How to Reduce Financial Stress

Financial stress can take mental and physical tolls. Here are a few ways you can cut down on it. [Profit Trends]( SPONSORED [Cannabis Investing Legend Matthew Carr: "Investors Must Be Prepared to Act NOW."]( [Linton, Carr and Todd]( Discover why [cannabis legalization in the U.S.]( could be coming "a lot sooner than most people think"... And how regular investors could have the chance to [radically transform their wealth](. Consider: Matthew [called Canada's legalization]( one full year in advance. Canopy Growth founder Bruce Linton says he's one of the only experts to get it right. [>>Do NOT miss out on what's next.]( Editor's Note: Today, Marc Lichtenfeld from our sister e-letter Wealthy Retirement is here to explain how to reduce financial stress in your life. As the Club's Chief Income Strategist, Marc knows a thing or two about how to reduce stress while increasing income... And he's been pounding the table for YEARS, saying one of the ways to do this is to own dividend stocks. In fact, Marc wants to send you his [FREE Ultimate Dividend Package](. It will show you exactly how to lock in the biggest income checks in the market. [Click here to learn more.]( - Kaitlyn Hopkins, Assistant Managing Editor [TREND INVESTING]( How to Reduce Financial Stress Marc Lichtenfeld | Chief Income Strategist | The Oxford Club [Marc Lichtenfeld] Some people think that in order to be rich, you have to be smart. But that may not tell the whole story. In fact, being rich may make you smart. Or more likely, being poor dumbs you down. At a recent conference I attended, neuroscientist Dr. Emily Heath showed how people under financial stress experience a decline of 14 IQ points. That is worse than if you were to take an IQ test after not having slept for 24 hours. And we know that driving with no sleep can be even more dangerous than driving drunk. The difference is that after going on a bender, you usually sleep it off, feel cruddy for a few hours and are then back to normal. People under financial stress can't just drink a few glasses of Gatorade, pop a couple of ibuprofen and get relief. Stress also takes a physical toll, cutting lives short, causing pain and reducing sex drive. Let's face it: If you spend your day hiding from bill collectors, you're probably not feeling like your best self and are less apt to get your freak on. The same goes for your spouse. Money issues are one of the leading causes of divorce. There are many ways to give yourself some financial breathing room and start reducing your stress. Let's take a look at some simple ones. Forced Savings If you're working and your company offers a 401(k), take it. I know, I know - you can't afford to give up 5% to 10% of your paycheck when you have bills to pay right now. But it's worth the effort. First of all, contributing to a 401(k) will immediately save you money in taxes. Let's say that you're single and your taxable income is $50,000 per year. You're in the 22% tax bracket, so you'll pay $11,000 in taxes. If you contribute 6% of your salary to a 401(k), you'll reduce your taxable income by $3,000, saving $660 in taxes. Furthermore, many companies offer a 50% match up to 6%, so you could receive an additional $1,500 contribution from your employer. And most people are still able to make ends meet with fewer take-home dollars. [Acorns]( offers another way to force yourself to save. Once you sign up and spend money using the Acorns card, the amount is rounded up and the spare change is saved in an investment account. So if you buy lunch for $6.25, the purchase is rounded up to $7 and the $0.75 is put into your account. That can add up quickly. You can then invest the funds in various portfolios made up of exchange-traded funds. SPONSORED [Bill O'Reilly Breaks Down]( Keep Track of What You Spend People love quantifying their lives. They have apps to find out how many steps they took during the day. Some even get data on their sleep. But when it comes to money and spending, it's anyone's guess. I'm not the guy who is going to tell you to skip the latte that you enjoy - but if you're under financial stress, I will tell you to at least track what you're spending so that you're armed with the information. Whether you choose to cut back on lattes is up to you. But you'll at least be making an informed decision. There are apps, like Mint, that track what you're spending your money on and how much you have remaining. Mint will alert you if your bank balance runs low so you don't bounce a check and incur overdraft fees, and it'll notify you when your bills are due so you can avoid late fees. Another way to avoid fees is automatic bill payment. Most utility, credit card and other monthly bills can be set up to be paid automatically, which will prevent late fees. Of course, you need to make sure you have enough money in your bank account to cover the bills. But if you do, automatic bill payment is a nice way to stop worrying about whether you've paid the bills every month. Invest Lastly, make sure you're investing, whether it's through Acorns or a brokerage account, even if just a little bit. My preferred investment is Perpetual Dividend Raisers. These are stocks whose dividends increase every year. Investing in Perpetual Dividend Raisers serves two purposes... First, you'll receive more income each year, which will hopefully lessen financial stress over time. Second, investing will keep your brain active. Investing involves processing information, decision making and some basic math. Financial stress takes its toll on our relationships and our physical and mental health. Relieving that stress should be a priority - and we could all use an extra 14 IQ points. Good investing, Marc P.S. To get started with optimizing your retirement and reducing your financial stress, [click here to claim your copy of my free Ultimate Dividend Package](. 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