5 Money Moves to Start 2026 Strong

 Key Takeaways:

• A clear year-end review helps you understand where your money went in 2025 and sets the foundation for more financial confidence in 2026.
• Small adjustments like canceling unused subscriptions, making an extra debt payment or organizing early for tax season can free up money and help reduce stress.
• Setting focused financial priorities for 2026 and using digital tools like Money Insights can help you stay organized and build momentum heading into the new year.

Happy New Year — and welcome to 2026! Before the pace of everyday life picks back up, this is a perfect moment to pause, exhale and review where your money stands. If you take some intentional steps today, you can build momentum and start the year with financial confidence.

Here are five simple, practical tasks that can help you understand where your money went last year, highlight new financial opportunities and set thoughtful priorities for the new year. 

1. Take stock of 2025

Before you make any big moves, it helps to get a clear picture of where your finances stand today. A thorough financial audit is more than just a glance at how much money came in and out of your accounts. Take the time to look deeper into your spending, saving and major life changes over the last 12 months.

Here are some questions you can ask yourself to get started:

Did I accomplish the financial goals I set for 2025?

Reflect on whether you hit, missed or exceeded the goals you set at the start of the year. If you didn’t set goals, use this moment to identify what you wish you had focused on.

What does my monthly spending summary say about where my money went?

Look for categories like dining out, travel, subscriptions or groceries that may have grown more than expected, and note any one-time expenses that won’t repeat.

How much did I save last year compared to my income?

Compare your total savings contributions to your income to get a sense of your savings rate. Identify the months when saving felt easier or harder so you can build on those patterns. Pinpoint what helped, like spending alerts or automated transfers, so you can replicate those wins in 2026. When saving felt harder, look at what changed and adjust your strategy to better support your goals moving forward.

What does my current debt picture look like?

Review your outstanding balances, paying extra attention to any high-interest debt such as credit cards or personal loans.

This year-end assessment doesn’t need to be perfect, but it does need to be honest. The clearer your perspective on your finances, the easier it becomes to make progress toward your goals in the new year.  

2. Review your spending to find “hidden money”

Once your year-in-review is complete, you can start finding money you may not realize is available. Small adjustments in the first few weeks of the year can create extra room for savings without cutting into essentials.

Start by scrolling through the last two or three months of transactions in your banking app. Look for patterns: categories where spending crept up, purchases you no longer remember making or seasonal habits like takeout or online shopping that may have gotten a little out of hand. Identify anything that feels more routine than intentional. Setting up Spend Alerts with Northwest’s Digital Banking can help you spot rising spending before it turns into a habit.

This is also a great moment to review recurring charges. Many people discover money drains in the form of unused subscriptions, paused memberships that kept billing or app renewals they forgot were coming due. Canceling even a few can instantly free up cash you can redirect into savings.

You can also consider where you naturally underspent last year. Maybe certain travel plans changed, you cooked at home more than expected or your utility bills were lower than usual. Any leftover room in those categories can be moved into savings as an easy year-end win.  

3. Pay down high-interest debt before it compounds

Making even one small payment toward high-interest debt can set you up for a stronger start in 2026. Balances on credit cards and certain personal loans accrue interest based on your starting balance for the year, so anything you pay down now helps reduce what begins compounding in January.

Start by taking a quick look at your current balances and interest rates to see which accounts cost you the most. If you can, prioritize one high-interest balance for an extra payment, whether that’s $20, $50 or more. Seemingly modest contributions can lower what carries forward into January and keeps next year’s interest charges in check.

Lowering high-interest balances can also support your credit health. You can use a free credit score check to track how reducing debt impacts your score as you step into 2026.

This doesn’t require an overhaul or a perfect budget. Simply redirecting some “found money” from earlier steps (such as canceled subscriptions or leftover holiday funds) can make a noticeable difference. It’s a small move, but it’s one that gives you immediate momentum heading into 2026.

4. Prepare early for the 2026 tax season

Even though the 2026 tax season is still a few months away, the year's end is an ideal moment to get a head start. A little organization now can save you stress later, and it may even help you spot opportunities to reduce your taxable income or increase your refund when filing opens.

Begin by gathering the paperwork you already have: charitable donation receipts, childcare expenses, medical costs, education-related payments or records from freelance or contract work. Create a digital or physical folder where all your tax documents will live as they arrive in January and February. It helps to keep everything in one place – if you're enrolled in eStatements, you can quickly download statements and categorize transactions with Northwest digital banking to make filing easier.

If your income changed in 2025, it may be worth reviewing whether your tax withholdings or quarterly payments still make sense. A short check-in now can help you avoid surprises when you file.

It’s also a good time to review any contributions you made to tax-advantaged accounts last year, such as retirement savings or health-related accounts, if they apply to your situation. Understanding where you stand can help you plan your contributions for the year ahead.

5. Set your financial priorities for 2026

After reviewing your year and making a few smart year-end moves, take a moment to look ahead. What do you want your money to do for you in 2026? Setting clear priorities now gives you direction and helps you stay focused once the holiday rush fades.

Choose two or three goals that matter most to you. For example, some may want to build their emergency fund, save for travel, tackle a home project or pay down debt. Outline what it will take to reach them. You don’t need a detailed plan, just a simple sense of how much you want to save and how often you want to contribute. From there, small systems can make a big difference, like setting up automatic transfers and scheduling a monthly check-in to monitor your progress.

Think of this step as your reset moment: a chance to take everything you learned from your year-end review and turn it into momentum for the months ahead. A few thoughtful decisions today can help you begin 2026 feeling organized, confident and ready to make steady progress toward what matters most.

And if you’re ready to get started, consider opening a Northwest savings account or a Money Market account — and logging into Money Insights to track your goals and put your new priorities into motion.