Even financial advisers make money-related New Year\u2019s resolutions. So we asked 10 of them: What financial resolutions are you making for 2026?<\/p>\n
\u201cMy resolution is to stay disciplined about investing consistently every month and not trying to time the market. Even with experience, it\u2019s easy to get distracted by headlines and short-term moves. I\u2019ve seen again and again that steady, regular investing through different market cycles leads to better long-term outcomes than waiting for the perfect moment,\u201d says Jack Fu, CEO of Draco Evolution, a financial technology firm that uses AI-driven ETF strategies.<\/p>\n
Lean into automation<\/p>\n
\u201cThis year, my resolutions are mostly about making money work smarter and more purposefully. I\u2019m continuing to automate as many processes and financial tasks as possible \u2014\u00a0savings, investments, rebalancing, bill pay and cash flow systems. I\u2019ve found that automation dramatically reduces mistakes, procrastination and emotional decision making. It keeps me on track even when I\u2019m overwhelmed with other tasks, but it\u2019s important to review those automations periodically to make sure they still align with my goals,\u201d says certified financial planner Don Grant.<\/p>\n
Invest in my health \u2014 which could help my finances\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIn finance, we talk about risk management and the single greatest risk to my ability to generate income and enjoy my life is my health. As an older dad with a unique spread of children \u2014 a 9-month-old baby, a 15-year-old and a 19-year-old \u2014 I don\u2019t have the luxury of slowing down. I\u2019ve committed to competing in two HYROX fitness races in 2026. This isn\u2019t vanity, it\u2019s an investment in my health and lifespan,\u201d says Scott G. Kyle, chief investment officer at Coastwise Capital Group.<\/p>\n
Establish an estate plan<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s time for my husband and I to establish an estate plan. We bought a home in 2025 and although our financial situation is straightforward for the time being, our finances will only get more complicated. By creating a revocable trust, wills, powers of attorney and advanced healthcare directives now, we\u2019ll ensure our wishes are clear, our loved ones are taken care of and legal complications are minimized. If I get overwhelmed, I\u2019ll remind myself that we can always amend the documents in the future, the most important step is simply setting it up,\u201d says Hallie Kraus, certified financial planner at Treehouse Wealth Advisors.<\/p>\n
Cut back on discretionary spending<\/p>\n
\u201cI eat out too much which is a big expense. I can afford it, but it\u2019s a waste of money. I\u2019m planning on cutting back in that area for both financial and health reasons,\u201d says certified financial planner Joe Favorito at Landmark Wealth Management.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Increase contributions<\/p>\n
\u201cI am aiming to increase contributions to my children\u2019s college savings accounts. With the significant rise in the cost of living, I am concerned that the funds I have set aside may not be sufficient to cover their living and tuition expenses if they decide to pursue higher education. I recognize that saving even a dollar today, rather than waiting two years, allows more time for the investment to grow. Even modest additional contributions, beyond what I am currently saving, are preferable to doing nothing at all,\u201d says Mandy Kelso, head of financial education at TD Bank.<\/p>\n
Pay fast, buy slow<\/p>\n
\u201cOne thing I\u2019ve been pretty good at lately and want to stick to is the \u2018pay fast, buy slow\u2019 method. This resolution could solve a lot of problems for consumers who can be impulsive during their shopping and slow to make payments. If I see an item that I want, I do my research and then take a 24 to 48 hour break from it to ensure that I actually want the item and that I\u2019m purchasing at the right time, at a competitive price, from a reliable retailer. I also pay my bills as they arrive so I\u2019m never behind,\u201d says Bobby Ghoshal, CEO of Dupe.com, an AI shopping tool.<\/p>\n
Update estate and protection planning<\/p>\n
\u201cTwo resolutions I always prioritize are updating estate and protection planning and aligning money with time and goals. Life changes like getting married, having children or other major life events often require updates to beneficiaries, insurance and estate documents. Equally important is making sure investments match current goals and time horizon,\u201d says certified financial planner Ryan Haiss at Flynn Zito Capital Management.<\/p>\n
Make disciplined decisions<\/p>\n
\u201cA money-related New Year\u2019s resolution I am personally making this year is to recommit to my discipline in financial decision making. If I lean away from disciplined decisions, I will find myself in decisions made by default and that environment won\u2019t support successful financial outcomes in 2026. The balance of increased wages, stubborn inflation, combined with the desires for Americans to invest more will require astute financial discipline,\u201d says Umberto Leone, financial adviser at Edward Jones.<\/p>\n
Reassess our 529 plans<\/p>\n
\u201cMy biggest financial resolution is being more intentional with how we use our 529 plans now that we have two kids in college at the same time. Our senior is just now getting college letters. When you\u2019re saving for college, it\u2019s easy to think the hard part is over once the money\u2019s there. The reality is, how and when you use a 529 matters just as much as how you fund it. There are tax credits to coordinate, timing issues with distributions, investment risk to manage and real cash flow decisions to make each semester. It gets more complex when you\u2019re juggling two different students, two different timelines and often two different 529 accounts. My resolution is to slow it down, plan each withdrawal deliberately and make sure we\u2019re using the 529s in a tax-smart, investment-smart way, not just a convenient way,\u201d says certified financial planner Mark Struthers at Sona Wealth Advisors.\u00a0<\/p>\n
How to stick to your resolutions<\/p>\n
\u201cAccept progress, not perfection. The quickest way to quash a good resolution is to set an impossible threshold. The first sign of disappointment can discourage you from continuing. You will fall off track temporarily. Reset and restart,\u201d says Grant.<\/p>\n
And when it comes to financial goals specifically, Struthers recommends starting small. \u201cLet small wins compound. Start tracking spending before trying to implement a spartan budget. Automate one good decision like increasing savings 1% or setting up a weekly transfer. Pick one keystone habit that makes everything else easier. Consistency beats intensity every time,\u201d says Struthers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Even financial advisers make money-related New Year\u2019s resolutions. So we asked 10 of them: What financial resolutions are…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":207100,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[8133,138,44547,47880,246,47877,4039,47884,329,47879,19867,126444,263,4188,101226,47876,111,139,69,244,245,126450,29039,126448,126445,126446,126449,126447,19201,11418],"class_list":{"0":"post-207099","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-personal-finance","8":"tag-analysis","9":"tag-business","10":"tag-corporate","11":"tag-corporate-industrial-news","12":"tag-finance","13":"tag-financial-investment-services","14":"tag-financial-services","15":"tag-industrial-news","16":"tag-investing","17":"tag-investing-securities","18":"tag-investment-advice","19":"tag-investment-advice-research-services","20":"tag-lifestyle","21":"tag-living","22":"tag-living-lifestyle","23":"tag-mpsmartasset","24":"tag-new-zealand","25":"tag-newzealand","26":"tag-nz","27":"tag-personal-finance","28":"tag-personalfinance","29":"tag-research-services","30":"tag-securities","31":"tag-selection-of-top-stories","32":"tag-selection-of-top-stories-trends-analysis","33":"tag-suggested-reading-industry-news","34":"tag-suggested-reading-investing","35":"tag-suggested-reading-investing-securities","36":"tag-synd","37":"tag-trends"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/207099","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=207099"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/207099\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/207100"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=207099"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=207099"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=207099"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}