14 Financial Surprises Most People Don’t See Coming

An expense can morph into a nightmare if you don’t properly plan for it. These 14 problems can cause severe impacts on your finances if you aren’t prepared for them. 

Homeownership Expenses

A white exterior door leading to a home.
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Owning a home is far more expensive than most people think. It’s not just the mortgage and insurance. You’re now responsible for everything – from air filters to plumbing emergencies. The list is endless – and expensive. 

Pensions Ending

Sad older woman working in a coffee shop
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Older women who rely on their husbands for financial support in retirement often get a nasty surprise while grieving. When he passes, his pension stops, leaving her with no income. 

Learning To Do It Yourself

overwhelmed business woman
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When one person in a partnership handles all the finances, the other can struggle to understand how bills and taxes work. Everyone needs to educate themselves on financial literacy to avoid a harsh, confusing shock in the wake of death or divorce. 

Job Loss

Office workers sadly around a colleague holding a box as if he was just let go from the position.
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No one expects to lose a job. It can send folks spiraling into a pit of financial despair when it happens. 

Family Emergencies

EMT Workers loading an ambulance.
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You can protect yourself all you want but can’t force your beloved family members to handle their finances correctly. Many people need to financially help their parents, siblings, or nieces/nephews. If they don’t help, who will?

Sick Children

a close up of a mother holding her sick child's hand in the hospital.
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A sick child will decimate a parent’s finances. Our disgusting healthcare system forces parents into bankruptcy to get their children the healthcare they so desperately need. 

Running Out of Money

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People with longevity face a challenge they didn’t expect: they risk outliving their money. What can you do when you’re 90 years old and out of savings?

Car Insurance Increases

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Inflation drove up car insurance rates, causing a massive financial burden on millions. But it’s even worse if you raise your risk profile by getting a ticket or having a fender bender. 

Co-Signing

A calculator sits next to a pile of money with a post it note on top that reads "personal loan."
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Never co-sign for anything. There’s a reason they can’t get a loan in their name alone. Odds are, they’ll stop paying and leave you holding the bag. 

Divorce

A table with divorce papers on it. All you can see of the people are their folded hands resting on the table across from one another.
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Divorce causes financial shockwaves for everyone. One household becomes two, with double the expenses. Women particularly find themselves struggling after a divorce, as they typically have to navigate childcare and work all by themselves. 

Moving

The open back of a full moving truck parked in a residential area.
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We all know the moving truck is expensive, but moving typically comes with hidden costs you don’t anticipate. Application fees, first/last month’s rent, security deposits, and furnishings cost a small fortune. 

Car Repairs

A mechanic working on the underside of a car.
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Most of us need our cars to get to work to pay for life. One major problem with a vehicle can have a devastating impact on people’s finances. A new transmission or alternator can cost thousands of dollars that people driving older cars can’t afford. 

A Loss in the Family

Funeral casket outside at a cemetery ready to be buried with flowers on it.
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A tragic loss in the family causes undue financial burdens at the worst possible time. Grieving survivors get manipulated into paying outrageous sums for caskets, funerals, and arrangements, while some lose an essential source of income. 

Daycare

Two little girls watering the plants outside their playhouse.
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Having kids is expensive. People don’t always realize how expensive it is until they try to sign up for daycare, which costs more yearly than many people pay for rent. 

No Inheritance

Man holding money to his side, looking over his shoulder as if someone is going to take his money. Miserly looking man guarding his money
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Most of our parent’s money will go to long-term care, reverse mortgages, and other end-of-life care needs. Here’s why Millennials won’t see a penny of Boomer wealth

Protect Yourself from Identity Theft

A hooded man working on a laptop with the words password flying down in a verticle direction to show he's a hacker.
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The threat of identity theft constantly lingers. Here are steps you can take to protect yourself

Build Generational Wealth

Father smiling as his son puts coins in a piggy bank.
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Millionaires give their kids a hefty leg up, but you don’t have to be wealthy to do the same. Here’s how you can build generational wealth for your family

Use the Triangle Method To Achieve Your Goals

image of a triangle with money inside and sides labeled with savings, debt repayment, and investing to represent the triangle approach to finances
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Should you save, invest, or pay off debt? Gurus have tons of different answers, but the triangle method works for everyone

Realistic Money-Saving Tips for Everyone

Happy woman holding a fanned out wad of cash in her hand.
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Need to save more money? Check out these tried and true tips that nearly anyone can implement
 

Source: Reddit

Author: Melanie Allen

Title: Journalist

Expertise: Pursuing Your Passions, Travel, Wellness, Hobbies, Finance, Gaming, Happiness

Melanie Allen is an American journalist and happiness expert. She has bylines on MSN, the AP News Wire, Wealth of Geeks, Media Decision, and numerous media outlets across the nation and is a certified happiness life coach. She covers a wide range of topics centered around self-actualization and the quest for a fulfilling life.