By considering these dimensions, financial health provides an assessment of an individual’s financial well-being and stability. It helps gauge the individual’s ability to meet financial obligations, save for the future, and achieve financial goals.

Understanding financial health

involves the development of personalized financial plans to assess indicators of financial well-being. While financial experts have established general guidelines for measuring financial health, it is essential to tailor these guidelines to your specific circumstances. By creating a financial plan, you can ensure that you are making progress towards your goals and safeguarding yourself from unforeseen financial risks.

To gain a better understanding of your financial health

It can be beneficial to reflect on the following questions, which serve as a self-assessment of your financial well-being:

1. Are you adequately prepared for unexpected events? Do you have an emergency fund in place?
2. What is your net worth? Is it positive or negative?
3. Do you possess the necessary essentials in life? Additionally, are you able to afford the things you desire?
4. What percentage of your debt would you classify as high interest, such as credit card debt? Does it exceed 50%?
5. Are you actively saving for retirement? Do you believe you are making progress toward your long-term financial goals?
6. Do you possess sufficient insurance coverage, be it for health or life?

By contemplating these questions, you can gain valuable insights into your current financial situation and make informed decisions to improve your overall financial health.

How Financial Health Is Determined

An individual’s financial health can be measured in a number of ways. A person’s savings and overall net worth represent the monetary resources at their disposal for current or future use. These can be affected by debt, such as credit cards, mortgages, and auto and student loans.1

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. “Risk Management Manual of Examination Policies: Section 3-2 Loans,” Page 74. Financial health is not a static figure. It changes based on an individual’s liquidity and assets, as well as the fluctuation of the price of goods and services.

For example, an individual’s salary might remain constant while the costs for gasoline, food, mortgages, and college tuition increase. Despite the good state of their initial financial health, the person may lose ground and lapse into decline if they do not keep pace with rising costs of goods.

Typical signs of strong financial health include a steady flow of income, rare changes in expenses, strong returns on investments that have been made, and a cash balance that is growing and is on track to continue to grow.2

For example, an individual’s salary might remain constant while the costs for gasoline, food, mortgages, and college tuition increase. Despite the good state of their initial financial health, the person may lose ground and lapse into decline if they do not keep pace with rising costs of goods.

Typical signs of strong financial health include a steady flow of income, rare changes in expenses, strong returns on investments that have been made, and a cash balance that is growing and is on track to continue to grow.