J.P. Morgan Estimates a 60% Chance of a Recession in 2025. Do These 10 Things Now to Prepare Yourself Before it Starts.

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JP Morgan just dropped a pretty big update: there’s now a 60% chance of a U.S. recession by the end of the year.

They bumped up their forecast after the latest round of tariffs, warning it could mean higher inflation and slower growth. The last time tariffs were raised this much was in 1986 – and that led to a recession.

Bottom line: the economy could be heading for some rough waters, so now’s the time to get ahead of it.

Here are 10 things you can do right now to prepare before things get worse.

1. Cut your auto insurance payment by $450+/year.

Believe it or not, the average American family still overspends by $461¹ on car insurance.

(Sometimes it’s significantly more: I saved $1,300/year when I switched)

Here’s how to quickly see how much you’re being overcharged (takes maybe a couple of minutes):

• Pull up Coverage.com – it’s a free site that will compare offers for you
• Answer the questions on the page
• It’ll spit out a bunch of insurance offers for you.

That’s literally it. You’ll likely save yourself a bunch of money.

Here’s a link to Coverage.com

2. See if this company will pay off your credit card debt for you.

If you’ve got $10k+ in unsecured debt (think credit cards, medical bills, etc), you could use a debt relief program and potentially reduce it by around 23% (on average).

Here’s how to quickly see if you qualify for debt relief:

• Head to National Debt Relief’s site here
• Answer the questions on the page
• They’ll give you an estimate on how much they could save you.

Simple as that. You’ll likely end up paying less than you owed and could be debt free in 24-48 months.

Here’s a link to National Debt Relief.

3. If you own your home, you’re sitting on a gold mine.

If you own your home but are low on cash, you might want to look into a HELOC (home equity line of credit). It’s more/less a credit card, but you borrow against your home’s equity.

They usually have lower interest rates and more flexible terms that a typical loan would.

Here’s a calculator you can use to see how much money you could access: link.

4. Get a financial advisor right now.

One of the best things you can have in a financial crisis is a great advisor. 95% of people don’t have an advisor, and it’s typically a huge mistake.

There are huge benefits to having somebody pay attention to your money all the time:

• People with financial advisors tend to beat the market by ~3%/year (according to a 2019 Vanguard Study). That can make a huge difference over time.
• But more important: a good advisor will handle ALL of the annoying retirement stuff & bizarro tax implications you would have never thought of

If you don’t know a financial advisor personally, use a comparison site (like FinancialAdvisor.net) and find somebody near you that has good reviews.

Or if you want something easier, here’s a quiz you can fill out that will find an advisor/planner based on your reqs.

5. Let a company pay your home repair bills for you.

Picture this: your trusty furnace suddenly throws a tantrum in the dead of winter, leaving you shivering and facing a repair bill that could cost you way more than you anticipated.

If you had a home warranty, you could be covered the next time something breaks down. It’s like having a safety net for your home (think plumbing, electrical, appliances, etc).

If you don’t have one yet, Choice Home Warranty is one of the bigger companies out there.

Bonus: home warranty companies usually have qualified, pre-vetted maintenance and repair workers ready to get the job done (which is one less thing to worry about).

If you’re interested just enter your zip code here to find a home warranty plan. It could save you a bunch of money the next time something breaks down.

6. Get a new roof now, before prices rise

With tariffs ramping up, building costs may be about to increase dramatically.

So, if you’ve been putting off fixing your leaky roof, now is a great time to get it done.

If you have a minute right now, go to a site like HomeBuddy and they’ll give you a quick roof price estimate. It takes maybe 2 minutes at most, and doing it now could save you a ton of money in the long haul if prices skyrocket.

Here’s a link to see how much a new roof would cost you.

7. Stop paying for subscriptions you don’t use (Can save as much as $740/year).

We’ve all signed up for free trials and forgotten to cancel them. Stop paying for services you aren’t using!

Take a minute and get yourself a good cancellation app: I like Rocket Money (link here).

It’s an app that will put together a list of your subscriptions so you can pick/choose which ones to cancel.

They also have a premium service that will cancel them for you, if you’d like.

Here’s a link (it’s free).

8. Stop paying credit card interest payments until nearly 2027.

High-interest credit card payments can be a nightmare. Have you ever wished you could just take a break from them?

You actually might be able to. Many people may not know, but there’s a great way to avoid interest payments for over a year or more.

It’s called a balance transfer. In simple terms, you move your balance to a new credit card that offers a 0% intro APR for a set period of time, which could help you save on interest.

If you’re interested, here are a few great balance transfer cards to look into: link here.

9. Start getting paid for the time you spend on your phone.

Apps like Freecash will pay you to test new iOS/Android games on your phone.

Some games pay as much as $350 to testers. Here are a few examples right now (from Freecash‘s homepage):

You don’t need any kind of degree or any prior experience: all you really need is a smartphone (Android or IOS).

