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Another year has gone by and you may not have gotten your financial house in order. Whether you have been slacking or maybe not doing all you can, a new year provides an opportunity to start some financial best practices. Here are some easy places to start.
1. Max out your retirement contributions
Having money set aside (and hopefully compounding) for retirement is a good financial practice. If you have an employer that matches your 401(k) contribution, you should be maxing out that match, as it is basically free incremental money for you!
In 2026, all major contribution limits will increase, including up to $24,500 for 401(k) contributions, $72,000 for employee plus employer limits, and $7,500 for traditional and Roth IRAs.
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If you are over 50, look into adding a catch-up contribution (and if you are 60-63, those catch-ups are even larger)!
Toast to the new year, but start it off right by making important financial resolutions (iStock)
If you own your own business, including as a solopreneur, talk to your accountant or a TPA (third-party administrator) about setting up a defined-contribution or defined-benefit plan where you can put away up to six figures on a tax-deferred basis!
2. Prune your subscriptions
Yes, every business wants to rent your life back to you as a subscription plan, but that doesn’t mean you need to go along with it!
Look at your last 12 months of credit card and bank statements to find subscriptions you are no longer using or that you can slim down.
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Trim your streaming services. Switch to free versions of video or music that are ad-supported. Look at fitness or software that you might not be using. Even saving $20-$100 a month can be meaningful over a year’s time!
3. Renegotiate recurring bills
Our service providers love to raise fees on us, but they also do not like to lose business. From your cable, internet and cell phone providers to your insurance carriers, call them and tell them that you are thinking of switching. See if they will offer you a better rate for the year. If not, then do switch to another provider that will!
Making a few phone calls could net you hundreds or even thousands of dollars in savings!
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4. Get your family’s financial affairs in order
The new year is a perfect time to audit your family affairs. Do the relevant people have access to your own and your family’s wishes and information that are relevant to dealing with aging, medical emergencies or passing? If not, make sure you put those together in a legacy and wishes planning kit.
Ensure that all of your family members have in place critical documents, including wills, powers of attorney (both medical and property) and, if relevant, financial trusts.
Yes, every business wants to rent your life back to you as a subscription plan, but that doesn’t mean you need to go along with it!
Also audit insurance and financial accounts to make sure that beneficiaries are correct and make any changes if they are not, as designated beneficiaries supersede a will.
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Keep all of the information in a place that is known and accessible by those who need it. You can do it yourself, or if you need help getting started, use the kit I created for under $100 (called Future File).
5. Meet with a financial planner
Whether your goal is to buy a house or plan for retirement, having someone who can evaluate your objectives and risk tolerance is incredibly helpful. If you don’t have a financial planner, interview at least a few. If you do have one, make sure you meet with him to review your current goals and objectives.
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6. Consider hedges to your portfolio
Given the spending of the government and our country’s fraught fiscal foundation, it is good to consider hedges to your portfolio. Whether you are looking at precious metals or other alternative assets that can hedge against the deterioration of your purchasing power, consider a dollar-cost averaging program. This means you are purchasing at regular intervals, so over time your cost becomes averaged and you aren’t trying to time the market. Given the run-up in precious metals but also the concerns about the future, this program can make sense.
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For metals or other alternative hedging assets, seek out those that don’t have too high of a markup and make sure you are buying from reputable intermediaries. Having a financial advisor, as discussed above, can help with this.
Taking some easy and prudent steps in the new year can help make your 2026 financials a source of pride instead of a source of stress!
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM CAROL ROTH