New Year Financial Checklist

As the new year begins, it's a great time to go through this financial checklist to ensure your finances are in order.

1. Review Your Budget

Is your current monthly budget working for you? Are you stretching some spending categories or finishing each month in the red? Take some time to review your budget and make any necessary changes.

2. Top Off Your Retirement Plan

If you have a 401(k), check to see that you are taking full advantage of your employer’s matching contributions.

If you have an IRA, you have until April 15 to scrape together the maximum contribution of $6,000, with an additional $1,000 if you are 50 years or older.

3. Check Your Progress on Paying Down Debt

Review your outstanding debts from one year ago and hold up the amounts against what you now owe. Have you shed any debt from one year ago, or is your debt growing? If you've made no progress, or your debt has deepened, consider taking bigger steps toward paying it down in 2022, such as consolidating your debt with a Debt Consolidation Loan from Community Resource Credit Union.

4. Get a Free Copy of Your Annual Credit Report

It’s is an excellent time for an annual credit checkup. Remember that you can only request a free copy of your credit report from all three credit reporting agencies once a year. Get your annual credit report here, and look for fraudulent charges and other signs of possible identity theft.

5. Review Your Investments and Asset Allocation

You may need to make some adjustments to your mix of stocks, bonds, cash, and other investments to reflect your personal financial goals better or the current state of the economy and market.

6. Review Your Beneficiaries

Has your family situation changed during the past year? If it has, be sure to switch the beneficiaries on your accounts and life insurance policies to accommodate these changes.

7. Review Your Tax Withholdings

Review your W-4 to see if the amount of tax withheld from each paycheck needs to be adjusted. If you’re not a numbers person, ask your accountant for help.

Use this checklist to make sure your money matters are in order.