 TITLE: How to Achieve Financial Freedom CONTENT: How to Start on a Path to Achieve Financial Freedom\n---------------------------------------------------\nThe steps to finding financial freedom correspond to healthy financial habits generally. Everyone can benefit from following these guidelines, no matter your ultimate financial goal:\n*   **Put bills, savings and investing on autopilot**: Harnessing control of your money becomes much easier when you use autopay for as many bills and transfers to savings as possible. You can focus on family, friends, work and play while knowing important tasks are taken care of in the background. That includes signing up for deductions from your paycheck for your workplace-sponsored retirement account. You can also consider choosing target-date funds as retirement vehicles, if they're available at your workplace, which automatically rebalance your investments as you age. Using autopay can ensure you never miss a bill payment, which will go far toward keeping your credit in good shape. Additionally, having your bank automatically transfer money from your checking to your savings account, usually on or just after payday, will help you reach other financial goals.\n*   **Pick a budgeting method**: You won't be able to pay bills and save at the same time if you're not sure where your money is going. Budgeting doesn't need to be restrictive; you can start, for instance, by assigning a flexible percentage of your income to needs, wants, savings and debt payoff using the 50\/30\/20 rule. Or pick from among a range of other budgeting options, and go with the one you're likely to stick to.\n*   **Get help**: Starting to budget and get rid of debt from scratch is hard, and many of us didn't learn how to do it in school or from parents or guides who could teach us. There are several ways to get help now, including from certified financial planners, credit counselors and even online from resources like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. You can start with the CFPB's 25 tips to improve financial well-being.\n*   **Regularly monitor—but don't obsess over—your finances and credit**: Keep an eye on your income, savings, debts and credit score so you're never caught off guard and can spot issues—like a missed bill payment—as fast as possible. Try using free tools available online, such as an app like Personal Capital, that give you an overview of all your account balances and net worth. You may be able to access your credit score through your bank or credit card company for free, or use free tools offered by Discover, Capital One or Experian. But don't let tracking finances take over your life. One of the markers of financial freedom is the ability to focus on the things that matter without feeling consumed by money. END