazines, and the like are also discretionary expenses.

•  Subscription boxes: Do you have wonderful things turn up on your doorstep regularly as part of a subscription? Whether makeup samples or snacks of the world, these don’t count as needs but wants.

•  Gifts: Sure, you love treating your nearest and dearest, but splashing out on gifts is optional and therefore a “want,” not a need. Same for holiday trappings, like that high-priced chocolate pecan pie from your favorite bakery.

•  Travel: While the “I need a vacation” sentiment runs strong, taking a trip is considered a discretionary expense.

•  Clothing: Some clothing (such as items you wear to work) may be rightly considered needs, but when you buy cute shoes on sale just because, well, they are so cute, that is a “want.”

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Understanding Needs vs. Wants

Are you seeing a pattern here? Any expenses beyond core costs are considered discretionary; it’s a matter of needs vs wants. Typically, discretionary costs reflect wants. They aren’t needed for a person to function in day-to-day life. Rather, they have more to do with lifestyle.

Broadly, discretionary expenses could include vacations, entertainment, luxury items, eating out in restaurants, and electronic gadgets.

Exactly what constitutes a discretionary expense isn’t always cut and dry. As with any personal choice, there’s likely a significant element of subjectivity.

•  As mentioned above, while food is generally thought of as a necessary expense, some types of eating are actually discretionary. Eating at restaurants is avoidable and often more expensive than making food at home. Buying luxury ingredients at the grocery store (ahem, imported cheeses) can be more costly than sticking to pantry staples.

•  Similarly, clothing, in many instances, is a necessary expense. If a person lives in a cold climate, owning an insulated winter coat is a legitimate need. (Without one, the person could risk their health or well-being).

Still, there’s tons of variation in the price of winter coats. Choosing to buy a utilitarian coat often costs much less than buying a designer jacket.

Even within the categories of essential expenses, individuals can exercise their discretion to save money.

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Budgeting for Discretionary Expenses

Tracking discretionary expenses is key in case times get tough or a person wants to make a budget or tighten theirs up. When planning for future financial goals, like saving up for a mortgage down payment, finding places to pare back can add up.

Tracking discretionary expenses can help with making or paring back budgets.

One of the most important strategies for tracking discretionary spending is creating a household budget. Budgeting may help individuals to ensure there’s enough money to cover necessary expenses and bills. Once those needs are covered, it’s possible then to set the remaining money aside for discretionary spending.

Advantages of Budgeting for Expenses

Consider these reasons why budgeting for expenses can benefit you:

•  Avoid overspending: When you have a budget, you have guardrails. You know how much money you have coming in and how it’s allotted. You know that if you spend too much, you could wind up with high-interest credit card debt, which can be challenging to pay down.

•  Paying off debt: With a budget for your expenses, you can likely rein in spending and focus on putting dollars toward wiping out high-interest debt.

•  Saving for your future: If you follow a budget and don’t go overboard with discretionary spending, you can likely funnel funds toward important short- and long-term goals, such as buying a house or paying for your child’s college education.

Tallying Monthly Income and Earnings

To start building a monthly household budget, tally up total monthly income after taxes. Be sure to include all sources of income, such as:

•  Salary

•  Any money made from freelance or side gigs

•  Passive earnings, such as rental property income or dividends.

Understanding Regular Non-Discretionary Expenses

Next, a would-be budgeter might want to write down all necessary expenses and add up their associated costs. Some regular expenses could vary from month to month. So, it might be helpful to go back and look at costs incurred every month during the last year. This way, it’s easier to average the amounts that get spent on X, Y, and Z essential costs.

Whenever budgeting, it’s important to determine whether incoming money can cover both regular and surprise costs. Ideally, an individual would have enough money saved or in income to pay for all necessary expenses.

Setting Aside Funds for Later

On top of short-term expenses, some budgeters like to allot amounts each month either to savings or to a rainy day fund (you’ll learn more about the actual amount in a minute). With some money management accounts or retirement plans, users can directly deduct funds from a paycheck on payday.

Automating savings might cut the temptation to shop, as these funds are already transferred to another vault or account (and, hence, harder to spend).

If money isn’t being auto-saved, budgets can be updated to include savings under the discretionary fund category. Over time, as savings grow, squirreled away funds could go toward pursuing long-term financial goals, such as a home down payment, starting a kid’s college fund, or investing for retirement.

Tabulating a Discretionary Expense Budget

Once essential expenses have been budgeted for, a list of discretionary spending costs can be drafted. This can cover broad categories that might include trips, entertainment, savings, or eating out.

When either income drops or the cost of a necessary expense goes up, it can be necessary to update one’s budget accordingly. Making cuts to discretionary expenses may be one place to find more cash.

Budgeters could rank, for instance, their discretionary spending according to what’s least or most important. A food lover, for instance, might want to allot more to dining out than an avid skier.

With discretionary expenses prioritized and mapped out, it can be easier to tighten a budget, identifying easier-to-cut-back-on items.

Budgeting Strategies That Include Discretionary Expenses

There are a variety of different budgeting methods. And, some are particularly suited to tracking discretionary spending. Here’s a look at common budgeting strategies:

The 50/30/20 Rule

The 50/30/20 rule was popularized by Elizabeth Warren and Amelia Warren Tyagi in their book All Your Worth. The idea behind this strategy is that monthly income is divided proportionally between three categories:

•  50% goes to essentials, or needs

•  30% goes to discretionary spending, or wants

•  20% goes to savings.

This strategy prioritizes savings, removing it from the category of discretionary spending and making sure it’s part of every month’s budget. This budgeting strategy takes a broad view and can be good for people who are easily overwhelmed by tracking details.

Use the 50/30/20 calculator below to get a quick look at how your income falls into the three categories.


Line-item Budgeting

For those who love to dive into the nitty-gritty details of spending habits, line-item budgeting might be a better fit. Line-item budgeting can involve breaking out a spreadsheet, examining expenses in fine-toothed detail.

For example, rather than simply having a broad category for all groceries, a line-item budget could break down how much gets spent on buying meat, vegetables, dairy, bread, prepared foods, and coffee. Naturally, the more details that are tracked, the more information a budgeter has on exactly where their money is going.

Line-item budgeting can show the nitty-gritty of personal spending habits.

There may even be pockets of “essential” spending — for instance, the types of groceries being bought — that could be pared back. Rather than helping a person to allocate funds, a line-item budget focuses on tracking spending.

It can also help people to compare their spending habits over extended time periods, such as a month or a year.

Making comparisons in this way can help keep spending in line with previous months. Because line-item budgeting is a spending tracking system, it doesn’t necessarily help build toward goals, like savings or retirement. It’s not designed to cut costs.

Envelope Budgeting

Envelope budgeting can be a useful way to track discretionary spending for two reasons: 1) It’s tangible, and 2) it’s strict.

When using the envelope method, a person writes down their discretionary spending categories on individual paper envelopes. Next, they decide how much they’re willing to spend in each category.

To limit the urge to spend beyond the budget, only the allotted amount is placed as cash in each envelope. Afterwards, just the cash in that envelope is used to make purchases within that category of expenses. The idea is to train oneself to avoid using debt or credit cards, which can encourage impulse spending.

And here’s the rub: Once the cash within a given envelope has run out, it’s gone. You could borrow from another envelope if that has some available cash. But most envelope budgeters strive not to spend beyond the predetermined funds.

So, if the entertainment fund has run dry, then it’s Netflix at home instead of going out to the movie theater. And, if a person blows through their eating-out budget, it could be fun to do a refrigerator sweep. Often, a tasty meal can be whipped up with groceries that have already been purchased.

Though this budgeting approach may sound harsh, it can provide stricter guardrails that help individuals to spend within their means.

For some, adopting this “tougher” approach to budgeting can help reinforce tighter spending habits.

Zero-Based Budgeting

Zero-based budgeting is another way to track spending. The idea behind this budgeting strategy is that every dollar of income has a designated role and can be assigned as an expense. In this way, one’s income minus expenses equals zero.

