2026 Financial Kickstart

The start of a new year is more than just a calendar flip — it is the perfect natural time to assess your financial trajectory. While many people set broad resolutions, a systematic review of your financial life can ensure you are actually moving closer to your goals.

1. Reflect and Reset Your Goals

• Audit Your Progress: Did you meet the goals you set for last year? Identify strategies that worked well.
• Define New Targets: Assign new goals a priority and time horizon so they can be incorporated into your overall plan.
• Anticipate Life Changes: Are there major life events on the horizon — a marriage, job change, or retirement? Milestone ages often trigger specific planning rules.

2. Optimize Your Cash Flow & Benefits

• Income & Expenses: Do you expect your household income or expenses to change materially this year? Adjust your plan to reflect new realities.
• Employee Benefits: Ensure you are taking full advantage of your employer’s offerings — retirement accounts, HSAs, and FSAs.
• Use It or Lose It: Do you still have funds left in an FSA? Make a plan to spend them before the grace period expires.
• Spousal IRA: If your spouse does not have earned income, explore Spousal IRA options to boost household savings.

3. Strengthen Your Portfolio

• Risk Tolerance: Review your investment risk tolerance at the start of each year.
• Rebalancing: Rebalance your portfolio to get back to your target allocation, remembering to consider tax consequences.
• Asset Location: Hold tax-efficient investments in taxable accounts and tax-inefficient investments in tax-preferred accounts.

4. Tighten Your Safety Net

• Emergency Fund: Replenish your emergency fund after holiday spending if needed.
• Insurance Review: Review health, life, disability, and property insurance coverage — especially if you made home improvements or acquired new valuables.
• Estate Planning: Review your estate plan or the titling of your assets.

5. Tax Preparation & Opportunities

• Document Gathering: Start collecting tax forms and organizing documents now for your 2025 return.
• Last-Minute Contributions: You generally have until Tax Day to make an IRA contribution for the prior tax year.
• Roth Conversions: Consider if a Roth conversion would be beneficial this tax year.