How To Make Your Finances More Flexible Before The Next Recession 

How To Make Your Finances More Flexible Before The Next Recession 

When times get tough, you need to be prepared. “I’m not ready” won’t matter if the economy is in swing – so it’s best to think about these things earlier, and before it’s too late. With that in mind, here are a couple of steps you can take to ensure your finances are secure.

Know what to prioritise

If you have HELP debt but you don’t have a robust savings account, Liz Weston, a personal finance expert, recommends putting any extra cash toward your savings rather than paying down low-interest debt.

“Don’t rush to pay off student debt or mortgages, especially if you have higher-rate debt or a paltry emergency fund,” she writes. “Your extra principal payments typically won’t reduce your required monthly payment and you can’t get that money back if you need cash in an emergency.”

Your biggest goal should be to pad your savings. If you’ve been focusing heavily on investing, for example, then it might be time to scale that back and deposit some of the money into your bank account.

“You should be able to leave any stock market investments alone for at least five years and preferably 10, so your portfolio has time to recover from downturns,” writes Weston.

Work on your credit score

“Lenders often get pickier during recessions,” writes Weston. “They may freeze lines of credit, close credit card accounts and make new loans harder to get.”

That’s why it’s important to work on improving your credit now, if it’s lower than you want it to be. Keep your balance low, make your payments on time and work on paying off any of the high-interest debt you may have accrued.

Here are some resources for improving your score:

She also recommends keeping a backup credit card on hand so you have access to another line of credit should you absolutely need it. Only use your spare card for a few small charges each month to keep them functional, and be sure to pay off your balance each month.


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