Zero-based budgeting can take a little bit of extra work, since individuals would need to sit down at the start of each month to assign exact dollar amounts to necessary expenses, discretionary expenses, savings, and other costs.

With zero-based budgeting, the goal is to stick within the dollar amount assigned to each expense. Budgeters seek to stop spending in each category when the allotted dollar amount gets spent.

Still, it may not always be possible to avoid running over the anticipated budget. In those cases, the amount spent in excess of the budget could be subtracted from discretionary funds in the next month. Or perhaps the budgeter may want to allocate more funds in the future for discretionary categories.

💡 Quick Tip: If you’re faced with debt and wondering which kind to pay off first, it can be smart to prioritize high-interest debt first. For many people, this means their credit card debt, so try to eliminate that ASAP.

Tracking Discretionary Spending with a Budget

One part of adopting a budget is finding a tracking system that works for the long haul. So, when figuring how to track spending, it can be helpful to go with the approach that fits individuals’ financial goals and habits.

Online budget tracking tools are one way to help make sense of spending. There are plenty on the market, and your bank may well have tools for this purpose.

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FAQ

Is clothing a discretionary expense?

Clothing can be a discretionary expense if it’s not a necessity, such as a warm winter coat or basic clothes to wear to work. When you buy something just because you like it but don’t need it, that’s a discretionary expense.

What are discretionary expense examples?

Examples of discretionary expenses include travel, entertainment, and eating out.

What are examples of non-discretionary expenses?

Non-discretionary expenses are typically the needs or musts of basic life, such as housing and utilities, food, healthcare, transportation, and minimum debt payments.


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Feb
27
2024
All You Need to Know About a Negative Bank Balance

Negative Bank Balance: What Happens to Your Account?

By | Budgeting & Goals, Financial Independence, money | Comments Off on Negative Bank Balance: What Happens to Your Account?

Having a negative bank balance, or overdrafting your account, is a pretty common occurrence, but it can lead to costly fees and lack of access to your account.

A negative balance can start simply: You might forget to note a purchase you made with your debit card or an automatic payment you set up. Or maybe you had an emergency pop up that required you to spend more than usual…and more than the money you had in your checking account.

The resulting negative bank balance can have a serious impact, leading to overdraft fees, declined transactions, account closure, and credit impact. Read on to learn more on this topic, ways to avoid a negative bank account balance, and what to do if you wind up with one.

Key Points

•   Having a negative bank balance can result in costly fees, declined transactions, account closure, and credit impact.

•   A negative balance occurs when you make payments that exceed the funds in your account.

•   Overdraft protection can help cover the difference, but it comes with fees.

•   A negative bank balance can lead to overdraft fees, non-sufficient funds fees, account closure, and credit impact.

•   To avoid a negative bank balance, monitor your account, set up alerts, and consider linking accounts or using overdraft protection.

What Is a Negative Bank Account Balance?

Your account becomes negative when the balance goes below zero. It’s also called an overdraft. This occurs when you make payments that you don’t have enough money in the account to cover. If the bank accepts the payment, your account incurs a debt, making your balance negative.

To help you visualize this, here’s an example:

•   Imagine you have $500 in your account, and you write a check for $515, because you thought you had a balance of $600.

•   If the bank pays the $515, you end up with an account balance of minus $15. That’s the difference between how much money you had in the account and how much the bank paid the person that cashed your check. The bank did you a favor by making up the difference.

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What Makes a Bank Balance Negative?

Your balance goes negative when you have withdrawn more than you have in your account.

•   If you try to use your debit card, it will likely be declined, unless you have overdraft protection.

•   If you wrote a check, it will bounce, or be returned — unless you have overdraft protection.

•   With overdraft protection, the bank will typically pay the difference, and you will be charged a fee called an overdraft fee. Understand that you have to opt into overdraft coverage for ATM and debit-card transactions, but your bank may provide the coverage automatically on other transactions.

This kind of coverage means you can avoid the inconvenience and embarrassment of a check bouncing. However, the bank fees can add up. While overdraft fees vary by bank, you will usually pay about $35 a pop.

Here are a couple of the more common ways that a negative bank balance can occur.

Miscalculation/Mistakes

Overdrafts can happen easily with miscalculations and mistakes. These are the most basic errors — say, getting the math wrong on how much is in your account, or forgetting about an automatic dedication that hits and takes your balance down lower than you believed it to be.

Multiple Ways to Withdraw From an Account

With all that’s going on in your life, it’s possible you’re not exactly sure what checks you’ve written have been cashed and what incoming checks have cleared. You may unwittingly make a payment or ATM withdrawal thinking you’re good, but discover you’re certainly not. Or perhaps when you’re calculating in your head how much you have, you forget about the money taken out through one of your monthly automatic bill payments.

What Happens if Your Bank Account Remains Negative?

Here are some of the issues a negative bank account can trigger.

Overdraft Fee

An overdraft fee of about $35 may be assessed when you go into the negative balance territory. Or the bank could also decline the transaction and charge you a non-sufficient funds (or NSF) fee. This is sometimes called an insufficient funds fee, and it is typically the same amount as the bank’s overdraft fee. Also, the person who tried to cash a check that bounced may charge you a returned check fee.

Account Closure

What happens if you don’t pay an overdrawn account? If you don’t fix your negative balance by depositing money into your account, or if you overdraw your account so often the powers that be at the bank raise their eyebrows, your days as a bank customer may come to a close. They can opt to shutter the account, and it can be difficult to reopen a closed bank account.

Credit Impact and Debt Collection

If you have an ongoing negative bank account balance, the bank will likely notify a checking account reporting company (like ChexSystems) about your activity. They will keep the information in their records for up to seven years, which could make it difficult for you to open a new bank account with favorable terms.

Also, a bank that closed your account because you had so many overdrafts might sell your debt to a collection company, which could negatively impact your credit score.

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Differences Between Overdraft and Non-sufficient Funds

Here’s a little more detail on the distinction between an overdraft and non-sufficient funds fee:

•   An overdraft fee is what a bank or credit union charges you when they have to cover your transaction when you don’t have enough funds available in your account. It’s typically about $35.

•   When a financial institution returns a check or electronic transaction without paying it, they can charge a non-sufficient funds fee. It’s usually the same amount as the overdraft fee they charge. The difference is, with a non-sufficient funds fee, the bank is not covering the shortfall; they are essentially voiding the transaction.

What to Do With a Negative Bank Balance

Fortunately, a negative bank balance is not a problem without solutions. You can take steps to get back on track.

Check Your Recent Activity and Balance

Determine what went wrong and triggered the negative balance. Check your bank’s app (or go online) and also see what charges haven’t been paid or received. Do the math. This will give you an idea of where you stand and how soon you may be back in the positive zone for your balance.

Evaluate Upcoming Automatic Payments

Automating your finances can be a convenient tool, but if you are in overdraft, automatic payments could pop up and derail your efforts. Make sure to account for recurring payments when figuring out how to get your account out of a negative balance.

Deposit Money into the Account

Once you understand your situation, take action. Deposit enough money to ensure that you won’t overdraw again. Remember to include not only the money you need to bring your balance back into positive territory, but ideally put in enough to give yourself some cushion.

Request a Waived Fee

Your bank or credit union may have a sympathetic ear. Make a request to have your fee waived. They may be feeling generous, particularly if this is your first offense.

Pay the Fees

If you knock on the door of fee forgiveness and you get a no, pay what you owe. If you don’t, you’ll just make your situation worse, meaning the bank could close your account, turn the matter over to debt collection, or take legal action. While the bank may not close your account right away, taking action sooner rather than later is usually best.

Recommended: 10 Tips for Avoiding Overdraft Fees

Tips for Avoiding a Negative Bank Balance

There are ways to steer clear of a negative bank account balance. Try these tips:

•   Set up account alerts to let you know when your account balance reaches a certain number. If you know your account is getting low, you can take steps to avoid going into the negative balance zone.

