Albany Times Union (Sunday)

For fiscal 2023 goals, take cues from 2022

- By Elizabeth Ayoola NerdWallet eayoola@nerdwallet.com

It has been quite the year. In 2022, we’ve lived through high inflation, stock market lows, housing market frenzies and ongoing Federal Reserve rate hikes. Although we don’t have a crystal ball to predict what will happen to the economy next year, we could use this year’s events as a guide: Things may continue to be rocky.

If homeowners­hip and investing are on your 2023 goals list, here are some questions to ask yourself before whipping out your spreadshee­t, money apps or notebooks.

What am I willing to sacrifice in terms of space?

Whether you have a goal of buying a new house or renting a new place next year, there’s a lot to consider. For instance, 30-year fixed mortgage rates went from an average of 3.45 percent in January to 6.90 percent in October due to inflation and Fed rate increases. The Fed has already raised interest rates 75 basis points four times this year. This, coupled with housing shortages, has driven the national median price of homes above $400,000 for the first time, according to the National Associatio­n of Realtors.

Homeowners­hip may still be an attainable goal, but you might have to make some sacrifices, said Zaneilia Harris, a certified financial planner and president of Harris & Harris Wealth Management Group in Upper Marlboro, Md.

“You need to evaluate what you are willing to give up in space in order to own property,” Harris said. “You may have to gradually get to where you want, as opposed to just going straight into a single-family house.”

This could mean starting off with a condo or town house and then using the equity from the condo to purchase your next property, Harris said.

How can homeowners­hip be made more affordable?

Another portal to homeowners­hip Harris recommends is the Neighborho­od Assistance Corporatio­n of America, also known as NACA. It’s a mortgage program that allows working people to purchase a home with no down payment, closing costs, fees or stringent credit prerequisi­tes.

Members can also buy their houses at a below-market interest rate. The program is in 28 states and the District of Columbia.

Buying a home in 2023 could also be more attainable if you’re willing to get a roomie, says Jocelyn Wright, a CFP and retirement income certified profession­al at PF Wealth Management Group in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvan­ia. This is something she did with her sister in 2017.

“It’s not going to be forever necessaril­y, but this gave us the opportunit­y to have our own home, and we can leverage the equity and all of that going forward,” she says.

How diverse is my portfolio?

This year hasn’t been the greenest for investors — at the start of December, the S&P 500 was down more than 15 percent this year. The market’s volatility could understand­ably make investors unsure about how to move forward. Financial profession­als say a diverse portfolio and taking the right amount of risk might be steps in the right direction.

Keep diversific­ation in mind, Wright said. Diversific­ation is when you invest in a variety of assets to manage risk and market volatility.

The FTX and BlockFi collapses that happened in November are a reminder about why to avoid investing too heavily in one area.

“Unfortunat­ely, a lot of newer investors were very excited about Bitcoin, crypto, (and) all of that, and forgot those lessons,” Wright said. “You don’t put your short-term money into the market, and those rules always apply.”

Wright considers short-term money to be cash you’ll need in 12 months to three years.

Instead of putting all of your money into the stock market, put the amount you’ll need in the near future into an emergency fund, high-yield savings accounts, a certificat­e of deposit or short-term fixed-income securities like Treasury bills, Wright said.

How much risk am I comfortabl­e taking?

Ask yourself how much risk you’re comfortabl­e taking, Harris said. That depends a lot on your circumstan­ces, but risk isn’t something to be afraid of when you have enough income, an emergency fund and a diverse portfolio, she said. And risk is worth it when you invest for the long term and can reap those long-term rewards.

Harris said younger people who are further away from retirement can and should be willing to take on more risk. Harris, who identifies as Black, also said some people of color have historical­ly been afraid to take on much risk, but she wants them to remember that risk/reward combo as well.

If you haven’t started investing, or stopped investing due to money being tight, remember you can always invest at a pace that feels comfortabl­e for you.

“You have to invest and become comfortabl­e with that, whether that’s biweekly, bimonthly or monthly,” Harris said.

You can always start with lower-risk investment­s if you want to play it safe. Some include I bonds, money market funds or Treasury-Inflation Protected Securities, also known as TIPS.

 ?? Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press ?? This year has been full of economic uncertaint­y for many. High inflation has affected the cost of living, making housing, food and gas more expensive. Now that we’re near the end of the year, people may be setting financial goals for 2023. Consider looking at the current economy and using that to shape your goals.
Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press This year has been full of economic uncertaint­y for many. High inflation has affected the cost of living, making housing, food and gas more expensive. Now that we’re near the end of the year, people may be setting financial goals for 2023. Consider looking at the current economy and using that to shape your goals.

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