Protecting the people who count on you
The first thing money should do.
Before investing, before optimizing, make sure the people who depend on your income are covered if something happens to you. Life insurance is the plain tool for that job: a term policy is often the cheapest way to replace your income for the years your family needs it most.
Watch for: buying too little. A common rule of thumb is 10–12x your annual income, but the real number depends on your debts, your kids, and how many years they'll need support.
Debt, then a cushion
The boring order that works.
Kill high-interest debt first (credit cards), then build a small emergency cushion (a few months of expenses), then invest. That order beats almost any clever strategy, because it stops interest from eating your progress.
Watch for: 'opportunity cost' arguments used to talk you out of paying off debt. Guaranteed debt-payoff beats hoped-for market returns for most people.
Questions that cut through the sales pitch
Ask these before you buy anything financial.
What's the total cost over the life of this? What are the fees? What's guaranteed vs. projected? What does it cost me to get out? A straight answer to those four tells you more than any brochure.
Watch for: anyone who dodges the 'what's guaranteed' question. The guaranteed numbers are the contract. Everything else is a forecast.