•   Do balance your bank account regularly so you see how much you have on deposit and how your money is trending. Downloading your bank’s app can allow you to do this easily.

•   Consider setting alerts about when automatic deductions are being made. That way, you can monitor your bank account and its balance to make sure you can cover the debit.

•   Explore what overdraft protection your bank offers. It could be that you can link a savings account to your checking which can be tapped to cover overdrafts. It will likely cost you a fee for that transfer, but it’s likely not as steep as an overdraft fee.

Your bank might allow you to link a credit card (watch out for high interest rates here) to your checking account or to borrow from a line of credit. Know your options. While you don’t want overdrafts to be a regular occurrence, you do want to be protected in case they crop up.

The Takeaway

Having a negative bank balance can lead to pricey overdraft fees and could trigger additional financial issues if this situation occurs often or isn’t remedied. It’s wise to keep tabs on your money and use tools that a bank may offer to help you avoid a negative bank account balance or resolve it if it occurs.

Interested in opening an online bank account? When you sign up for a SoFi Checking and Savings account with direct deposit, you’ll get a competitive annual percentage yield (APY), pay zero account fees, and enjoy an array of rewards, such as access to the Allpoint Network of 55,000+ fee-free ATMs globally. Qualifying accounts can even access their paycheck up to two days early.


Better banking is here with SoFi, NerdWallet’s 2024 winner for Best Checking Account Overall.* Enjoy up to 4.00% APY on SoFi Checking and Savings.

FAQ

Can I still use my debit card if my account is negative?

Maybe, if you’re enrolled in your bank’s overdraft coverage. But even if you can, it’s unwise. You’ll likely incur a fee for each payment you make from a negative account.

How are non-sufficient funds different from an overdraft?

An overdraft fee is what a bank or credit union charges you when they have to cover a transaction that you made and didn’t have the money for in your account. In contrast, when a financial institution returns a check or electronic transaction without paying it, they can charge a nonsufficient funds (NSF) fee. Either way, the fee is typically $35 or so.

How do I avoid having a negative bank account?

Sign up for email alerts and texts for when your account reaches a certain low figure; monitor your bank account online; link your accounts to cover for one another; and consider signing up for overdraft protection.

Can you go to jail for a negative bank balance?

It is highly unlikely. Overdrawing your bank account is not a criminal offense.

How long can you have a negative bank balance?

Each bank has its own policy. While your bank account won’t be closed immediately if you have a negative bank balance, resolve the issue as soon as possible.

Photo credit: iStock/kupicoo

SoFi® Checking and Savings is offered through SoFi Bank, N.A. ©2024 SoFi Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.
The SoFi Bank Debit Mastercard® is issued by SoFi Bank, N.A., pursuant to license by Mastercard International Incorporated and can be used everywhere Mastercard is accepted. Mastercard is a registered trademark, and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated.

SoFi members with direct deposit activity can earn 4.00% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Direct Deposit means a recurring deposit of regular income to an account holder’s SoFi Checking or Savings account, including payroll, pension, or government benefit payments (e.g., Social Security), made by the account holder’s employer, payroll or benefits provider or government agency (“Direct Deposit”) via the Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) Network during a 30-day Evaluation Period (as defined below). Deposits that are not from an employer or government agency, including but not limited to check deposits, peer-to-peer transfers (e.g., transfers from PayPal, Venmo, etc.), merchant transactions (e.g., transactions from PayPal, Stripe, Square, etc.), and bank ACH funds transfers and wire transfers from external accounts, or are non-recurring in nature (e.g., IRS tax refunds), do not constitute Direct Deposit activity. There is no minimum Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the stated interest rate. SoFi members with direct deposit are eligible for other SoFi Plus benefits.

As an alternative to direct deposit, SoFi members with Qualifying Deposits can earn 4.00% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Qualifying Deposits means one or more deposits that, in the aggregate, are equal to or greater than $5,000 to an account holder’s SoFi Checking and Savings account (“Qualifying Deposits”) during a 30-day Evaluation Period (as defined below). Qualifying Deposits only include those deposits from the following eligible sources: (i) ACH transfers, (ii) inbound wire transfers, (iii) peer-to-peer transfers (i.e., external transfers from PayPal, Venmo, etc. and internal peer-to-peer transfers from a SoFi account belonging to another account holder), (iv) check deposits, (v) instant funding to your SoFi Bank Debit Card, (vi) push payments to your SoFi Bank Debit Card, and (vii) cash deposits. Qualifying Deposits do not include: (i) transfers between an account holder’s Checking account, Savings account, and/or Vaults; (ii) interest payments; (iii) bonuses issued by SoFi Bank or its affiliates; or (iv) credits, reversals, and refunds from SoFi Bank, N.A. (“SoFi Bank”) or from a merchant. SoFi members with Qualifying Deposits are not eligible for other SoFi Plus benefits.

SoFi Bank shall, in its sole discretion, assess each account holder’s Direct Deposit activity and Qualifying Deposits throughout each 30-Day Evaluation Period to determine the applicability of rates and may request additional documentation for verification of eligibility. The 30-Day Evaluation Period refers to the “Start Date” and “End Date” set forth on the APY Details page of your account, which comprises a period of 30 calendar days (the “30-Day Evaluation Period”). You can access the APY Details page at any time by logging into your SoFi account on the SoFi mobile app or SoFi website and selecting either (i) Banking > Savings > Current APY or (ii) Banking > Checking > Current APY. Upon receiving a Direct Deposit or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits to your account, you will begin earning 4.00% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% on checking balances on or before the following calendar day. You will continue to earn these APYs for (i) the remainder of the current 30-Day Evaluation Period and through the end of the subsequent 30-Day Evaluation Period and (ii) any following 30-day Evaluation Periods during which SoFi Bank determines you to have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits without interruption.

SoFi Bank reserves the right to grant a grace period to account holders following a change in Direct Deposit activity or Qualifying Deposits activity before adjusting rates. If SoFi Bank grants you a grace period, the dates for such grace period will be reflected on the APY Details page of your account. If SoFi Bank determines that you did not have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits during the current 30-day Evaluation Period and, if applicable, the grace period, then you will begin earning the rates earned by account holders without either Direct Deposit or Qualifying Deposits until you have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits in a subsequent 30-Day Evaluation Period. For the avoidance of doubt, an account holder with both Direct Deposit activity and Qualifying Deposits will earn the rates earned by account holders with Direct Deposit.

Members without either Direct Deposit activity or Qualifying Deposits, as determined by SoFi Bank, during a 30-Day Evaluation Period and, if applicable, the grace period, will earn 1.20% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances.

Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 12/3/24. There is no minimum balance requirement. Additional information can be found at https://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet.

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

Third-Party Brand Mentions: No brands, products, or companies mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third-party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.

Disclaimer: Many factors affect your credit scores and the interest rates you may receive. SoFi is not a Credit Repair Organization as defined under federal or state law, including the Credit Repair Organizations Act. SoFi does not provide “credit repair” services or advice or assistance regarding “rebuilding” or “improving” your credit record, credit history, or credit rating. For details, see the FTC’s website .

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27
2024
hands holding cash

How to Stop Spending Money: 7 Strategies to Curb Spending

By | Budgeting & Goals, Financial Independence, money | Comments Off on How to Stop Spending Money: 7 Strategies to Curb Spending

If you feel that, despite your best intentions, your hard-earned money gets frittered away, you may need to curb your spending.

Sure, shopping is part of life, but there are many reasons why it’s easy to overdo it: the convenience of tapping and swiping. All the tempting, bright, and shiny things seen on social media. A boring afternoon that becomes less tedious when you browse for a new laptop.

Spending too much and too often can have consequences. The average American currently has almost $8,000 in high-interest credit card debt, and some of that could be due to overspending.

Fortunately, there are effective ways to tackle this issue and take better control of your money. Read on to learn more about what can cause you to overspend plus tactics that can help you better control your spending.

