Improve Your Financial Fitness
A recent survey said the average consumer worries about money as much as 6 times a day! If you’re looking to reduce money worries and get your financial house in order, here are a few best practices:
Build and follow a spending budget • Track household spending • Work to reduce debt • Find ways to spend less • Save every pay period • Create an emergency fund • Save for long-term goals like retirement and children’s education • Review your insurance needs • Educate yourself about money and finances.
These best practices may seem overwhelming. However, your EAP can help you gain control and improve your financial picture with a broad array of financial benefits, which include:
- Certified Financial Coaching: Get help with student debt, home purchasing, saving and spending, retirement planning, and creating a budget.
- Personal Finance and Investing courses: Take charge of your finances at your own pace with hundreds of online finance courses.
- Budgeting and Consumer Tools: Tools for Tough Times offers money-saving ideas and resources to do more with less. Also, access financial assessments and test financial scenarios with 167 calculators.
- Lifestyle Savings Benefits: Explore thousands of discounts, rewards, and perks in a variety of categories from your favorite brands.
Explore these and other free tools and benefits online 24-7 by logging in at: www.theEAP.com or call us if you need help!
March is National Nutrition Month, sponsored by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. This year, they encourage exploring a world of flavors by incorporating cultural foods and traditions in your diet. They also stress the importance of making informed food choices, developing sound eating and physical activity habits by learning how to read nutrition labels, using a grocery list when shopping, and exercising regularly.
Making small changes during National Nutrition Month, and over time, helps improve health now and into the future. Small changes you can make include: • Eat breakfast every day • Reduce added sugars and salt • Make half your plate fruits and vegetables • Eat seafood twice a week • Make healthy snack choices • Drink more water • Slow down at mealtimes • Reduce your portions • Call an EAP coach or log in to the Wellness Center for more nutrition tips and resources.
E-Learning Popular Picks
We frequently add new trainings to our vast library of 10,000+ online E-Learning courses. Check out popular new courses by logging in at www.theEAP.com, clicking the “Training Center” icon and choosing “New & Improved Trainings.”
- NEW! How to Be a Better Teammate | Course ID: SVL_1021367
In this 7-minute video, learn the skills to become a more effective part of a team through a focus on both internal and external self-awareness.
- Four Ways to Enhance Your Career | Course ID: SVL_066164_NQ
This 10-minute video will discuss topics such as upholding integrity, learning from failure, and stepping out of the safe zone, all designed to help you boost your career.
- Setting Personal Financial Goals | Course ID: SVL_102298
This lesson is broken into 3 parts (19 minutes total) to help you identify the financial goals that matter most to you, prioritize those goals, and make a budget to attain them.
Don’t Forget!
EAP services are available to you and your household members as well as dependent children living away from home, up to age 26.
Tips for Tax Prep
The deadline this year for filing federal tax returns is Monday, April 18th. Check your state deadline, which may be different. To expedite your returns, the IRS offers a few tips:
• Collect all documents before preparing a tax return; make sure stimulus payment and advance Child Tax Credit information is accurate.
• Use e-file and direct deposit to file returns and avoid delays.
• Tax scams are always big this time of year. Don’t be a victim – the IRS has a list of tax scams and consumer alerts.
• Avoid these common tax return mistakes.
For more information, check IRS resources and online tools.
Accessing Your EAP Training Center
1. Go to www.theEAP.com and click Employee and Family login.
2. If you’ve already created an account, log in with your User Name/Password.
3. If it’s your first time, click REGISTER to create your
User Name and Password.
You only need to register once.
4. Click the ‘Training Center’ and then choose ‘New & Improved Trainings.’
5. In the Search bar at the top of the screen, type the course code or search for a topic.
6. Click the course icon, and
click the ‘Play’ or ‘Start’ button to begin.
www.theEAP.com | 800.252.4555