As a financial adviser and coach I've helped about 50 different people with their money, and I saw too many make the same mistake

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I've worked with about 50 different clients as a financial adviser and then a financial coach, and I've seen the same problem over and over: People just don't know what they spend.

Not knowing where your money goes makes it impossible to save and invest for future goals, and to take control.

I'd tell anyone planning to get financial help to start tracking their spending before their first meeting, because any professional will tell them that's the first step.

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I spent two years working as a financial adviser before starting my financial coaching practice in 2017, and over that time I've worked with about 50 clients. There were a lot of mistakes I've seen people make and I too have made my fair share of financial mistakes over the years! but the biggest mistake I saw was clear: People had no idea how they were spending their money.

At the start of a working relationship with clients I have them go through all of their income and expenses in order to determine their surplus, if they had one. If they didn't have a surplus, that was a huge red flag that needed to be addressed first and foremost. If they did have a surplus, the next step was to determine what amount was going to be allocated to short-term savings, long term-savings, and protection needs.See the rest of the story at Business InsiderNOW WATCH: How to find water when you're stuck in the desertSee Also:10 pieces of advice financial planners give to new parents who don't know where to start2 things to do today if you want to retire in 10 years, according to a man who retired at 527 things on your financial to-do list that are much easier than they seem

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