Key Points

•   To stop spending money, individuals should identify their spending triggers and understand the emotions behind their spending habits.

•   Creating a budget and tracking expenses helps individuals gain awareness of where their money is going.

•   Practicing delayed gratification by waiting before making non-essential purchases can curb spending.

•   Finding alternative activities or hobbies that bring joy without requiring excessive spending is beneficial.

•   Seeking support from friends, family, or professionals can help individuals stay accountable and make positive changes to their spending habits.

7 Ways to Curb Your Spending Problem

If you find yourself being a bit too freewheeling with your spending, recognizing the issue is step one (good job!). Then, it’s time to try some tactics to help you cut back.

1. Mapping Out a Budget

Without a budget, you can spend money mindlessly, without thinking much about it. Mapping out your spending patterns and essential expenses by creating a household budget can help you see where your dollars go and figure out where to cut back. In short, it can teach you how to be better with money.

•  To create a budget, check your income and then track your current spending patterns. Review your monthly bank statements or receipts from recent purchases. You can also use a free tool to track your spending, which makes the process even easier.

•  Identify essential expenses vs. non-essential ones. Necessary spending includes such items as housing, groceries, utilities, healthcare costs, and transportation.

Non-essential costs are things like eating out, leisure travel, and entertainment. You may be surprised to see how small daily purchases — such as eating out for lunch every work day — can add up to a lot of money spent over the course of each month.

•  Once you figure out how much you tend to spend in each expense category, it may be easier to identify places where you could cut back and reduce excessive spending. A monthly budget can allot specific amounts of money for vital expenditures, savings, investing for retirement, and fun activities, too. There are an array of different budget methods. It can be wise to try a couple until you find one that works best for you.

Recommended: Input your monthly income to find out how much to spend on essentials, desires, and savings with our 50/30/20 Calculator.

2. Calculating Hourly Earnings

A night out may not seem like a huge splurge in the moment — especially when compared to your total earnings for the month. But, that same expense can quickly appear more significant when you tabulate how many hours of work are needed to pay for it.

To try this approach, figure out your hourly pay: Divide your after-tax pay by the number of hours worked. If you get paid twice a month and work a 40-hour week, divide your total earnings by 80 (two weeks times 40 hours). Then use that insight:

•  For instance, a birthday dinner and drinks with friends that costs $200 would translate to eight hours of work if you earn $25 per hour.

Whether that spend feels worth it is a personal decision. However, many people find that determining how much you earn per hour may provide incentive to stop spending. Or it might nudge you to consider carefully before you spend to make sure the expense feels worth it.

Recommended: 15 Creative Ways to Save Money

3. Understanding What Triggers Spending

Whether it’s the gourmet food section at the grocery store, the Instagram influencer with the covetable closet of clothes, or that friend who drops big bucks on concert tickets, for all of us, the urge to spend can be triggered by emotions and outside influences.

Even something as seemingly innocuous as the physical shopping environment — think about in-store displays, prominent markdown messaging, and subtler cues like store layout — can trigger people to want to spend. When figuring out how to stop spending money, it can be key to understand which emotional or psychological cues make you take out your wallet.

There are a couple ways that understanding your spending triggers may help. For starters, you might plan ahead to avoid scenarios that make you more prone to spend. And, when the urge to shell out cash strikes, evaluate whether the purchase is really necessary or if it mainly feels good in the moment. These tactics can help you manage your money and feel in control.

💡 Quick Tip: Want to save more, spend smarter? Let your bank manage the basics. It’s surprisingly easy, and secure, when you open an online bank account.

4. Shopping with a Plan

Of course you can’t always avoid spending triggers. We all have to shop sometimes. Still, it may be easier to avoid the temptation to overspend by creating a shopping list and sticking to it. That’s one way to spend wisely.

For example, going grocery shopping may be easiest to do right after work. But that time of day may also coincide with when you’re ravenous. Hungry shoppers, research shows, tend to buy more non-essential items.

Creating a set list of items to pick up can help you focus on what you really need — rather than buying out of want.

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5. Finding It Cheaper

Of course, there are times when you’ll choose to spend money on specific purchases. Comparison shopping may help you cut back on expenses. You may be able to find the item cheaper elsewhere. Or, you might find a similar brand for less.

It’s also a good idea to keep an eye out for discounted pricing. Holding off on a bigger purchase until it goes on sale (say, at holiday time) may lead to additional savings.

Need some other ideas for managing your money better this way? Consider these:

•  Try couponing and discount codes. There are many sites that can help, such as Coupons.com and Retailmenot.com.

•  Join a warehouse club. These stores can be cheaper than your local supermarket. Are the quantities too big for your household? Share them with friends and split the cost.

•  Shop where you get rewards that lower your costs. Loyalty can pay off.

6. The 30 Day Rule

Want another idea for how to quit spending money? Before you buy something, take some time to think it over, rather than giving in to impulse spending.

Studies show that activities that provide instant gratification, such as impulse shopping, activate feel-good chemicals in the brain. But, if that purchase comes at the expense of your long-term goal to save, buying now could set you up for guilt after spending later on.

If you see an item of significant expense that triggers a “gotta have it” feeling, put a note in your calendar for 30 days later. Write down the item, the price, and where you saw it.

When that date rolls around, if you still feel you must have the object of your affection, you can decide to get it. But there’s a very good chance that your sense of urgently needing it will have passed.

7. A No-Spend Challenge

You can gamify your spending to help you save. Try a no-spend challenge; you may want to have a friend or family member join you to make it more fun and help you stay accountable.

In a no-spend challenge, you typically pick a period of time during which you will only buy essentials. One popular option is a No-Spend September. Or you might declare that you won’t buy any fancy coffees for a week and put the money saved towards debt. Then, the next month, you could not buy any personal care items that are luxuries (a pricey new lipstick just because it’s pretty) rather than necessities (yes, it’s okay to buy toothpaste when you run out!).

5 Factors That Contribute to Your Spending Problem

Now that you understand some ways to stop spending money, it can also be helpful to understand and avoid some of the things that can lead you towards doling out too much cash.

1. Social Media

Social media can be fun and exciting. It introduces you to new people, new ideas, new products and services, and, consequently, new ways to spend money. As you scroll, you are likely to be exposed to dozens of influencers and offers that can encourage you to buy things you never previously knew about or wanted.

One way to fight back? It may be helpful not to link your credit card to your social media accounts to minimize the possibility of overspending.

2. Emails and Text Messages

Here’s another way your digital life can contribute to overspending: If you get emails or text messages heralding new products, sales, and other offers, it can trigger you to buy.

For example, if your favorite home design retailer sends you a message saying their most popular throw pillows are almost sold out, that may get you to buy. Or if you get emails from a favorite athletic brand saying they are holding a “buy one, get one” sale, you might decide to go ahead and shop so you can get that free garment…even though you actually don’t need anything. Unsubscribing from these marketing messages can be a budget-wise move.

3. Retail Therapy

Many of us shop as a pick-me-up. If you’re having a bad day at work, had a fight with your significant other, or are stressed about almost anything, hitting some stores can be a welcome distraction. However, this can also lead you to buy things that you neither need nor craved before you set foot inside the shop.

Recognizing what triggers retail therapy can help you short-circuit this habit. Or you can try the tactic of leaving your credit cards at home when you go browsing at boutiques.

4. FOMO

FOMO stands for “fear of missing out,” and it can drive a lot of impulse purchases. If your friend says you must try a pricey new restaurant in your neighborhood or your coworker suggests a life-changing hairstylist, you might feel as if, yes, you must spend money on these things. It can make you feel as if you are part of the in-crowd or “keeping up with the Joneses.”

Understanding this FOMO spending dynamic can be a major step towards stopping this kind of overspending.

5. Lifestyle Creep

Lifestyle creep occurs when, as you earn more, you spend more. Many people think that getting, say, a 10% raise is license to go spend 10% more. However, this can just keep your finances at a baseline level rather than helping you build wealth and reach longer-term goals.

