The Seaside Blog

2025 is here and so is this handy checklist to help you focus on key financial aspects this year.

Smart Year-End Money Moves to Make in December As the year winds down, December offers a unique window of opportunity to make strategic financial moves. These actions can optimize your tax situation, bolster your savings, and set you up for a financially healthy new year. Here are eight smart money moves to consider before the clock strikes midnight on December 31.

No doubt, 2022 was a painful year in the stock market. From January through October, the S&P 500 was down 25%. It recovered slightly in the 4th quarter to end the year down about 20%. This was one of the worst years since the Great Financial Crisis of 2008. The market reacted sharply to the Federal Reserve increasing interest rates at a rapid clip. Now that inflation seems to be easing, are we out of the woods yet?

While saving for retirement you face a lot of uncertainty along the way. Markets continue to go up and down, inflation may go up which reduces your purchasing power. Once you get to retirement you may be worried about outliving your retirement nest egg. One big retirement risk that people often do not consider, sequence of returns risk.

The odds of filling out the perfect bracket are pretty scarce - so are the odds of consistently selecting prime investments within the market. This can make the process of approaching March Madness, and investing, fairly daunting.

With 2022 rapidly coming to a close, there are things you can be doing right now to make smart moves with your money. Here are some strategies and tips to help you make great year end money moves.