12 Grown-Up Money Things to Handle Before the Year Ends
This time of year you’re probably a strange blend of festive, overwhelmed, and politely responding to every work email with, “Let’s circle back in the new year.” Personally, I’m adding a dash of decision fatigue to the holiday recipe as I sit here debating between four varieties of wrapping paper my niece will destroy in three seconds flat without acknowledging my artistic vision.
December is also when we mindlessly tap our credit cards through half our problems and accidentally skip the tiny financial choices that could make next year feel way easier.
So in the spirit of adulting, here’s my remix of The Twelve Days of Christmas 🎄:
“On the 12th day of adulting, my money friend made me… do ONE extremely reasonable thing that future me will be grateful for.”
And let me be clear: this is not another “4 smart money moves before 2025 ends” 🙄 list that leaves you feeling vaguely guilty and directionless.
Don’t celebrate Christmas but still like having more money? Perfect. This list is still for you.
Here are the rules:
Pick one.
Do it before the year ends.
Let January show up to a life that already has financial momentum.
The UPDATED 2026 Beginner Investing Guide comes out next week! Grab the existing one HERE and I’ll send you the new one when it’s ready.
1. Figure out if you’re on track to retire using THIS free calculator.
Instead of wondering if you’re on track to retire, what if you spent 20 minutes to figure it out?
The amount of money you need to retire is not $1M, $2M or whatever the latest article you read says you need. It totally depends on YOU—your lifestyle, your timeline, your goals. Thankfully, my favorite tool to help you calculate this is free and I can walk you through it step by step in this YouTube video here.
I have gotten more positive feedback about this one video than most other content I’ve shared because of the clarity it creates.
Once you input your numbers you’ll be able to see a range of possible outcomes, your projected retirement age, whether you’re on track, and how much you need to tweak to move the needle.
2. Update your contributions for the new 2026 retirement limits.
The IRS released the new retirement contribution limits for 2026:
401(k), 403(b), TSP employee contribution: $24,500
Catch-up (50+): $8,000. A higher catch-up limit of $11,250 applies for participants aged 60, 61, 62, or 63 in 401(k), 403(b), and governmental 457 plans.
Traditional or Roth IRA: $7,500
IRA catch-up (50+): $1,100
Solo 401(k): $24,500, with a $8,000 catch-up for ages 50+, totaling $32,500, and a combined limit (employee + employer) of $72,000, plus a potential higher catch-up for ages 60-63 under Secure 2.0.
SEP IRA: Up to $72,000 or 25% of compensation
Start thinking about how you might want to adjust your contributions now so January’s paycheck flows into these new limits automatically. It’s the easiest way to increase your future wealth without relying on motivation or memory.
3. Audit your investment fees (this part matters more than almost anything else).
I have talked to hundreds of people (not hyperbole) who had no idea they were paying thousands of dollars a year in investment fees. When we ran the numbers together, many realized they were on track to pay multiple six figures over their lifetime just in fees.
Here are 2 big ones you need to know:
1. Financial advisor AUM fees
If you’re paying 1% for someone to “manage” your money, that’s…a lot. It might be industry standard, but that doesn’t mean it’s harmless. It means someone else is getting rich off of your retirement.
If you’re not sure what you’re paying, ask your advisor directly. If the answer is vague, confusing, or they launch into a full TED Talk of financial jargon without actually answering the question? Huge red flag. Spend 2 minutes with a calculator here.
2. Expense ratios
This is the annual fee charged by any investment fund you and your advisor chooses on your behalf.
Here’s the Walgreens analogy: You know when ibuprofen comes in a name-brand bottle for $12 and the Walgreens version is $4 but they’re literally the same thing? Same thing in the investment world.
Index funds and ETFs provide exposure to the stock market but with way lower fees.
A good rule of thumb:
Under 0.20% = great
Over 0.20%+ = Unless you are choosing something for a very specific reason (specific strategy, ESG fund, etc.) someone’s getting rich off your retirement…and it’s not you.
The minimum you and your hard earned money deserve is transparent fees. Since this usually isn’t the case it’s up to you to go find them to make sure you are not on the path to a six figure mistake.
4. Top up your emergency fund (and consider a “keep me sane” buffer).
Normally I’m firmly anti–giant emergency fund because too much cash sitting idle loses purchasing power due to inflation and we need your investments to do the heavy lifting for financial independence. For example, the average return of a High Yield Savings Account is ~3% compared to an average market return of ~10% so it’s no contest where to put your money if you want to build wealth.
But…in this economy things may look different for you. Between layoffs, AI restructuring entire industries, shaky markets, hiring freezes, and whatever else 2024 threw at us, I won’t shame you for holding a little extra cash if it helps you sleep.
Your nervous system matters. Enough cash to breathe = good financial decision making. (Financial decisions are always going to be part math part psychology…you are not a robot.)
5. Shop your interest rates — yes, you get to shop.
If you haven’t checked your interest rates in a year, you might be paying a premium for not paying attention.