As your income climbs, it can be wiser to raise your contributions to your retirement fund or your debt payments rather than heading to the mall to celebrate.

Budgeting With a SoFi Savings Account

Naturally, it’s not possible to stop spending money altogether. But adopting a few smart habits, such as budgeting, understanding your spending triggers, and shopping with a list, could help you take control of your money and spend less.

The right banking partner can help with budgeting, tracking your spending, and putting your money to work for you.

Interested in opening an online bank account? When you sign up for a SoFi Checking and Savings account with direct deposit, you’ll get a competitive annual percentage yield (APY), pay zero account fees, and enjoy an array of rewards, such as access to the Allpoint Network of 55,000+ fee-free ATMs globally. Qualifying accounts can even access their paycheck up to two days early.


Better banking is here with SoFi, NerdWallet’s 2024 winner for Best Checking Account Overall.* Enjoy up to 4.00% APY on SoFi Checking and Savings.

FAQ

What is it called when you can’t stop spending money?

There are various terms used to describe the issue of spending too much, such as compulsive shopping, impulsive shopping, shopping addiction, and pathological buying.

How do you stop spending so much money?

There are many tactics you can use to stop spending so much money, such as budgeting wisely, understanding your spending triggers, sleeping on it or waiting 30 days, and only shopping when you have a plan.

Is overspending a mental disorder?

Sometimes called money dysmorphia or money disorder, overspending may be considered a psychological disorder. It involves a person being preoccupied with money, spending it, and financial status. It can trigger feelings of anxiety and inadequacy. In addition, compulsive shopping can be considered a form of obsessive-compulsive or impulse-control disorder.

How much is too much spending?

There is no set amount that equals too much spending. Rather, it occurs when spending negatively impacts your financial and personal life. If you can’t stick to a budget, are burdened by debt, or find that your preoccupation with shopping interferes with your work or relationships, then your spending could be excessive.

How do you stop the cycle of overspending?

You can stop the cycle of overspending in a variety of ways, including creating and sticking to a budget, planning your purchases (whether a big-ticket item or just weekly groceries), using cash, and going on a spending freeze.

What is the root cause of overspending?

Overspending has various causes. It could be due to boredom, lifestyle creep, FOMO (fear of missing out), and wanting to reward oneself or boost one’s mood, among other reasons.

Why are you always overspending?

People can overspend for an array of reasons, such as not having a budget that works, wanting to treat themselves, and trying to keep up with social media influencers or with friends and coworkers. These habits can be broken with a bit of self-knowledge and focus.

SoFi® Checking and Savings is offered through SoFi Bank, N.A. ©2024 SoFi Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.
The SoFi Bank Debit Mastercard® is issued by SoFi Bank, N.A., pursuant to license by Mastercard International Incorporated and can be used everywhere Mastercard is accepted. Mastercard is a registered trademark, and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated.

SoFi members with direct deposit activity can earn 4.00% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Direct Deposit means a recurring deposit of regular income to an account holder’s SoFi Checking or Savings account, including payroll, pension, or government benefit payments (e.g., Social Security), made by the account holder’s employer, payroll or benefits provider or government agency (“Direct Deposit”) via the Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) Network during a 30-day Evaluation Period (as defined below). Deposits that are not from an employer or government agency, including but not limited to check deposits, peer-to-peer transfers (e.g., transfers from PayPal, Venmo, etc.), merchant transactions (e.g., transactions from PayPal, Stripe, Square, etc.), and bank ACH funds transfers and wire transfers from external accounts, or are non-recurring in nature (e.g., IRS tax refunds), do not constitute Direct Deposit activity. There is no minimum Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the stated interest rate. SoFi members with direct deposit are eligible for other SoFi Plus benefits.

As an alternative to direct deposit, SoFi members with Qualifying Deposits can earn 4.00% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Qualifying Deposits means one or more deposits that, in the aggregate, are equal to or greater than $5,000 to an account holder’s SoFi Checking and Savings account (“Qualifying Deposits”) during a 30-day Evaluation Period (as defined below). Qualifying Deposits only include those deposits from the following eligible sources: (i) ACH transfers, (ii) inbound wire transfers, (iii) peer-to-peer transfers (i.e., external transfers from PayPal, Venmo, etc. and internal peer-to-peer transfers from a SoFi account belonging to another account holder), (iv) check deposits, (v) instant funding to your SoFi Bank Debit Card, (vi) push payments to your SoFi Bank Debit Card, and (vii) cash deposits. Qualifying Deposits do not include: (i) transfers between an account holder’s Checking account, Savings account, and/or Vaults; (ii) interest payments; (iii) bonuses issued by SoFi Bank or its affiliates; or (iv) credits, reversals, and refunds from SoFi Bank, N.A. (“SoFi Bank”) or from a merchant. SoFi members with Qualifying Deposits are not eligible for other SoFi Plus benefits.

SoFi Bank shall, in its sole discretion, assess each account holder’s Direct Deposit activity and Qualifying Deposits throughout each 30-Day Evaluation Period to determine the applicability of rates and may request additional documentation for verification of eligibility. The 30-Day Evaluation Period refers to the “Start Date” and “End Date” set forth on the APY Details page of your account, which comprises a period of 30 calendar days (the “30-Day Evaluation Period”). You can access the APY Details page at any time by logging into your SoFi account on the SoFi mobile app or SoFi website and selecting either (i) Banking > Savings > Current APY or (ii) Banking > Checking > Current APY. Upon receiving a Direct Deposit or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits to your account, you will begin earning 4.00% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% on checking balances on or before the following calendar day. You will continue to earn these APYs for (i) the remainder of the current 30-Day Evaluation Period and through the end of the subsequent 30-Day Evaluation Period and (ii) any following 30-day Evaluation Periods during which SoFi Bank determines you to have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits without interruption.

SoFi Bank reserves the right to grant a grace period to account holders following a change in Direct Deposit activity or Qualifying Deposits activity before adjusting rates. If SoFi Bank grants you a grace period, the dates for such grace period will be reflected on the APY Details page of your account. If SoFi Bank determines that you did not have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits during the current 30-day Evaluation Period and, if applicable, the grace period, then you will begin earning the rates earned by account holders without either Direct Deposit or Qualifying Deposits until you have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits in a subsequent 30-Day Evaluation Period. For the avoidance of doubt, an account holder with both Direct Deposit activity and Qualifying Deposits will earn the rates earned by account holders with Direct Deposit.

Members without either Direct Deposit activity or Qualifying Deposits, as determined by SoFi Bank, during a 30-Day Evaluation Period and, if applicable, the grace period, will earn 1.20% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances.

Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 12/3/24. There is no minimum balance requirement. Additional information can be found at https://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet.

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

Third-Party Brand Mentions: No brands, products, or companies mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third-party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.

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2024
What Is Compliance Testing for 401k?

What Is Compliance Testing for 401(k)?

By | Growing Wealth, invest, Investing, Preparing for Retirement | Comments Off on What Is Compliance Testing for 401(k)?

To maintain the tax-advantages of a 401(k) or 403(b) retirement plan, employers must follow the rules established by the Employment Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) of 1974, including nondiscrimination testing.

401(k) compliance testing ensures that companies administer their 401(k) plans in a fair and equal manner that benefits all employees, rather than just executives and owners. In other words, a 401(k) plan can’t favor one group of employees over another.

Companies must test their plans yearly and address any compliance flaws surfaced by the tests. Often a third-party plan administrator or recordkeeper helps plan sponsors carry out the tests.

Understanding nondiscrimination tests for retirement plans is important both as an employer and as an employee.

401(k) Compliance Testing Explained

Compliance testing is a process that determines whether a company is fairly administering its 401(k) plan under ERISA rules. ERISA mandates nondiscrimination testing for retirement plans to demonstrate that they don’t favor highly compensated employees or key employees, such as company owners. 401(k) compliance testing is the responsibility of the company that offers the plan.

