Hi everyone you're listening to the Money Girl Podcast and I'm Laura Adams.

The current uncertainty in the global economy and volatility in the financial markets

is enough to make even the savious money manager a little uneasy. Though you can't control what happens to the price

of stocks or real estate, you can control the state of your own personal finances.

I'm going to cover five smart money moves you should make now

to secure your financial future no matter what happens in the economy.

Money Move Number 1, 1. Create a financial safety net.

One of the best ways to protect yourself financially

is to create an emergency fund that you can tap in the event of a financial hardship.

Keeping cash in a safe place, like an FDIC insured bank account,

is a financial safety net that you should never go without.

Don't invest your emergency money because the value could drop at the exact moment you desperately

need it. If you don't have an emergency fund, create a plan to

accumulate one as quickly as possible. Make a goal to build up enough money to

cover six months worth of your basic living expenses and debt payments.

For instance, if you spend $2,000 each month for food, housing, utilities, insurance,

and credit card minimum payments,

accumulate $12,000 in your emergency fund.

If that sounds impossible, save enough to cover one month of living expenses and build from there.

The secure feeling you'll get from having an emergency fund to fall back on

is well worth the effort.

Money move number two. optimize your debt. The second smart

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