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This year we're using a martial arts theme, asking people to progress from various belt levels of activities to get to a black belt status in financial planning. To simplify how many staged this will be we have 6 levels:
- White belt
- Yellow belt
- Orange belt
- Green belt
- Blue belt
- Brown belt
- Black belt
Drawing & Prize Info
Fill out this Google Form saying which belt(s) you've completed for this activity and we'll enter you in the drawing for Crubl cookies - either delivered to you or a a gift card (alternatiove prizes are available based on location and/or allergy restrictions). For every belt you pass you will earn more entries in our drawing.
White Belt
Sign Up
A white belt is typically given out at the beginning of a person's martial arts journey.
With Reliant's auto-enroll feature, many employees let those monthly payroll amounts go into their 401(k) account and they've
never taken the time to log in at Principal.com and set-up their login and check their account balance etc.
- If you've already taken this step - you can check this box.
- If you've never taken this first step - see Registering at Principal.com and begin your journey today!
Finished? Congrats, you're a white belt!
Yellow Belt
The Basics - Knowing your Account Balance
With the yellow belt, the student is expected to develop fundamental karate skills.
Knowing how much is in your 401(k) account as well as how much you're adding to the account every month are key components to financial planning.
- Log-in to your Principal.com account, the account balance should be listed under Overview
- Select Contributions > Contributions Summary from the menu at the top of the page - This will show you how much you're saving Pre-Tax and Roth from yuor paychecks. The employer match is not listed in this box but you can see it under the "Contributions by date" box just below. It will be listed as "employer"
Finished? Congrats, you're a yellow belt!
Orange Belt
Practice. Learn. Repeat.
A orange karate belt color is awarded to the student who starts to demonstrate progress in learning
more about their bodies as well as more about the fundimentals of karate.
- Do you understand how Reliant's employer match works? Have you considered why investing with the 401(k) may be more advantageous than investing in an IRA, at least up to the employer match amount? - Read this Solomon page and educate yourself on the 401(k) match - Employer Matching Contributions
Finished? Congrats, you're an orange belt!
Green Belt
Moving up to Intermediate Status
At this point a karate student begins to refine the basic skills they’ve learned. A green belt indicates they have advanced to intermediate status.
Research has shown that people who have a clear picture of what they want their retirement to look like are much more successful in reaching their retirement goals.
Take 10 minutes to journal or think through and pray about these questions:
- When do I want to retire?
- What do I want my retirement to look like?
- What steps do I need to take to create/sharpen my financial saving habits?
Finished? Congrats, you're a green belt!
Blue Belt
Gaining Wisdom and Understanding
The Blue belt symbolizes the karate student is growing a deeper understanding of karate and is beginning to display leadership qualities.
Our challenge for this level is to look through the resources available at Principal.com under Planning Resources. If you haven't already done so, fill out the Retirement Wellness Planner and see how you score. If you land in the red or yellow zones, try tweaking the numbersd within calculator tool to see how your score would change if you increased your 401(k) contributions - even better, make a change and increase your contribution when prompted!
Finished? Congrats, you're a blue belt!
Brown Belt
Maturity
The brown color in karate belts represents the student's skills are mature and close to being mastered.
It's time to make sure you are preparing well for not only your future but the future of your loved ones and dependants. Take some time to review you beneficary on file at Principal.com under Overview>Beneficiary. Make sure it's up to date.
Need a Will or other legal forms for your Estate planning? Visit the Principal Milestones page under the Planning Resources and select > Will and legal document center powered by ARAG®
Finished? Congrats, you're a brown belt!
Master Status
The black belt shows that the person wearing it has mastered all the skills and poses a great ability to enlighten others with his/her knowledge.
Did you learn anything from this 401(k) Month? If so - share what you learned!
A great way to help others in their journey of saving for retirement is to share the lessons you're learning, ask them to hold you accountable in your next steps, and ask how you can help them with their goals!
Finished? Congrats, you're a black belt!
Drawing & Prize Info
Reliant will send out Crubl cookie packages or gift cards (valued at approximately $30) to 4 lucky winners (details will be coordinated with Reliant Central directly with the winner). To enter complete this Google Form saying which belt(s) you've completed for this activity and we'll enter you in the drawing for Crubl cookies. This contest ends at 12:01 AM EST on Monday, August 4th. Winners will be announced via email later that week.