How 401(k) Compliance Testing Works

Companies apply three different compliance tests to the plan each year. These tests look at how much income employees defer into the plan, how much the employer 401(k) match adds up to, and what percentage of assets in the plan belong to key employees and highly compensated employees versus what belongs to non-highly compensated employees.

There are three nondiscrimination testing standards employers must apply to qualified retirement plans.

•   The Actual Deferral Percentage (ADP) Test: Analyzes how much income employees defer into the plan

•   The Actual Contribution Percentage (ACP): Analyzes employers contributions to the plan on behalf of employees

•   Top-Heavy Test: Anayzes how participation by key employees compares to participation by other employees

The Actual Deferral Percentage (ADP) Test

The Actual Deferral Percentage (ADP) test counts elective deferrals of highly compensated employees and non-highly compensated employees. This includes both pre-tax and Roth deferrals but not catch-up contributions made to the plan. This 401(k) compliance testing measures engagement in the plan based on how much of their salary each group defers into it on a yearly basis.

To run the test, employers average the deferral percentages of both highly compensated employees and non-highly compensated employees to determine the ADP for each group. Then the employer divides each plan participant’s elective deferrals by their compensation to get their Actual Deferral Ratio (ADR). The average ADR for all eligible employees of each group represents the ADP for that group.

A company passes the Actual Deferral Percentage test if the ADP for the eligible highly compensated employees doesn’t exceed the greater of:

•   125% of the ADP for the group of non-highly compensated employees

OR

•   The lesser of 200% of the ADP for the group of non-highly compensated employees or the ADP for those employees plus 2%

The Actual Contribution Percentage (ACP) Test

Plans that make matching contributions to their employees’ 401(k) must also administer the Actual Contribution Percentage (ACP) test. Companies calculate this the same way as the ADP test but they substitute each participant’s matching and after-tax contributions for elective deferrals when doing the math.

This test reveals how much the employer contributes to each participant’s plan as a percentage, based on their W-2 income. Companies pass the Actual Contribution Percentage test if the ACP for the eligible highly compensated employees doesn’t exceed the greater of:

•   125% of the ACP for the group of non-highly compensated employees

OR

•   The lesser of 200% of the ACP for the group of non-highly compensated employees or the ACP for those employees plus 2%

Companies may run both the ADP and ACP tests using prior year or current-year contributions.

Top-Heavy Test

The Top-Heavy test targets key employees within an organization who contribute to qualified retirement plans. The IRS defines a key employee as any current, former or deceased employee who at any time during the plan year was:

•   An officer making over $215,000 for 2023 and over $220,000 for 2024

•   A 5% owner of the business OR

•   An employee owning more than 1% of the business and making over $150,000 for the plan year

Anyone who doesn’t fit these standards is a non-key employee. Top-heavy ensures that lower-paid employees receive a minimum benefit if the plan is too top-heavy.

Under IRS rules, a plan is top heavy if on the last day of the prior plan year the total value of plan accounts for key employees is more than 60% of the total value of plan assets. If the plan is top heavy the employer must contribute up to 3% of compensation for all non-key employees still employed on the last day of the plan year. This is designed to bring plan assets back into a fair balance.

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1Terms and conditions apply. Roll over a minimum of $20K to receive the 1% match offer. Matches on contributions are made up to the annual limits.

Why 401(k) Compliance Testing Is Necessary

401(k) compliance testing ensures that investing for retirement is as fair as possible for all participants in the plan, and that the plan continues to receive favorable tax treatment from the IRS. The compliance testing rules prevent employers from favoring highly compensated employees or key employees over non-highly compensated employees and non-key employees.

If a company fails a 401(k) compliance test, then they have to remedy that under IRS rules or risk the plan losing its tax-advantaged status. This is a strong incentive to fix any issues with non-compliant plans as it can cost employers valuable tax benefits.

Nondiscrimination testing can help employers determine participation across different groups of their workers. It can also shed light on what employees are deferring each year, in accordance with annual 401k plan contribution limits.

Highly Compensated Employees

The IRS defines highly compensated employees for the purposes of ADP and ACP nondiscrimination tests. Someone is a highly compensated employee if they:

•   Owned more than 5% of the interest in the business at any time during the year or the preceding year, regardless of how much compensation they earned or received,

OR

•   Received compensation from the business of more than $150,000 in 2023 and $155,000 in 2024 or $135,000 (if the preceding is 2022) and was in the top 20% of employees when ranked by compensation

If an employee doesn’t meet at least one of these conditions, they’re considered non-highly compensated. This distinction is important when compliance testing 401(k) plans, as the categorization into can impact ADP and ACP testing outcomes.

Non-Highly Compensated Employees

Non-highly compensated employees are any employees who don’t meet the compensation or ownership tests, as established by the IRS for designated highly compensated employees. So in other words, a non-highly compensated employee would own less than 5% of the interest in the company or have compensation below the guidelines outlined above.

Again, it’s important to understand who is a non-highly compensated employee when applying nondiscrimination tests. Employers who misidentify their employees run the risk of falling out of 401(k) compliance. Likewise, as an employee, it’s important to understand which category you fall into and how that might affect the amount you’re able to contribute and/or receive in matching contributions each year.

💡 Quick Tip: Before opening an investment account, know your investment objectives, time horizon, and risk tolerance. These fundamentals will help keep your strategy on track and with the aim of meeting your goals.

How to Fix a Non-Compliant 401(k)

The IRS offers solutions for employers who determine that their 401(k) is not compliant, based on the results of the ADP, ACP or Top-Heavy tests. When a plan fails the ADP or ACP test, the IRS recommends the following:

•   Refunding contributions made by highly compensated employees in order to bring average contribution rates in alignment with testing standards

•   Making qualified nonelective contributions on behalf of non-highly compensated employees in order to bring their average contributions up in order to pass test

Employers can also choose to do a combination of both to pass both the ADP and ACP tests. In the case of the Top-Heavy test, the employer must make qualified nonelective contributions of up to 3% of compensation for non-highly compensated employees.

Companies can also avoid future noncompliance issues by opting to make safe harbor contributions. Safe harbor plans do not have to conduct ADP and ACP testing, and they can also be exempt from the Top-Heavy test if they’re not profit sharing plans. Under safe harbor rules, employers can do one of the following:

•   Match each eligible employee’s contribution on a dollar-for-dollar basis up to 3% of the employee’s compensation and 50 cents on the dollar for contributions that exceed 3% but not 5% of their compensation.

•   Make a nonelective contribution equal to 3% of compensation to each eligible employee’s account.

Safe harbor rules can relieve some of the burden of yearly 401(k) testing while offering tax benefits to both employers and employees.

The Takeaway

A 401(k) is a key way for employees to help save for retirement and reach their retirement goals. It’s important for employers to conduct IRS-mandated 401(k) compliance testing in order to ensure that their 401(k) plans are administered in a fair and equal manner that benefits all employees.

If you don’t have a 401(k) at work, however, or you’re hoping to supplement your 401(k) savings, you may want to consider opening an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) to help save for retirement. Since IRAs are not employer-sponsored, they’re not subject to 401(k) compliance testing, though they do have to follow IRS rules regarding annual contribution limits and distributions.

Ready to invest for your retirement? It’s easy to get started when you open a traditional or Roth IRA with SoFi. SoFi doesn’t charge commissions, but other fees apply (full fee disclosure here).

Easily manage your retirement savings with a SoFi IRA.

FAQ

What is top-heavy testing for 401(k)?

Top-heavy testing for 401(k) plans determine what percentage of plan assets are held by key employees versus non-key employees. If an employer’s plan fails the top-heavy test, they must make qualified, nonelective contributions on behalf of non-key employees in order to bring the plan into compliance.

What happens if you fail 401(k) testing?

