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10 Financial Moves for 2021 to Do Now
Happy New Year! The start of a new year is a great time to make financial moves that benefit your life in 2021 and beyond. Let’s get started. Starting the New Year with these 15 tasks in process or completed can make a financial difference to you and others:
Financial Wellness- How Do You score?
If you do a Google search for financial wellness, you will find many definitions or explanations. Financial wellness doesn’t have just one meaning because it means something different to each person. Financial wellness is a broad term that encompasses these key areas:
Smart Tax Planning for 2021 & Beyond: What You Need to Know.
The IRS released its breakdown of marginal tax rates for 2021 in December 2020. Consistent with the previous year’s notifications, tax rates adjust almost yearly basing on inflation. Check out these smart tax planning tips.
What You Need to Know: 2021 Social Security Benefit Changes.
The Social Security Administration has again approved a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for the Social Security benefit starting in January 2021. The increase of 1.3 percent is calculated based on the year-over-year rate of inflation and will increase the average American worker’s benefit by about $20 per month.
How to Deal with Post-Election Volatility
With the election over, you may be concerned about post-election volatility as we enter 2021. Regardless of politics, short-term stock market results can vary depending on factors, including gridlock in the House and Senate and a newly elected future President Biden, who will take office in January 2021.
2020 Year-End Checklist
It is officially the fourth quarter, and while many cannot wait until the “unprecedented times” of 2020 are over, there is still a bit of housekeeping you will likely want to do before ringing in the New Year. Check these items off your financial year-end checklist before year-end to help keep you financially on track for 2021:
Giving Thanks and Giving Back
As COVID-19 continues to shape our lives and our future, many Americans give thanks and give back to others less fortunate during this pandemic. Some have had personal experiences that lead them to ease others’ financial stresses by providing directly or through other institutions. Donors are giving to resolve the inequities in our society that others are facing during this time.
2020: A Timeline Recap
2020 has been unlike any other thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, our strange stock market, and social unrest leading up to the Nov. 3rd Presidential Election. This timeline recap is for you to see what we have already been through as we look toward a brighter future as we assess what we have learned from this year:
How to Adapt and Financially Prepare for 2021
If we could look in a crystal ball, we would have a clear picture of how we should financially prepare for 2021. We can only guess what lies ahead for us next year basing on our experiences this year. 2020 has been tough on many- business closings, lay-offs, disruptions to learning, health and social concerns, and financial stress.
Holiday Savings Strategies 101: Plan and Execute
The holiday season is the time of year when personal expenses are likely to increase. Whether it may be travel expenses, events, or retail spending. Start preping your holiday savings strategies now. The 2020 holiday shopping season spend is expected to be substantial, but likely less than 2019’s Brick-and-mortar retail and e-commerce spending of $1.007 trillion. Today, holiday shoppers spend less time looking for gifts, but spend more money, especially when shopping online. On average, shoppers in 2019 distributed their holiday spend among the following:
- $596 on experiences
- $511 on gifts
- $389 on non-gifts
