Job Loss? A 12-Month Plan to Protect Your Money & Recover

• Months 0-1: Prioritize cash liquidity, assess all funds, simplify spending into essential, deferrable, and discretionary categories, and proactively engage lenders for loan restructuring.
• Months 2-3: Stabilize finances by reviewing housing costs and insurance policies, ensuring health and term life coverage remains active, and avoiding panic-selling long-term investments.
• Months 4-6: Actively rebuild income through short-term gigs, freelance work, or contract roles, strategically upskill based on market demand, and maintain an active professional network.
• Months 7-9: Reassess career goals, location, and pay expectations, start rebuilding emergency savings even with small contributions, and resist immediate lifestyle rebound spending.
• Months 10-12: Focus on long-term resilience by restoring a 6-9 month emergency fund, identifying and addressing past financial vulnerabilities, and ensuring a stable, not rushed, recovery.

Why It Matters: A structured 12-month plan can transform job loss panic into a manageable recovery sequence.