5 Ideas for 2026 Financial Resolutions

December 18, 2025

A common problem that causes many people to veer off track is setting inefficient goals. This time, try setting New Year's resolutions like the ideas listed below that are specific and measurable. It’s up to you to find the ones that are relevant and achievable for your financial situation, and adjust.

Set Up Payroll Deduction

One simple New Year's resolution you can complete today is setting up payroll deduction! Crossing off this task at the beginning of the year makes reaching all of your other goals that much easier. It’s a safe and easy setup that automates your loan payments and savings. When you don’t have to manually move your cash to a savings account every month, it makes the process much simpler and can lead to much higher New Year's resolution success!

Pay Off a Percentage of Your Debt

Depending on your estimated spending needs in the upcoming year, decide what percentage of your debt might be reasonable to pay off by the end of the year. Setting a very specific goal amount helps keep you motivated and helps you stick to the plan. To make this resolution even more effective and measurable, decide which percentage of your income you will need to contribute to paying off your debt each month. This will help you track your progress and allow for adjustments throughout the year when needed.​

Build Your Emergency Savings Account

Remember that your goal must be specific. Don’t just tell yourself you’re going to try to build your emergency savings account this year to around a few months' salary. Calculate exactly the right number and write it down. Break your year-end goal down by month or pay period. This will help you budget appropriately for daily savings, and make the goal less overwhelming.

Build Your Retirement Portfolio

Making an effort to raise the bar on your retirement portfolio this year can greatly impact your future. Whether it’s beginning to contribute to an IRA or increasing the percentage you put away each month in your work-sponsored plan, this goal can make a big difference. Decide what percentage of your income you want to stick to for the whole year. Be specific - will you start small with a dollar amount each month or increase your contributions to exceed your employer’s contribution match agreement? Decide the specific percentage of your income you will put away this month, and stick to it all year with automatic payments. This is a resolution you can start this month and easily accomplish by the end of the year automatically. ​

Save for a Particular Goal

If your finances are in place for all of the areas above, 2026 might be a great year to set a more aggressive savings goal. Whether you’re preparing for a move or save for college, a Share Certificate account is a great way to grow your funds over a set period of time. Putting a specific amount away in a share certificate account can help to reach your goals while being mostly hands-off. Automatically set aside the amount you wish to save, and watch it grow. Keep yourself accountable to not spend these funds, and stagger maturity dates with terms ranging from 6 to 30 months.​

Let’s Get Started.

Are you ready for a change in 2026? Start setting goals similar to the ones listed here and track your progress each month! Contact us or visit our office to let us know how we can help you on your financial journey in the New Year.