Revisit, Reset, Refocus: How to Review Your Financial Goals Before Year-End

As summer fades and the calendar turns toward fall, it’s easy to lose sight of the financial intentions you may have set earlier in the year. Travel, back-to-school costs, and a shift in routines can create both distractions and new demands.

But this season also offers something valuable: a natural pause. Before the holidays arrive, take a moment to revisit where you are — and where you want to go. A thoughtful year-end financial review can help you reset your course and finish strong.

Review Your Spending Habits and Budget

The second half of the year often brings a shift in spending. Whether it's family vacations, school-related costs, or seasonal splurges, your cash flow may not look the same as it did in January.

Now is a good time to review where your money has gone — not with guilt, but with curiosity. Are your expenses aligned with your values? Do they reflect what matters most to you today?

Realigning your spending doesn’t have to be restrictive. It’s about clarity. A few intentional changes can restore balance and help you feel more in control heading into the final months of the year.

Reassess Savings and Investment Contributions

Your financial goals may not have changed, but your circumstances might have. It’s worth checking in on how your savings and investments are tracking.

Have you contributed what you hoped to your retirement accounts or emergency fund? Is there room to increase those contributions before the year ends?

If you’ve experienced a shift — like a change in income, a divorce, or new caregiving responsibilities — this is also a good time to re-prioritize. What once felt urgent may no longer be. And some goals may be newly important.

Small course corrections now can make a meaningful difference.

Check in on Big-Picture Goals

Life transitions often come with a quiet question: What now?

If you've recently gone through a divorce, adjusted your career, or taken on a caregiving role, it's natural for your long-term goals to feel uncertain or out of sync.

Revisiting those goals through the lens of your values can help restore clarity. Are the goals you're working toward still relevant? Are they yours — or remnants of an earlier chapter?

This season is a chance to reset not just your plan, but your purpose. Financial wellness is deeply personal, and it evolves with you.

Reevaluate Automatic Transfers and Subscriptions

When life gets busy, automation can be a gift. But it can also lead to financial drift.

Take a few minutes to scan your automatic transfers and recurring subscriptions. Are they still serving you? Are they going where you actually want your money to go?

Simple updates — such as redirecting an automatic transfer or canceling unused services — can create a sense of renewal. These tweaks reinforce the mindset of starting fresh.

Don’t Forget the Wins

Even if your year didn’t unfold exactly as planned, progress still counts.

Take a moment to acknowledge what did go well. Maybe you built a financial habit, handled a major transition with grace, or simply kept moving forward during a challenging season.

Money is emotional. Celebrating your wins — large or small — is a powerful way to stay motivated and reconnect with your goals.

Conclusion: Alignment Over Perfection

Financial wellness isn’t about getting everything right. It’s about staying in alignment — with your values, your life, and your evolving vision for the future.

Need help realigning your plan? Let’s make the rest of the year work for you.