The coronavirus pandemic has motivated financial professionals to take full advantage of technology. Many of them are pairing various tech solutions with their unique human touch to help clients work towards their financial well-being. So how can you, as a client, use similar technology to make a positive difference in your finances? Keep reading to find out:

Automation If you are in search of a way to simplify your finances, automation is critical. Automation helps you pay your bills and credit cards quickly, send checks, and save a portion of your paycheck in an emergency fund and retirement account every month. 

To start automating, visit the company's website you'd like to make payments to and set up a payment date that works for you each month. Once you do, payments will initiate automatically, so you never have to think about them. 

By automating your finances, you'll be more likely to meet your savings goals and avoid the high costs of late fees, penalties, and interest charges. Just make sure you always have enough money to cover your automated payments.

Video Conferencing Gone are the days when you have to leave your home and drive to your financial professional’s office to meet with them. Thanks to video conferencing tools like Zoom and GoToMeeting, you can get in touch with your financial professional from the comfort of your own home or office. Whether you'd like to go over your portfolio, ask a question, or discuss your future financial plans, you can do so via video conferencing. 

Financial Apps There are countless financial apps on the market. While each one has its unique purpose, many of them are geared toward budgeting, debt management, coupon clipping, tracking receipts, and investing. It's a good idea to do your research and find an app or two that meet your unique goals and needs. Here are a few to get you started:

• Acorns
• Stash
• Qapital

Online Communities Thanks to technology, you can connect to others who have similar financial goals, no matter where you live. Join social media groups or other online communities to gain new knowledge and learn from others. However, if you do, be sure to keep your financial details private by only sharing them with your financial professional who you know and trust. Secondly, be aware that advice from social media groups may not be accurate before acting on it. Consult your financial professional on any questions you may have regarding online information.

Investment Portfolio Portal Access Your financial professional can provide you access to view your portfolio's performance, assess contributions or distributions, retrieve statements, and more. When you have this information readily available to you, monitoring your goals and progress is simple.

The reality is that personal finance is far easier to control and manage with the help of technology. Remember, it takes hard work and persistence to pursue your short and long-term financial goals.

Important Disclosures:

The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual.

Investing involves risks including possible loss of principal. No investment strategy or risk management technique can guarantee return or eliminate risk in all market environments.

All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however LPL Financial makes no representation as to its completeness or accuracy.

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