Spend 15–20 minutes doing this:
Call your credit card company and negotiate a lower APR, especially if you’ve been making on time payments. It works more often than you think.
Make sure your HYSA is still paying a competitive rate. Shop for a HYSA here.
Run a refinance breakeven calculation if mortgage rates dropped for you.
The worst thing that happens when you negotiate and shop around is that you pay the same amount you’re paying now. This is a no brainer to make time for this month.
6. Shop insurance — car, home, pet.
This is the financial equivalent of finding cash in last year’s coat pocket. Most insurers count on you staying out of sheer exhaustion. Re-shopping can save you hundreds or thousands.
Shop Car insurance Here - Compare quotes. Look at deductibles. Ask for low-mileage and safety discounts.
Shop homeowners here or renters insurance here - Check if bundling helps. Make sure your coverage still matches your actual property value.
Price shopping insurance is genuinely one of the highest-ROI adult tasks — most people save hundreds with an hour of effort.
7. If you have a taxable brokerage account, consider tax-loss harvesting.
Plain terms: Sell an investment that’s down → take the loss for tax purposes → buy something similar (not identical) → stay invested → reduce your tax bill.
It does not apply to retirement accounts (401(k), IRA, Roth IRA). Only taxable accounts.
Example:
Bought Fund A for $10,000
It’s now worth $8,000
You sell → $2,000 loss
You buy a different fund tracking a similar index (to avoid a wash sale)
You stay invested AND get the tax benefit
While this can be relatively simple this may be something you want to outsource particularly if you have multiple six figures in your brokerage account.
8. Get ahead of tax season (particularly for business owners).
March-2026-You just called and told me they really really want you to start figuring out your taxes now. You don’t need to figure out everything but at least do a quick sweep:
Categorize your expenses
Request missing receipts before everyone goes on vacation
Update your bookkeeping
Make your final quarterly payment if needed
And yes, accountants are more available (and calmer) in December. If you’re a business owner, book your year-end strategy session now. This is where real tax savings live.
9. Plant the seeds for your January raise conversation.
Unfortunately, raises don’t normally happen because you “deserve” them or you work hard. They happen because you plan for them and start having strategic conversations early on.
Prepare by:
Quantifying your impact by listing your wins and pulling screenshots, numbers, testimonials, etc.
Writing your talking points and consulting with a mentor or colleague you trust.
Planning to have this conversation with your manager in January before things get chaotic in the New Year.
Your boss has a lot going on and many priorities to juggle, including who to give money to if they have budget. If you want to get to the top of that list, you have to be proactive, even if it’s uncomfortable.
10. Decide what actually matters to you in 2026.
We’re not budgeting so we can die with a perfectly optimized spreadsheet….we’re budgeting so we can actually live. One of my favorite prompts — dramatic at first glance, but incredibly clarifying — is what I call the deathbed audit.
And no, it’s not an invitation to go full YOLO and book a last-minute trip to Bali in the name of “living your best life.” The deathbed audit isn’t about impulsive spending. It’s about thoughtful, intentional spending that honors the life you actually want.
“If I were at the end of my life looking back on next year, what would I genuinely regret not doing?”
Sometimes the answer is travel or finally taking that dance class you’ve been eyeing. Sometimes it’s rest, therapy, saying no to things that drain you, or carving out time for people who matter. And sometimes the honest answer is the unsexy stuff: saving more, paying down debt, or building the financial cushion that lets you breathe.
The point isn’t to abandon responsibility but to spend respectfully in a way that honors what your future self might want. This is where your budget shifts from something restrictive to a tool that quietly supports the version of you who wants a fuller, richer, more intentional life.
11. Read one personal finance book but actually finish it.
Two that will change how you think about money:
The Psychology of Money — Morgan Housel
The Simple Path to Wealth — JL Collins
Rich Girl Nation - Katie Gatti Tassin
All 3 are approachable, thoughtful, and timeless.
12. Reflect on what happened this year.
Reflections are so much more powerful when we actually make time for them and put them on the calendar. So make yourself a warm cup of coffee, tea, hot chocolate and actually ask yourself questions that may reveal what you want to do differently with your money this year:
Where did money feel heavy?
What information am I still missing in order to have agency over my money?
What financial goals did I quietly abandon?
What do I want next year to FEEL like financially?
What would make saving or investing easier?
If you have a partner, do this together. You may discover you are more or less aligned than you think and now is as good a time as any to figure that out.
Bonus #1: Schedule preventative maintenance.
Book the boring appointments now:
Dental cleaning
Annual physical
Furnace or HVAC tune-up
Car service
Gutter or roof check
This is unsexy but powerful. A $200 HVAC appointment today prevents a $3,000 emergency when it’s 12° outside.
Bonus #2: Start the new year strong by joining my free beginner investing class in January 2026! 👉 REGISTER HERE.
You don’t need to overhaul your entire financial life this month. Pick one of the above items and start generating momentum for a more financially successful 2026 one step at a time.
