Between recovering from the holidays and trying to stick to your many resolutions, we know that you have a lot on your plate right now. To make it easier for you to have your best financial year yet, our pals at LearnVest put together a calendar of all the things you need to do this year to reach your financial goals. Check back every month for a new guide.
You can simply set calendar reminders for yourself, and start thinking about your "financial calendar" the way you do your social calendar. You'd never neglect to send your mom a birthday card after jotting it down on your calendar?so treat important tasks like saving for retirement, preparing for taxes, and donating to charity in the same way. Get ready for a much more organized month (and year)!
Here's what you should do in January...
Redo Your Budget
Look over your spending from the past year, and decide how you'd like to change your budget, based on such new goals as saving for a big purchase or paying down debt more quickly. When drawing up your budget, make sure that you factor in spending that occurs throughout the year, not just monthly, like car maintenance fees, veterinarian bills or insurance premiums.
Set Up New Savings Accounts
What are your goals for 2013? Do you want to start saving for a house or a new addition to the family? What about a fabulous trip to Europe? Figure out how much you need to save, and then create a separate savings account for these goals, so you can track your progress?and hold yourself accountable.
Automate Your Retirement Savings (or Change the Amount)
If you're not automating your retirement contributions, start now. Seriously. It's the easiest way to make sure that you get on track for retirement, and you won't be tempted to spend the money if it's automatically transferred to your account.
And if you were maxing out your Roth or Traditional IRA or your 401(k) last year, change your automated contribution amount, since the limit has increased for 2013 by $500 for all three types of accounts. For your IRA, change your contribution amount to $458.33; for your 401(k), increase it to $1,458.33.
Increase Your 401(k) Contributions
If you're not maxing out your 401(k), increase your contributions by 1%. While it doesn't seem like a lot now, compound interest will work its magic, so that the small percentage increase pays off down the road! If you got a raise, increase your contributions even more.
Use Your Year-End Bonus Wisely
We believe in rewarding yourself for hard work. So if you receive a year-end bonus, use 10% of it for something fun?and then use the remaining 90% wisely, putting it toward a financial priority like building emergency savings. If you didn't max out an IRA this year, you have until April 15th to do so, so consider this, too.
Decide on a Vacation Budget Now
Travel is one of the most common savings goals?and also one of the most expensive. Think about how much travel you'd like to do in 2013 (and when), and then come up with an appropriate budget. Remember that you shouldn't sacrifice your financial priorities?like saving for retirement or paying down debt?for travel.
Pay Your Taxes if You're a Freelancer, Small Biz Owner, or Self-Employed
You have until January 15th (today!) to pay your 4th quarter estimated tax payments for 2012.
Your Ultimate 2013 Financial Calendar | LearnVest
LearnVest's mission is to empower people everywhere to take control of their personal finances so that they can afford their dreams. They believe that financial planning should not be a luxury, which is why they've developed an advice-driven program that is personalized to your specific financial goals and situation. Take control of your money. Join LearnVest today.
Image remixed from Roman Sotola and photolinc (Shutterstock).
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