Appendix E: The Master Checklist

Every action item in this book, in one place, organized by when to do it.

Do not attempt all of these. There are several hundred. Pick three, do them, come back.

If you want a starting three, take these: 1. Get the full employer 401(k) match — the highest guaranteed return available to you 2. Freeze your credit and set up a password manager — free, one afternoon, eliminates most identity theft risk 3. Build the irregular expense fund — converts financial emergencies into annoyances

⏱ The 30-Minute Wins

Highest value per minute. If you do nothing else, do these.

☐ Get the full 401(k) match. Log in, check the formula, raise your contribution. (Ch. 1) ☐ Freeze your credit at all three bureaus. Free. And your children's. (Ch. 4) ☐ Check your registration at vote.org. (Ch. 29) ☐ Check missingmoney.com for unclaimed property. (Ch. 2) ☐ Take your Social Security card out of your wallet. (Ch. 30) ☐ Photograph everything in your wallet, front and back, stored encrypted. (Ch. 30) ☐ Turn off overdraft coverage. (Ch. 3) ☐ Set a low-balance alert at $100. (Ch. 3) ☐ Name beneficiaries on every bank, retirement, and insurance account. (Ch. 30) ☐ Test every smoke and CO alarm. Check the manufacture date. (Ch. 31) ☐ Locate and photograph your water shutoff, gas shutoff, and breaker panel. (Ch. 11) ☐ Sign up for local emergency alerts. (Ch. 31) ☐ Save the crisis numbers: 988 · 741741 · 211 · 1-800-799-7233 · 1-800-222-1222 (Appendix B) ☐ Set a family safe word against voice-cloning scams. (Ch. 32) ☐ Call your carrier and add a port-out lock. (Ch. 32) ☐ Set your water heater to 120°F. (Ch. 11) ☐ Complete a healthcare proxy. Free form, 20 minutes. (Ch. 30)

💵 Money

Income (Ch. 1) ☐ Read every line of your pay stub ☐ Calculate your take-home percentage ☐ Verify your hours match your own records ☐ Find your 401(k) match formula and take it in full ☐ Run the IRS withholding estimator at irs.gov/W4app ☐ Create a ssa.gov account and verify your earnings record ☐ Audit every benefit you're enrolled in and eligible for ☐ Split your direct deposit so savings happens automatically ☐ If self-employed: open a separate TAXES account, set aside 28% of every payment ☐ Build the total compensation worksheet

Budgeting (Ch. 2) ☐ Read your top twenty transactions from last month ☐ Calculate your real monthly net income ☐ Calculate your fixed obligation rate ☐ Categorize three months of transactions ☐ Build the irregular expense list and open a separate account for it ☐ Set up the Two-Account system with automatic transfers ☐ Do the subscription audit — twelve months of statements ☐ Call every creditor and move due dates to match paydays ☐ Check eligibility for EITC, SNAP, LIHEAP, Saver's Credit, employer benefits ☐ Build the emergency fund: $1,000 first, then 3–6 months

Banking (Ch. 3) ☐ Audit twelve months of fees ☐ Open a high-yield savings account and move your emergency fund ☐ Find a credit union you're eligible for ☐ Archive twelve months of statements as PDFs ☐ Move online purchases and gas off your debit card ☐ Make Venmo private ☐ Pull your ChexSystems report

Credit (Ch. 4) ☐ Pull all three reports at annualcreditreport.com ☐ Read them line by line and list every error ☐ File disputes and calendar the 30-day deadline ☐ Find every card's statement closing date; pay before it ☐ Calculate utilization per card and overall ☐ Request credit limit increases ☐ Set every account to autopay at least the minimum ☐ If building from zero: secured card + one small recurring charge + autopay

Debt (Ch. 5) ☐ Build the complete debt table ☐ Read the minimum payment disclosure on your card statement ☐ Check studentaid.gov and run the loan simulator ☐ Check PSLF eligibility; certify employment annually ☐ Choose avalanche or snowball; write down the order ☐ Send validation letters to every collector ☐ Look up your state's statute of limitations ☐ Call about hardship programs before missing a payment

Taxes (Ch. 6) ☐ Calculate your effective and marginal rates ☐ Confirm your filing status is optimal ☐ Create an IRS online account ☐ Download three years of transcripts ☐ Check Direct File / Free File / VITA eligibility ☐ Build the tax folder ☐ If unfiled years: pull transcripts, get prior-year forms, file oldest first ☐ If self-employed: calendar the four quarterly dates

Investing (Ch. 7) ☐ Find the expense ratio of every fund you own ☐ Open a Roth IRA and actually buy something in it ☐ Set up automatic monthly contributions ☐ Consolidate to a target-date fund or three-fund portfolio ☐ Find and roll over old 401(k)s ☐ Check any advisor on brokercheck.finra.org and ask the fiduciary question in writing ☐ Write a one-page investment policy statement ☐ Invest your HSA if it's sitting in cash

