You\u2019d like to make this year your year. It\u2019s time to get your mind, body and money in line. While you can download a meditation app or stream workout videos online, you might still feel unsure about one of your biggest goals: building wealth. Nobody taught you how to manage money when you were growing up. So should you abandon your New Year\u2019s resolution before the ball even drops?<\/p>\n
Absolutely not.<\/p>\n
According to Latina wealth activist<\/a> and RQZA founder Lea Landaverde<\/a>, there\u2019s no time like the present to give yourself the gift of financial independence \u2014 even if you are starting from scratch. GOBankingRates caught up with Landaverde to learn which wealth-building habits<\/a> matter most for people at the beginning of their financial journeys and how small, consistent steps can add up once the confetti from their New Year\u2019s parties has been swept away<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you decided to take up running in the new year, you wouldn\u2019t expect yourself to suddenly run a six-minute mile. You\u2019d start with the basics \u2014 learning proper form, pacing yourself and building endurance over time. The same principle applies to building wealth.<\/p>\n Explore More: I\u2019m a Financial Advisor: My Wealthiest Clients All Do These 3 Things<\/a><\/p>\n Find Out: How You Could Pocket an Extra $2K* This Holiday Season \u2014 Just for Signing Up for This All-in-One Finance App<\/a><\/p>\n Landaverde wants you to get a clear understanding of exactly where you stand financially, including how much money you have in core accounts such as checking, savings and any employer-sponsored retirement accounts<\/a>.<\/p>\n From there, focus on building an emergency fund. Even a small cushion, like a few hundred dollars, can help move you out of crisis mode when an unexpected expense hits. With this foundation in place, you can begin tackling debt. Review your credit card statements or any loans you have to identify what you owe and where interest is costing you the most.<\/p>\n \u201cLook at high-interest debt with honesty, not shame, and make a simple plan for it,\u201d Landaverde said.<\/p>\n That plan might include exploring popular repayment strategies, such as the snowball<\/a> or avalanche methods, or working with a financial planner or credit counselor.<\/p>\n Another basic task Landaverde recommends early on is automating<\/a> wherever you can.<\/p>\n \u201cAutomate one thing, whether it\u2019s savings or investing<\/a>,\u201d she said. \u201cThese small steps create real momentum when you\u2019re starting from scratch.\u201d<\/p>\n When you\u2019re learning how to manage and grow your money for the first time, it\u2019s easy to feel behind, especially when comparing yourself with peers who may have grown up with more financial guidance. But shame and self-doubt will not help you build wealth faster.<\/p>\n Story continues <\/p>\n Landaverde encourages you to remember that you\u2019re building skills nobody taught you. Your willingness to learn \u2014 even when it feels uncomfortable \u2014 is powerful and something to be proud of.<\/p>\n \u201cWealth is a skill you learn, not something you\u2019re either \u2018good\u2019 or \u2018bad\u2019 at,\u201d she said. \u201cFocus on being consistent, not perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n She also emphasizes that first-generation Americans often underestimate their strengths.<\/p>\n \u201cGive yourself credit \u2014 first-gen folks are some of the most resourceful people out there,\u201d she said. \u201cThat resilience absolutely translates to wealth-building.\u201d<\/p>\n Before you can grow your wealth over time, you need a financial safety net. That includes a starter emergency fund<\/a>, appropriate insurance for your life stage and responsibilities, and healthy credit habits.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve got these pieces in place, you can get more strategically adventurous, like investing even a small amount every month.<\/p>\n \u201cIt builds confidence, and time does the heavy lifting,\u201d Landaverde said.<\/p>\n You\u2019ve probably heard the saying that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. In personal finance, those steps are clearer when you know where you\u2019re headed. Landaverde recommends setting long-term goals to provide direction, while also creating short-term milestones that keep you motivated.<\/p>\n \u201cSet long-term goals so you have a direction, not just vibes,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd check in with your plan every year. Life changes, and your money plan should evolve with you.\u201d<\/p>\n For people who were never taught how to manage money, the idea of building wealth might come with discomfort \u2014 like they\u2019re rejecting their families or communities of origin. But Landaverde wants readers to give themselves permission to build wealth on their own terms.<\/p>\n \u201cMany of us are carrying responsibilities others never had to think about, and that doesn\u2019t make us \u2018behind,’\u201d she said. \u201cIt makes us strong, intentional and deeply aware of why this work matters. Wealth isn\u2019t just money \u2014 it\u2019s peace, options and rewriting the story for the next generation. And you\u2019re already on that path.\u201d<\/p>\n Growing your wealth can feel insurmountably hard if you haven\u2019t been taught how to manage money. But it doesn\u2019t have to be. If you start with the basics, protect yourself, set clear goals and adjust your mindset, you can begin building a more secure financial future \u2014 one wealth-building habit at a time.<\/p>\n Need a little extra holiday magic in your budget? MoneyLion, a sister company of GOBankingRates, is giving away $2,000 a day through Jan. 24, 2026. Sign up here<\/a> and see if this festive windfall lands under your tree.<\/p>\n More From GOBankingRates<\/p>\n This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com<\/a>: 5 Wealth-Building Habits To Start in 2026 \u2014 Even if No One Ever Taught You About Money<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"You\u2019d like to make this year your year. It\u2019s time to get your mind, body and money in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":369584,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[158212,57540,45,49,48,133,46700,158211,158210,158213,131,132,76169],"class_list":{"0":"post-369583","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-personal-finance","8":"tag-building-endurance","9":"tag-building-wealth","10":"tag-business","11":"tag-ca","12":"tag-canada","13":"tag-finance","14":"tag-financial-independence","15":"tag-how-to-manage-money","16":"tag-lea-landaverde","17":"tag-new-years-resolution","18":"tag-personal-finance","19":"tag-personalfinance","20":"tag-wealth-building"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/369583","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=369583"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/369583\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/369584"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=369583"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=369583"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=369583"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}