Question

Jim and Jackie are married with three children at home and a mortgage. Jim’s net pay per year is $67,000 and Jackie does not have income. Their mortgage payment of $2,800 includes insurance on their home. They have additional monthly expenses of $2,700.

Jim contributes 15% of his earnings to a retirement fund and they have $5,000 in savings. There is a $500,000 life insurance policy on Jim and a $100,000 policy on Jackie.

As their financial advisor, what part of Jim and Jackie’s financial plan would you encourage them to work on?
a.
They should work on their plan for managing income.
b.
They should work on their plan for managing their liquidity.
c.
They should work on their plan for protecting their assets.
d.
They should work on their plan for protecting their income.

Answer 1

b. They should work on their plan for managing their liquidity.

Reason: Their monthly outflows (mortgage $2,800 + other $2,700 = $5,500) nearly equal Jim’s monthly net pay (≈$5,583), leaving almost no buffer. With only $5,000 in savings they lack the recommended 3–6 months of living expenses (roughly $16,500–$33,000). Building an emergency fund and improving short‑term liquidity should be the priority.