This week, I cover the top three signs of financial stability. Over the course of my career, I’ve seen thousands of different financial situations—good and bad. These three signs have consistently been apparent in the good ones.

* At least three months’ of expenses saved. An emergency fund. Seems simple enough right? From my experience, it can sometimes take people years to keep that amount in a savings account. You really need to go out of your way to make sure this is a lump sum completely separate from the cash account you use for everyday purchases. Start by just saving one month of expenses first. Work your way up to three as soon as you can.

* At least a 20% Power Percentage™. Don’t know your Power Percentage™? Read more about it here or listen to my podcast about it. The quickest and easiest way to bump up your percentage is to increase your retirement contributions.

* A clear understanding of your #1 financial goal. In other words, for the next extra dollar that comes into your household, do you have a plan for exactly where it will go? No matter what is happening in your life, keep at least one goal for your finances. Don’t let yourself become stagnant. If you’ve just hit a rough patch, your first goal is to rebuild your emergency fund. If you just paid off a large debt, have a plan for where the extra money will be going now that it’s not going to a monthly payment. I get it, bad stuff will happen, but you cannot let instability set in.

Ready to create stability in your life? Make the decision to take these steps today.