If an employer-sponsored plan fails 401(k) compliance testing, the IRS requires the plan to make adjustments in order to become compliant. This can involve refunding contributions made by highly-compensated employees, making qualified nonelective contributions on behalf of non-highly compensated employees or a combination of the two.

What is a highly compensated employee for 401(k) purposes?

The IRS defines a highly compensated employee using two tests based on compensation and company ownership. An employee is highly compensated if they have a 5% or more ownership interest in the business or their income exceeds a specific limit for the year. Income limits are set by the IRS and updated periodically.

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Neither the Investment Advisor Representatives of SoFi Wealth, nor the Registered Representatives of SoFi Securities are compensated for the sale of any product or service sold through any SoFi Invest platform.

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

Tax Information: This article provides general background information only and is not intended to serve as legal or tax advice or as a substitute for legal counsel. You should consult your own attorney and/or tax advisor if you have a question requiring legal or tax advice.

Third-Party Brand Mentions: No brands, products, or companies mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third-party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.

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Feb
27
2024

8 Ways to Make Your Money Work For You

By | Budgeting & Goals, Growing Wealth, money | Comments Off on 8 Ways to Make Your Money Work For You

If you want your money to grow more quickly and to feel confident that you’ll reach your financial goals, you’re in the right place. This guide will show you how to make your money work harder for you. There are smart ways to maximize every single dollar you earn. Yes, it will take some planning and focus, but it can have very real rewards.

A few tactics to make the most of your money involve leaning into your personal finances and recognizing the importance of financial literacy. Once you’re committed to doing that, you can take such steps and budgeting well, maximizing interest and rewards on your cash, spending smarter, and automating your savings.

Key Points

•   Effective budgeting is crucial for understanding your spending habits and making the most of your money.

•   Paying off debt should be a priority to free up funds and make your money work for you.

•   Opening a high-yield savings account can help you save money for short-term goals and earn more through higher interest rates.

•   Considering passive income streams, such as rental properties or investments, can provide additional income and financial stability.

•   Investing as part of your financial plan can help grow your wealth over the long term, but it comes with risks and requires careful consideration.

Making Your Money Work For you

These tips and ideas can help you put your money to work.

1. Learning How to Budget

An effective budget can help you make the most of your money, allowing you to understand where you are spending, so that you can feel empowered to save, and spend, on things that are most important to you. With the right tools on your side, you can learn how to make your money work for you.

These budgeting tips can help you get started:

Layout Your Finances

An effective budget is an accurate budget. If you are starting your budget from scratch, some recommendations suggest reviewing three months’ worth of receipts, bills, etc., before moving forward. This will give you insight into your current spending habits. Then, split those expenditures into needs and wants.

A budgeting tip: The information for making your budget should be accessible. Depending on your preferences that may be a physical copy, a spreadsheet, or using an app that can help you stay on top of your budget and expenses. SoFi, a money-tracking app, lets you see all of your accounts in one central location so that you can easily see where the money is coming, where it’s going, and where you can shift things around.

Figure Out Your Net Income

After you know how much you’ve been spending, you want to compare it to how much you earn. When making a budget, it can help to work with your take-home pay. This is the total income you earn from your job, after taking out all the required taxes, savings, and insurance payments from it. Those who are self-employed may work with different deductions than those who work a regular 9-to-5. In that case, subtract your self-employment tax (the sum of Social Security and Medicare taxes).

Using your after-tax pay can help you determine an accurate total for how much money you actually have available to spend. If you have any other income earners in your household, do factor in their income as well. Also include any investments or additional sources of income.

Plan Your Budget

Now comes the moment of truth. You have to create a step-by-step plan and put it into action. One method you may want to think about is the 50/20/30 budget. This budgeting method breaks your spending and savings into the following amounts: 50% for your needs, 30% for wants, and 20% for savings. If they need adjusting, shift the numbers to suit your plan.

Tracking multiple categories may not work for you, though. If you have trouble logging expenses in hyper-specific categories, simplify them. Overwhelming yourself will only make it harder for you to stay on target.

Review and Adjust

No matter how perfect the plan, things change. You might switch jobs, have a child, move somewhere else, or gain new needs. That’s why your budget can be flexible. When things change, change your budget to reflect those new priorities. If you have trouble fixing the plan, you may need to revisit some of the previous planning stages. Your budget and money should work for you, after all.

💡 Quick Tip: An online bank account with SoFi can help your money earn more — up to 4.00% APY, with no minimum balance required.

2. Getting Out of Debt

More than anything, getting out of debt means finding ways to make your money work for you. Whether it’s more robust savings tactics or new repayments strategies, there are options. So if you want to take the burden of debt off of your shoulders, here are some methods to try out.

It’s easy to say you need to pay off a debt. But it’s another thing actually to have the money for it. So before you cut down your expenses, you may need to save up first. A high-yield savings account is an available option that can help you build wealth to meet your financial goals.

Selecting a Debt Repayment Strategy

What do you think of when you hear the words “snowflake,” “snowball,” and “avalanche”? Perhaps you picture snow-capped mountains or blustery winter sports. But they’re the names for some of the most popular debt repayment strategies. While these strategies encourage individuals to make additional payments on some of their debts, making the minimum payments on all debt is important.

•  The snowflake method encourages individuals to put any extra cash earned toward debt repayment. Any time there’s excess to play with, you put it towards your debt. Since that helps you pay over your monthly minimum, you’ll eventually finish off the debt. You can earn additional money in any way that works for you. For example, some people start low-cost side hustles in their free time, or you can try selling items you don’t want anymore.

•  With the snowball strategy, you pay off your debts from smallest to largest, when evaluating the total amount owed. During this, you still make minimum payments on all your other debts. While it’s motivating to see some of your financial troubles disappear, this may not work for you. The snowball method ignores interest rates, which gives a chance for other debts to grow.

•  The avalanche method works on the debts with the highest interest rates first.

Unsecured debts, like credit card balances and personal loans, often come with unfavorable interest terms. Leaving them alone allows your debt to grow exponentially when you’re not looking. Focusing on debts with the highest interest rate first could help you escape debt quickly and potentially spend less in interest overall.

3. Opening a High-Yield Savings Account

A high-yield savings account is an available option that can help you build wealth to meet your financial goals. High-yield savings accounts work similarly to traditional savings accounts. However, they have a greater annual percentage yield (APY), which indicates how much money you can earn in interest. While you still have to pay income taxes on that interest, these accounts are a great way to save money for significant, short-term expenses.

Another critical feature high-yield savings accounts have is their limited accessibility. You can’t make withdrawals as frequently as you do with a checking account. In addition, they come with monthly limits on deposits and withdrawals. So, you won’t be as tempted to touch the funds.

Get up to $300 when you bank with SoFi.

No account or overdraft fees. No minimum balance.

Up to 4.00% APY on savings balances.

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4. Considering Passive Income Streams

America’s workforce is changing with the times. As the cost of living rises, many people want to find ways to increase their income. Many are turning to passive income to combat these financial hurdles, which may be the solution to your debt.

Essentially, passive income is money that you earn without active involvement, outside of what you earn as a regular wage and salary. Instead, you put something you own to work, such as a rental property. Other examples of passive income include dividends from stock investments, royalties, and product sales.

So, you still might put in some effort getting started, but not as much as your full-time job. Side hustles are one of the best ways to pad that income. You can put the extra cash flow directly towards your debt and interest, weekly necessities, or your savings.

5. Considering Investing as a Part of Your Financial Plan

Analyzing your situation and finding an acceptable amount of money to invest can help long-term. Investing can be an important part of a well-rounded financial portfolio for long-term goals such as retirement.

Investing has the potential for a higher return on investment vs. a savings account, but the reward isn’t guaranteed. Unlike cash-based interest accounts, your portfolio balance will fluctuate with the market and isn’t covered by, say, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insurance.

Because of the risk associated with putting money into the market, some people may be hesitant to jump in, especially if they don’t fully understand how investing works. Getting a headstart on saving and investing can help you get prepared for retirement.

