Meet Jennifer
Age: 34
Salary: $34,000/yr (+ bonuses)
Employment: Sales
Jennifer’s main concerns, in their own words:
My husband and I got married June 2014. I own a house that I bought in 2009 before we met. I purchased it for $110k, still have $99k but I pay bi-weekly so I get in an extra payment a year. One of the FEW smart financial decisions I feel I’ve made in my life!
I have about $15k in credit card debt across three cards and almost all of them are 90% maxed out. I have a very small retirement fund that I contribute very little to each month.
My husband is the saver but we have very little in savings, only about $4,000 in our emergency fund. His only debt is a small student loan. I make $39k/year with potential for about $10k+ in bonuses. My husband lost his job Tuesday. Laid off his entire department. No warning! We had planned to put our house up for sale next week. How do we brace for a potential crisis with little time or planning? And how do we get back on track to tackle debt and save for the future?
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Peter Dunn a.k.a. Pete the Planner® is an award-winning financial mind and a former comedian. He’s a USA TODAY columnist, author of ten books, and is the host of the popular radio show and podcast, The Pete the Planner Show. Pete is considered one of the foremost experts on financial wellness in the world, but he’s just as likely to talk your ear off about bass fishing.