Paying down debt may not be the best way to use your coronavirus stimulus check
Published Thu, Apr 2 2020
By Jill Cornfield@JILL_CORNFIELD
The stimulus checks are on their way.
The coronavirus relief bill, signed March 27 by President Donald Trump, provides payments of as much as $3,400 for families, based on 2019 tax returns for those who have already filed and information from 2018 if they haven’t.
If you’re one of the people looking forward to this money as a lifeline, now’s the time to sit down and think about how you’ll use it. One problem for many people: uncertainty everywhere you look. No one knows how long the pandemic will last. No one knows for sure what will happen with their jobs and income.
“Try to focus on the next four to six weeks and budget for your essential expenses,” said certified financial planner Matt Canine, a senior wealth advisor at the East Paces Group in Atlanta.
First, use one of these online calculators to see how much you might get. Then make a list of financial priorities and goals.
Age may play a part in how much people need the money. Younger folks and people with children may be the ones who most quickly feel some negative impact. “Unfortunately, many younger workers haven’t had the time to build a nest egg,” Canine said. “Or they have higher fixed costs due to children.”
Click here to read the full article on CNBC.