Insurance (Ch. 8) ☐ Read every declarations page ☐ Raise auto liability to at least 100/300/100 ☐ Confirm replacement cost, not actual cash value ☐ Buy renters insurance if you don't have it ☐ Do the home inventory video and store it in the cloud ☐ Shop auto insurance — three quotes ☐ Check your disability coverage and who pays the premium ☐ Check your flood risk at msc.fema.gov/portal ☐ Get term life quotes if anyone depends on your income ☐ Price a $1M umbrella policy ☐ Cancel phone insurance and extended warranties

🏠 Housing

Finding (Ch. 9) ☐ Calculate your real housing budget, all-in ☐ Write must-have / nice-to-have / deal-breaker lists ☐ Build the complete application packet ☐ Verify property ownership on the county assessor site before paying anything ☐ Use the inspection checklist at every showing ☐ Visit the neighborhood at three different times ☐ Drive the commute at commute time ☐ Search the landlord's name plus "reviews" and "lawsuit" ☐ If roommates: write the agreement before signing anything

Leases (Ch. 10) ☐ Download your state's landlord-tenant handbook ☐ Find your state's deposit return deadline ☐ Read your lease against the twelve clauses ☐ Calendar the renewal notice deadline ☐ Save legal aid and tenant rights numbers before you need them ☐ Do a documentation pass with dated photos ☐ Move all landlord communication to writing ☐ Build the tenancy file

Setup (Ch. 11) ☐ Locate and photograph all shutoffs ☐ Test every detector ☐ Buy your own modem and router ☐ Call the ISP retention department ☐ Request your utility deposit back after 12 months ☐ Build the basic tool kit ☐ Join Buy Nothing and Freecycle ☐ Install weatherstripping and a door sweep

Maintenance (Ch. 12) ☐ Label the breaker panel ☐ Do the toilet food-coloring test; replace flappers ☐ Note your HVAC filter size; set a replacement reminder ☐ Test every GFCI ☐ Clean the dryer vent ☐ Set up the seasonal maintenance calendar ☐ Start a home log ☐ Find a plumber, electrician, and HVAC contractor before you need one

Cleaning (Ch. 13) ☐ Build the supply kit ☐ Clean your washing machine and dishwasher filter ☐ Set the weekly cleaning appointment ☐ If overwhelmed: fifteen-minute timer, one trash bag

Moving (Ch. 14) ☐ Find your notice period and calendar the date ☐ Build the change-of-address checklist ☐ Verify any mover at fmcsa.dot.gov ☐ Pack the first-night box last ☐ Fill nail holes before move-out ☐ Photograph the empty, clean unit with a timestamp ☐ Provide a forwarding address in writing ☐ Update your driver's license within your state's deadline

🏥 Health

Insurance (Ch. 15) ☐ Write down your six numbers ☐ Calculate your worst case: OOP max + annual premiums ☐ Photograph your insurance card ☐ Check your formulary for every medication ☐ Verify every provider in-network, three ways ☐ Read your Summary of Benefits and Coverage ☐ Check Medicaid eligibility ☐ Price a marketplace plan even if you have employer coverage ☐ Calendar open enrollment

Navigating (Ch. 16) ☐ Get a primary care doctor while you're healthy ☐ Find your nearest in-network urgent care (home and work) ☐ Find your insurer's nurse advice line ☐ Build your medication and allergy list ☐ Write your one-page health history ☐ Schedule preventive care ☐ Set up every patient portal ☐ Request your medical records and check for errors

Bills (Ch. 17) ☐ Gather every outstanding bill ☐ Match each to its EOB ☐ Request itemized bills with codes ☐ Apply for financial assistance at every nonprofit facility ☐ Look up Medicare rates for your largest codes ☐ Negotiate, then set up an interest-free payment plan ☐ Build the billing file with a call log

Mental health (Ch. 18) ☐ Save 988 and 741741 ☐ Find your EAP — most people don't know they have one ☐ Take a free screening at mhanational.org ☐ Book three consultations, not one ☐ Ask about sliding scale and superbills ☐ Write your bad-day plan while you're having a good day

💼 Career

☐ Convert résumé duties into accomplishments with numbers (Ch. 19) ☐ Google yourself in a private window ☐ Update LinkedIn completely ☐ Send three informational interview requests ☐ Build the application tracker ☐ Find three niche job boards for your field ☐ Write your 90-second intro (Ch. 20) ☐ Write eight STAR stories ☐ Record yourself answering five questions and watch it back ☐ Fix your video interview lighting and camera height ☐ Prepare five questions for interviewers ☐ Start an accomplishment log and update it monthly (Ch. 21) ☐ Read your employment agreement — non-compete, IP, arbitration, repayment ☐ Ask your manager how they want to be updated ☐ Ask for feedback: "What's one thing I could do better?" ☐ Book your PTO on the actual calendar ☐ Research your market rate from three sources (Ch. 22) ☐ Set your three numbers: target, walk-away, ask ☐ Rehearse the ask out loud and practice the four-second silence ☐ Write the salary deflection scripts ☐ Find your vesting dates and bonus payment dates (Ch. 23) ☐ Download all documents from work systems ☐ Bookmark your state's unemployment filing page ☐ Build the reference list with permission confirmed ☐ Locate and roll over old 401(k)s ☐ Calculate your runway in months

