How to Prepare for a Recession various indicators in the economy are pointing to the signs that an inevitable recession is coming which has been at the center of financial news for over the last few months . As a result of this there's been a spike in recession fears throughout the nation . So what do you do when the recession happens, and how can you prepare now . I’ll tell you what most people will do. Now, in the good times, they’re going to “enjoy it while it lasts” they’ll rack up credit card debt, car loans, mortgages, and student loans. Why save money when debt is so cheap and easy to get? Besides, times are good. They “optimistically” ignore the possibility of a decline. For millennials especially, the “good times” are all they’ve ever known. One day soon, these people will be in for a shock. That nice stable job suddenly looks a lot less stable. The payments start coming due on those loans, and it becomes a lot harder to get new loans. They begin to default. They begin to sell off assets to make ends meet. Not a fun time. I’ve decided not to allow myself to be in that position. As a product of “the system”, I’ve made a lot of the mistakes that you’re supposed to make along the way. I spent what I made, sometimes more. I racked up some credit card debt, financed a car, and of course, took out tens of thousands of dollars of student loans for an economics degree that didn’t even teach me how to benefit from economic cycles. I’ve taken jobs I hated that paid me next to nothing because I didn’t think there were any other options. I’ve put money into 401k plans, but that was the extent of my investing. I had a few thousand in a savings account, but not enough for any real peace of mind or opportunities. As I mentioned above, I’ve been making improvements lately, but there’s still a long way to go. My plan to prepare for the next recession is as follow . #1.Financial security. This is the first priority, and I define it, first as getting completely out of debt. The student loans and car loans are paid off. Now there’s just the credit cards left, and those should be taken care of by the end of this year if I stick to my aggressive payoff schedule. #2. Cash reserves. Next, build up a large cash cushion in the bank. Several months or more of living expenses in case something unexpected happens. But this is more than just insurance against failure, it’s also a stash of “dry powder.” In a recession, things get cheap, and I need to be prepared to take advantage. Besides, things bother you a lot less when you have cash in the money. #3. Preserve value. Your investments are going to lose value. Maybe a lot of it. First of all, don’t be stupid and sell at the bottom. Second, once I have a bit of cash socked away, I plan to convert some of it into something more inflation resistant. Precious metals are the obvious choice, but there are others. I’m not to this stage yet, and I still need to do more research. #4. Diversify income sources. I could easily have listed this first. If your income is totally dependent on a job, even a good job, you’re taking a huge gamble. People talk about side hustles. Now is a good time to get started. I’ve been neglecting this for a long time, but I have a few things in progress and am always looking for more ideas to work on. The more income sources you have, the better. Basically, my attitude right now is to take advantage while times are good. And I don’t mean buying useless shit ... It has never been easier to start a business or side hustle. Remember all those people racking up credit card debt? They can use it to pay for your product or service. If you need investor funding (try to avoid this if you can, profit is always better), it has never been easier to get. If you need another job, you can probably find one. If you ask your boss for a raise, you’ll probably get it. Do everything you can NOW to increase your income as much as possible. People talk about building great, sustainable business empires, and that’s a worthy goal, but now is the time to grab money. Be a bit unsustainable in terms of effort. Don’t do anything illegal or unethical , this will backfire on you. And then there’s the other side of the equation . Expenses. Keep them as low as possible. Again, this can be unsustainable for now. You want increase that cushion and reduce debt as fast as possible. Skip the $8 coffees an don’t upgrade your SUV this year. Always spend less than you make. Consider selling off some of your old stuff you don’t need NOW. Prices are going to crater on a lot of this stuff when the market shifts. Take your cash off the table now. People think of economic downturns as a universally bad thing, but this is only the case for the unprepared. By planning ahead and organizing your life intelligently, it can actually be a huge buying opportunity for those who can survive the immediate negative effects. This was The Atlantis Report . Please like . share . and subscribe . Thank you ...
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