Were you prepared financially for the Coronavirus?

The coronavirus came unexpectedly in good times. I am not saying this was the best economy ever but let’s face it. It was very good. It lasts a little over 10 years of growth for the stock market after the 2008 crisis. Most of us were expecting an end but not of this scale.  In less than two months we almost lost a year of gains on the major indexes.  And the worst part is that we don’t know what is going to happen. Only essential business and services are open. A lot of people work in small businesses that can’t afford to pay their employees without open their doors and generate any income during this shelter in place that major cities had enacted. And I wonder how many people were prepared for this kind of event? How many people had a strong emergency fund?

According to bankrate.com, only 37% of Americans can afford to cover a $500 emergency. In the bay area, a room can cost more than $1,000. So, there is no surprise to think that $500 won’t last you much. And that is under normal circumstances. If you lost your job, you could start looking for another one, it was relatively easy. But now days if everything is close, who will give you a new job? This are the moments when you really must reflect and make a drastic change in your life. Hopefully, all this ends up in a couple of weeks and we can go back to the new normal. A new normal cause the damage already suffered will take some time and victims to heal.

Are you ready to prepare a budget for yourself? Are you ready to save in a disciplined manner? If you were prepared hope you start helping others. The well-being of the rest also impacts our well-being.