If you’re scrolling on your phone anyway, why not get paid for it?

I’ve used Freecash in the past – it’s solid. They also gave me a $5 bonus instantly when I installed my first game, which was nice.

10. Block almost all ads on your desktop, computer or phone.

If you aren’t using an ad blocker yet, you are missing out.

A good ad blocker will eliminate virtually all of the ads you’d see on the internet.

No more YouTube ads, no more banner ads, no more pop-up ads, etc.

Most people I know use Total Adblock (link here) – it’s $2.42/month, but there are plenty of solid options.

Ads also typically take a while to load, so using an ad blocker reduces loading times (typically by 50% or more). They also block ad tracking pixels to protect your privacy, which is nice.

Here’s a link to Total Adblock, if you’re interested.

11. Stop paying your credit card company.

If you’re stuck with credit card debt, you feel it. The high interest, the endless payments, the sinking feeling that you’re never getting ahead.

And let’s be honest—your credit card company isn’t on your side.  It’s making a fortune off you with interest rates that can hit 36%.

So how do you escape the vicious cycle? Look into getting a personal loan.

How it works: you take out a “personal loan” and use that loan to pay off your high-interest credit cards all in one fell swoop.

Then you’re just left with one single payment, and that payment usually has a lower rate than your high-interest CC debt did.

If you’re interested, here’s a free 3rd party site you can use to see if a personal loan could work for you: Bankrate.com

They let you compare personal loan options from multiple lenders to find the best rates.

The upside? You’ll have just one monthly payment. And because personal loans typically come with lower rates (Bankrate lenders offer options as low as 6.70% APR), you’ll get out of debt sooner. Plus, no credit card bill this month.

You don’t need perfect credit to check your options, and looking won’t hurt your score.

It takes less than 2 minutes to compare your options. No Social Security number required, just a real phone number (but don’t worry—they won’t spam you). Here’s a link to their site.

12. Get a better cash back credit card (you could earn up to 5%, depending on what you buy).

If you’re dealing with credit card debt, a 0% intro APR credit card could give you some much-needed relief. It’s actually a smart way to tackle your balances without the added weight of interest slowing you down.

On top of that, these credit cards offer an impressive up to 5% cash back on qualifying purchases.

Whether you’re in the midst of paying off debt, or just looking for a smarter way to shop, these cards are pretty great options. You might be surprised at just how much you can actually save, check it out here.

13. Quit missing out on huge discounts.

You’ve probably heard of AARP, but here’s something I didn’t know until recently: you don’t have to be over 50 to join. While a few perks are reserved for the 50+ crowd, there are still plenty of benefits worth checking out.

They offer discounts on a ton of stuff – dining, travel, gas, groceries, entertainment, etc. So if you like saving money (who doesn’t?), it’s worth checking out.

Membership is ~$16/year, but if you make the most of their offers, it pretty much pays for itself. 

Plus, they have some solid resources and tools that can come in handy for things like managing finances or planning for the future.

Not saying it’s for everyone, but if you like getting a good deal, it might be worth a look. Head to their site here.

14. Missing out on $1,000+ a year because you weren’t in the loop.

The internet is huge, which means there are amazing money-making opportunities that pop up almost every day.

But most of them expire or sell out so fast that the public doesn’t have a chance to hear about them.

For example: back in September, there was a company offering $2,500/month for someone to literally watch shows on Netflix. Unsurprisingly, the role was filled so fast before most people knew it existed.

What if you could get access to great deals/money-making opportunities before other people do?

I spend every day looking for great ways to save/earn money, and whenever I find something really lucrative, I send out a text to our Betterbuck VIPs list first. (You can join it below, it’s 100% free)

It’s a great way to get tips about time-sensitive opportunities and deals before the rest of the country has time to hear about them.

You can join the list here:

That’s all (for now).

Those are my top savings tips for the time being, but I’ll keep adding to this article as I find new tips for you.

Thanks for reading!

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*Clients who are able to stay with the program and get all their debt settled realize approximate savings of 46% before fees, or 25% including our fees, over 24 to 48 months. All claims are based on enrolled debts. Not all debts are eligible for enrollment. Not all clients complete our program for various reasons, including their ability to save sufficient funds. Estimates based on prior results, which will vary based on specific circumstances. We do not guarantee that your debts will be lowered by a specific amount or percentage or that you will be debt-free within a specific period of time. We do not assume consumer debt, make monthly payments to creditors or provide tax, bankruptcy, accounting or legal advice or credit repair services. Not available in all states. Please contact a tax professional to discuss tax consequences of settlement. Please consult with a bankruptcy attorney for more information on bankruptcy. Depending on your state, we may be available to recommend a local tax professional and/or bankruptcy attorney. Read and understand all program materials prior to enrollment, including potential adverse impact on credit rating.” 

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