🍳 Food and Health

☐ Inventory your kitchen against the essentials list (Ch. 24) ☐ Check whether your knife is sharp ☐ Check your fridge is at or below 40°F ☐ Stock the pantry staples ☐ Roast a tray of vegetables at 425°F ☐ Cook three of the ten meals ☐ Practice the seasoning fix: salt, then acid ☐ Batch cook one Sunday ☐ Audit your supplements on Examine.com (Ch. 25) ☐ Walk 10 minutes a day for one week — that's all ☐ Pick five strength movements; do two sessions a week ☐ Set a consistent wake time ☐ Get 10 minutes of morning daylight ☐ Get bloodwork if it's been a few years

🚗 Transportation

☐ Calculate your true annual car cost (Ch. 26) ☐ Price the alternative — transit, cycling, rideshare ☐ Get pre-approved at a credit union before shopping ☐ Get an independent trade-in offer ☐ Practice: "I'd rather focus on the out-the-door price" ☐ Write your finance-office no list ☐ Check recalls at nhtsa.gov by VIN (Ch. 27) ☐ Do the five-minute check: tires, fluids, lights ☐ Penny-test your tires ☐ Find out if you have a spare, and whether it's inflated ☐ Look up whether your engine has a timing belt ☐ Download your owner's manual and find the maintenance schedule ☐ Start a maintenance log ☐ Practice changing a tire in your driveway ☐ Build the car emergency kit ☐ Save the 12-step accident checklist in your phone

☐ Save legal aid and your state bar referral numbers (Ch. 28) ☐ Find your small claims limit and procedure ☐ Read one contract you've already signed ☐ Bookmark the complaint portals: FTC, CFPB, EEOC, OSHA, state AG ☐ Practice the police script out loud ☐ Write a demand letter template ☐ Check registration at vote.org (Ch. 29) ☐ Look up your voting leave law ☐ View your actual ballot at Ballotpedia or Vote411 ☐ List every representative — federal through school board ☐ Attend one local government meeting ☐ Do the document inventory (Ch. 30) ☐ Order missing documents ☐ Scan everything and store it encrypted ☐ Complete healthcare proxy, living will, durable POA, and a will ☐ Audit every beneficiary designation ☐ Set up digital legacy contacts ☐ Buy and set up a fireproof safe ☐ Check your REAL ID status

🚨 Emergency and Digital

☐ Look up your local hazards at hazards.fema.gov/nri (Ch. 31) ☐ Build the emergency kit — water, food, light, power, first aid, cash ☐ Write the paper contact list ☐ Make the household plan: meeting places, out-of-area contact, routes ☐ Practice the fire escape, including at night ☐ Build go-bags with a week of medications ☐ Take a CPR and first aid class ☐ Check haveibeenpwned.com (Ch. 32) ☐ Install a password manager ☐ Change your email password and turn on 2FA on email ☐ Turn on 2FA everywhere; save all backup codes ☐ Add a carrier port-out lock ☐ Do the subscription audit ☐ Search your own name in a private window ☐ Do the phone and social media privacy pass ☐ Start data broker opt-outs ☐ Set up backups and test a restore ☐ Get an IRS Identity Protection PIN

🐾 Pets, People, Life

☐ Calculate the fifteen-year cost before adopting (Ch. 33) ☐ Read your lease's pet policy ☐ Verify and update microchip registration ☐ Find your emergency vet and put it on the fridge ☐ Name a backup caretaker and give them a key ☐ Remove toxins — lilies, xylitol, antifreeze ☐ Write the four-part structure for a conversation you're avoiding (Ch. 34) ☐ Practice saying no out loud ☐ Have the conversation ☐ Set one boundary and enforce it ☐ Have the full money conversation with your partner (Ch. 35) ☐ Decide your splitting model — equal or proportional ☐ Have the "what if this ends" conversation ☐ If unmarried: get the healthcare proxy, POA, and will ☐ Write down your three goals with implementation intentions (Ch. 36) ☐ Track your time for one week ☐ Message one dormant friend ☐ Make one specific invitation ☐ Join one recurring thing and commit to three months ☐ Protect one block of time

📅 The Recurring Schedule

Monthly ☐ Update the accomplishment log ☐ Check the HVAC filter ☐ Test GFCIs ☐ Five-minute car check ☐ Review the budget

Quarterly ☐ Test smoke and CO alarms ☐ Check under sinks for leaks ☐ Update the Operating System ☐ Review your three goals ☐ Pull a credit report (staggered across bureaus)

Twice yearly (daylight saving time) ☐ Replace detector batteries ☐ Rotate emergency kit and go-bag supplies ☐ Reverse ceiling fans ☐ Review the emergency plan ☐ Practice the fire escape

Annually ☐ Verify beneficiaries on every account ☐ Verify voter registration ☐ Run the IRS withholding estimator ☐ Shop insurance — auto, renters/home ☐ Check your savings APY ☐ Check your market salary rate ☐ Do the subscription audit ☐ Data broker opt-outs ☐ Water heater flush and relief valve test ☐ Clean the dryer vent ☐ Full Operating System review

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