Money Habits

The New Year holiday creates a feeling of starting fresh and encourages us to set new goals. While diets come to mind, setting new financial goals should be on the top of our lists. As you reflect on the past year, focus on your experiences – build on what worked and what didn’t – to shape this year’s money habits. Here are some ideas to consider as you set your financial goals for the New Year.

New Year, New Savings Account- Decide on the type of savings account that will meet your goal and commit to depositing a set amount on a regular basis to get into the habit of saving.

Save and Invest

Pay Down That Old Debt in the New Year- make a list of your debts, noting the monthly payment, current balance, and interest rate, and plan to start paying down the debts.

Get Organized- Some basic tasks to help you get organized include making a budget, tracking your spending, and putting a system in place to ensure you pay your bills on time every month. Be sure to monitor your credit card and bank statements for any unexpected fees or unusual activity too.

Protect Your Money All Year, Every Year- protect yourself from online scams and theft is to change your passwords regularly. If you have been using the same passwords for your financial accounts for a while, create new difficult-to-guess passwords and change them often to keep your money safe.