The start of a new year brings hope to do things differently.

Saving more money. Improving your health. Spending more time with family. When it comes to your finances, there’s an important resolution to add to your list: stop waiting until the last minute. 

Although you still have until April 15 to make contributions to your individual retirement and health savings accounts, there’s a benefit of doing so long before the deadline. And these aren’t the only money moves that get stronger with the gift of time. 

Here are seven times it pays to tackle important financial tasks early, so you have more time to reap the benefits. 

1. Review your tax withholdings or estimated payments. No one wants a surprise tax bill when April 15 rolls around, and no one wants to be scrambling at the holiday season to fit mistakes that could have been prevented early in the year. Every January, set up a reminder to right-size your tax withholdings and review estimated tax payments to ensure you have 12 months of accurate tax savings.
2. Update insurance policies. When life changes, your insurance coverage should as well. Health insurance elections, life insurance amounts, and disability coverage should be matched to your family and business circumstances. Too much or too little insurance can be costly, so make sure you have sufficient coverage for your needs but that you aren’t over-insured. Depending on your carrier, you can also try to renegotiate rates annually to lower your total costs.
3. Audit your subscriptions. With so much of our lives digital and automated, it’s far too easy to set it and forget it when it comes to subscriptions. However, you likely don’t need every service you’re subscribed to, and your cash flow could benefit from a few cancellations. Even canceling just $50 worth of monthly subscriptions could give you an extra $600 back in 2026.
4. Pay down debt. There are many more fun things to do with your money than paying down debt, but it’s essential to your long-term financial stability to eliminate overhead obligations. And when you do it early in the year, you avoid accumulating interest and lower the overall amount you owe.
5. Save toward large expenses. There are likely significant costs you know are heading your way in 2026. Whether home improvement projects, medical procedures, or planned family travel, dipping into your emergency fund isn’t for predictable expenses. Those should be saved for—little by little—throughout the year. When you start squirreling away even $100 a month a January, you’ll be better prepared for big projects with less disruption to your cash flow.
6. Fund retirement accounts. It’s always important to hit the annual maximum contribution amounts by year-end, but if you’re able to front-load contributions, your investments will have more time in the market and can be rewarded with additional compounding. The sooner you start, the more months you’ll benefit from tax-advantaged growth.
7. Make charitable contributions. Donations to deserving charities aren’t merely to support important causes and reduce your taxable income. Contributing early in the year allows you to lock in the deduction early and reduce uncertainty in your income planning. It gives you more time to make strategic giving decisions and conduct more detailed tax planning. If you’re donating appreciated assets or using a donor advised fund, you avoid capital gains tax on the donation and allow more time for the assets to grow tax free before grants are made. 

Don’t start a new year behind the ball. Get ahead of potential problems and give your money more time to grow.