Money stress is physiological stress. Same cortisol. Same damage.
Financial precarity produces the same chronic stress response as physical danger. Your body cannot tell the difference between a predator and an overdraft.
Do you know, right now, what comes in and goes out this month? If not, you're flying blind.
Above 36% = financial stress zone. Above 50% = crisis territory.
Months of expenses in savings. Under 3 months = one event away from cascade.
One employer = one point of failure. Multiple streams = resilience.
This is not aspirational. This is the minimum viable maintenance schedule. Everything above this is upside.
| Cadence | Action |
|---|---|
| Daily | Check account balances. 30 seconds. Know the number. |
| Weekly | Categorize spending. Not to judge. To see. |
| Monthly | Net worth update. Income vs expenses. Save the delta. |
| Quarterly | Review: income sources, debt trajectory, investment allocation, insurance coverage. |
Cadence: Quarterly review
Trigger: Debt increasing, no emergency fund, major life change (job, house, child), tax complexity
Fee-only means they get paid by you, not by selling you products. This distinction matters. Commission-based advisors have misaligned incentives by design.
Maintaining this department doesn't just prevent failure. It compounds into measurable gains.
Pick one signal. Make it visible. Track it for 30 days. That is the entire protocol.
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