How to start saving for next year’s holiday season

By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer
Report for America Corps Member
msayles@afro.com

As the holiday season comes to a close, the AFRO connected with Greg Jones, a JPMorgan Chase branch manager, to discuss how people can start saving for the 2022 holiday season. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. 

Q: When do you recommend that a person should start saving for the holiday season?

A: I recommend that they start saving in the beginning of the year because that way you can set that goal. You can be prepared for it. You can plan it and stick to it because sometimes emergencies happen. If you start saving in the beginning of the year even if an emergency comes up you still have 11 months to get back on track and start saving. 

Q: Why do you think it’s important for someone to save throughout the year for the holidays rather than just a couple months before? 

A: You always want to have a goal. You always want to be prepared. By having that goal and sticking to it, you know how much money you need to put away that way if an emergency comes up it will help you if you need to take money out of your savings account. Another good tip is if an emergency comes up, like you need to get your car repaired, you can use a cash back credit card. They’ll pay you cash back to pay for that emergency expense. 

Q: Is it possible for a person to set up a Christmas savings account?

A:  JPMorgan Chase has multiple savings accounts. Our job is to help our clients achieve their financial goals, so when they come in I’ll just ask a couple of questions. I may ask: “Do you have a budget? How closely do you stick to it? On average, how much of your income do you spend?” That way, I can cater to the client’s needs and customize their financial needs by recommending the right savings account. I understand that some people may be new to banking so we do have different types of saving accounts to help them achieve their financial goals. 

Q: Once a person has a Christmas savings account, what are some tips for staying on track with their goal? 

A: We have a great tool called Budget Builder, which is a great resource that will help you see how much money is coming in and how much money is going out. It’s a great way to help keep track of your financial expenses, and it’s a free tool on Chase.com so you don’t have to be a Chase customer to leverage that to help you stay on track. We also have a tool called Autosave that allows you to set a goal, and it helps you stick to it. It will also transfer the amount of money that you want the tool to transfer on the day you pick as well. That way, you don’t even have to worry about it. 

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