6. Automating Bill Pay or Automatic Savings

To avoid missing bill payments, consider an automatic payment system. Alternatively known as “autopay,” this technology automatically withdraws funds from your bank account or credit card. Then it transfers to the necessary vendor. Once you set it up, you don’t have to deal with the pressure of juggling repayments. Instead, you just have to make sure there are enough funds in your account for the withdrawal.

Paying bills on time history makes up about 35% of your overall FICO® score, so enrolling in autopay could potentially have the added benefit of building your credit score.

It’s also possible to automate contributions to retirement accounts or savings accounts. This could help keep you on track for your savings goals. It allows you to pay yourself first, and getting money siphoned out of your checking account right around payday can help you steer clear of spending it.

💡 Quick Tip: Bank fees eat away at your hard-earned money. To protect your cash, open a checking account with no fees online — and earn up to 0.50% APY, too.

7. Ditching the Fees

Fees charged by financial institutions can add up. Here are a few to consider avoiding:

Bank Fees

The list can include account maintenance fees, returned deposits, foreign transactions, account minimum fees, replacing a lost or stolen card, ATM fees, making too many savings withdrawals, writing too many checks, closing an account, not using an account enough, speaking with a human, paying late, or even paying off a loan too early.

In fact, American households spent $133 billion in credit card interest and fees in the most recent year studied. That’s your money flying away…Ouch.

ATM Fees

At an average of $4.73 a pop, out–of-network ATM fees can add up quickly. One way to avoid paying ATM fees is to always make sure that you’re using one of your bank’s designated ATMs. However, if you’re on the road or your bank only has a few networked ATMs, that can be a challenge.

Just like bank fees, however, more and more financial institutions are offering fee-free ATM usage as part of their perks. Especially if you use an online checking account, this can add up to hundreds of dollars in savings.

Investment Fees

Paying a traditional financial advisor a percentage of your account balance to manage, monitor, and optimize your portfolio could be worth the expense, but it might not be an option that is available to everyone.

Financial advising is still a confidence-booster for the majority of investors who use it. But when advisors charge a typical fee of 1% a year based on your portfolio balance, your total return can be significantly impacted.

Fortunately, a growing number of competitors are offering the same types of advising service with little or no fees — and no humans. Robo-advisors are becoming more popular because they use algorithms to optimize portfolios, thus eliminating the overhead of live employees.

Still other products offer the best of both worlds, with human advisors willing to help at the cost of an automated system.

8. Getting Rewarded for Spending

You also can find several ways to get rewarded for spending, such as retailer loyalty programs, coupons, or rebate apps. Cashback or reward credit cards can also be an effective way to save at your favorite store, provided you pay your statement balance in full every time it comes due.

The Takeaway

Things like effective budgeting, opening a high-yield bank account, paying off debt, establishing a passive income stream, and investing can help you make the most of your money.

Everyone’s financial situation is different, and what works for one person may not work for another. A bit of experimenting can be helpful, as can finding the right banking partner.

Interested in opening an online bank account? When you sign up for a SoFi Checking and Savings account with direct deposit, you’ll get a competitive annual percentage yield (APY), pay zero account fees, and enjoy an array of rewards, such as access to the Allpoint Network of 55,000+ fee-free ATMs globally. Qualifying accounts can even access their paycheck up to two days early.


Better banking is here with SoFi, NerdWallet’s 2024 winner for Best Checking Account Overall.* Enjoy up to 4.00% APY on SoFi Checking and Savings.

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SoFi members with direct deposit activity can earn 4.00% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Direct Deposit means a recurring deposit of regular income to an account holder’s SoFi Checking or Savings account, including payroll, pension, or government benefit payments (e.g., Social Security), made by the account holder’s employer, payroll or benefits provider or government agency (“Direct Deposit”) via the Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) Network during a 30-day Evaluation Period (as defined below). Deposits that are not from an employer or government agency, including but not limited to check deposits, peer-to-peer transfers (e.g., transfers from PayPal, Venmo, etc.), merchant transactions (e.g., transactions from PayPal, Stripe, Square, etc.), and bank ACH funds transfers and wire transfers from external accounts, or are non-recurring in nature (e.g., IRS tax refunds), do not constitute Direct Deposit activity. There is no minimum Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the stated interest rate. SoFi members with direct deposit are eligible for other SoFi Plus benefits.

As an alternative to direct deposit, SoFi members with Qualifying Deposits can earn 4.00% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Qualifying Deposits means one or more deposits that, in the aggregate, are equal to or greater than $5,000 to an account holder’s SoFi Checking and Savings account (“Qualifying Deposits”) during a 30-day Evaluation Period (as defined below). Qualifying Deposits only include those deposits from the following eligible sources: (i) ACH transfers, (ii) inbound wire transfers, (iii) peer-to-peer transfers (i.e., external transfers from PayPal, Venmo, etc. and internal peer-to-peer transfers from a SoFi account belonging to another account holder), (iv) check deposits, (v) instant funding to your SoFi Bank Debit Card, (vi) push payments to your SoFi Bank Debit Card, and (vii) cash deposits. Qualifying Deposits do not include: (i) transfers between an account holder’s Checking account, Savings account, and/or Vaults; (ii) interest payments; (iii) bonuses issued by SoFi Bank or its affiliates; or (iv) credits, reversals, and refunds from SoFi Bank, N.A. (“SoFi Bank”) or from a merchant. SoFi members with Qualifying Deposits are not eligible for other SoFi Plus benefits.

SoFi Bank shall, in its sole discretion, assess each account holder’s Direct Deposit activity and Qualifying Deposits throughout each 30-Day Evaluation Period to determine the applicability of rates and may request additional documentation for verification of eligibility. The 30-Day Evaluation Period refers to the “Start Date” and “End Date” set forth on the APY Details page of your account, which comprises a period of 30 calendar days (the “30-Day Evaluation Period”). You can access the APY Details page at any time by logging into your SoFi account on the SoFi mobile app or SoFi website and selecting either (i) Banking > Savings > Current APY or (ii) Banking > Checking > Current APY. Upon receiving a Direct Deposit or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits to your account, you will begin earning 4.00% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% on checking balances on or before the following calendar day. You will continue to earn these APYs for (i) the remainder of the current 30-Day Evaluation Period and through the end of the subsequent 30-Day Evaluation Period and (ii) any following 30-day Evaluation Periods during which SoFi Bank determines you to have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits without interruption.

SoFi Bank reserves the right to grant a grace period to account holders following a change in Direct Deposit activity or Qualifying Deposits activity before adjusting rates. If SoFi Bank grants you a grace period, the dates for such grace period will be reflected on the APY Details page of your account. If SoFi Bank determines that you did not have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits during the current 30-day Evaluation Period and, if applicable, the grace period, then you will begin earning the rates earned by account holders without either Direct Deposit or Qualifying Deposits until you have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits in a subsequent 30-Day Evaluation Period. For the avoidance of doubt, an account holder with both Direct Deposit activity and Qualifying Deposits will earn the rates earned by account holders with Direct Deposit.

Members without either Direct Deposit activity or Qualifying Deposits, as determined by SoFi Bank, during a 30-Day Evaluation Period and, if applicable, the grace period, will earn 1.20% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances.

Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 12/3/24. There is no minimum balance requirement. Additional information can be found at https://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet.

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

Tax Information: This article provides general background information only and is not intended to serve as legal or tax advice or as a substitute for legal counsel. You should consult your own attorney and/or tax advisor if you have a question requiring legal or tax advice.

Third-Party Brand Mentions: No brands, products, or companies mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third-party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.

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Disclaimer: Many factors affect your credit scores and the interest rates you may receive. SoFi is not a Credit Repair Organization as defined under federal or state law, including the Credit Repair Organizations Act. SoFi does not provide “credit repair” services or advice or assistance regarding “rebuilding” or “improving” your credit record, credit history, or credit rating. For details, see the FTC’s website .

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