Thinking about managing your tax bill before December 31? Download our 2024 Year-End Tax-Planning Guide here for tips and guidance.

What can I learn from looking back on my financial situation in 2017?

If your financial plan for 2017 didn’t work out the way you wanted it to, don’t beat yourself up. Instead, ask yourself the following questions to determine what you can learn from reflecting on your financial situation in the last year.

Did you meet your financial goals and expectations for 2017? Perhaps you started the year with some financial goals in mind. You wanted to establish a budget that you could stick to, or maybe you hoped to build up your emergency savings fund throughout the year. If you fell short of accomplishing these or other goals, think about the reasons why. Were your goals specific? Did you develop a realistic timeframe for when they would be achieved? If not, learn to set attainable and measurable goals for your finances in the new year.

How did your investments perform? A year-end review of your overall portfolio can help you determine whether your asset allocation is balanced and in line with your time horizon and goals. If one type of investment performed well during the year, it could represent a greater percentage of your portfolio than you initially wanted. As a result, you might consider selling some of it and using that money to buy other types of investments to rebalance your portfolio. Keep in mind that selling investments could result in a tax liability. And remember, asset allocation does not guarantee a profit or protect against loss; it is a method to help manage investment risk. All investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal, and there is no guarantee that any investment strategy will be successful.

Are your retirement savings on track? Did you contribute the amount you wanted in 2017? Or did unexpected financial emergencies force you to borrow or withdraw money from your retirement savings? In that case, you can help your savings recover by contributing the most you can to your employer-sponsored retirement plan and taking advantage of employer matching (if it’s available to you). Contributing to a 401(k) or 403(b) plan can help you save more consistently because your contributions are automatically deducted from your salary, helping you avoid the temptation to skip a month now and then.

 
Prepared by Broadridge Investor Communication Solutions, Inc. Copyright 2017

footerlogo

Securities offered through Emerson Equity LLC. Member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory Services offered through EagleStone Tax & Wealth Advisors. EagleStone Tax & Wealth Advisors is not affiliated with Emerson Equity LLC. Financial planning, investment and wealth management services provided through EagleStone Wealth Advisors, Inc. Tax and accounting services provided through EagleStone Tax & Accounting Services.

For more information on Emerson Equity, please visit FINRA’s BrokerCheck website. You can also download a copy of Emerson Equity’s Customer Relationship Summary to learn more about their role and services.

Download our Form CRS (Client Relationship Summary) by clicking here.

Download Form ADV by clicking here.

Download Form ADV Part 2A by clicking here.

Click here to learn more about our Privacy Policy and Information Security Program.

Click here to for additional disclosures

Investment products & services are only available to residents of CO, DC, FL, KS, KY, MA, MD, NC, NY, PA, SC, VA & WA.

Licensed to sell insurance and variable annuities in the following States: DC, DE, FL, MD, ME, MI, NC, NJ, NY, PA, SC, & VA.