The start of a new year is the perfect time to reset your financial goals – and set realistic expectations for the year ahead.
Whether it’s hitting a savings target, paying off a credit card or cutting down your household bills, there are some helpful New Year’s resolutions you can put in place to make you more money savvy.
We spoke to several financial experts to get their best resolutions to keep your cash on track in 2026…
1. Make regular mortgage overpayments
It might not sound like the most fun resolution but if it’s affordable, it can be “one of the most influential things you can do for your finances”, according to David Stirling, an independent financial adviser at Mint Wealth Ltd.
“Even a small regular overpayment can shave years off your mortgage term and save thousands in interest,” he said.
“Paying your mortgage off early can really help with later life planning, being able to reduce work hours and having options to travel more with the extra cash.”
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2. Write a will
It’s a pretty grim task, but getting a will in order is essential financial planning.
According to research from the Money and Pensions Service, more than half of UK adults do not have a will in place, which means they haven’t had a say in what happens to their wealth when they die.
Charlene Young, senior pensions and savings expert at AJ Bell, says: “Lots of people wrongly assume their assets will automatically pass to different people when they die, so it’s crucial to ensure your affairs are in order and your wishes are known.
“Whilst the DIY route might seem tempting for your will, you need to make sure it is legally binding, otherwise your efforts will be in vain.
“Using a professional solicitor could help you ensure your wishes are correctly documented and avoid extra cost and stress for your loved ones.”
3. Book a monthly money date
It’s easy to lose track of your spending throughout the year.
Certified money coach Fanny Snaith recommends setting aside an evening each month for a money date to keep your emotional spending in check.
“Work on your relationship with money – not just the numbers. Before jumping into ISAs, pensions or budgeting hacks, look at your finances and then look at yourself. For most people, money is a mirror. How we earn, spend, save or avoid it reflects our habits, beliefs and emotional patterns.
“Start by noticing how you feel when you look at your bank account. Anxious? Guilty? Avoidant? Next, pair awareness with action. Track spending without judgement and make one clear, intentional decision at a time.
“When your relationship with money improves, consistency follows. Fix the driver first. The rest becomes far easier.”
4. Build an emergency fund
Why not spend 2026 getting yourself better prepared to deal with a financial emergency?
Craig Fish, director of mortgage brokers Lodestone Mortgages, says you should aim to have the equivalent of around three to six months’ income squirrelled away.
“That buffer provides real peace of mind and protects you from life’s unexpected shocks, which is often what people want more than anything,” he says.
“Even saving a small amount regularly can make a huge difference.”
5. Review standing orders/direct debits and negotiate
Regularly check your standing orders and direct debits to make sure you’re not paying for anything that you shouldn’t be.
If any of them can be stopped, cancel them. If you want to keep them, try to negotiate the price.
For example, many subscriptions might offer you a reduced fee if you start the cancellation process – we did this with our Financial Times subscription and saved £10 a month.
Rix Malik, independent financial adviser at wealth management firm R3 Wealth, says: “Ditch the unnecessary subscriptions. If you haven’t used it, bin it. You can always sign up again, but you could save yourself a small fortune.
“If you have a business, repeat the process. If something is coming up for renewal, don’t be lazy. Negotiate. Many companies are prepared to offer fantastic offers to loyal customers, but you have to ask.”
6. Make the most of your pension allowances
The autumn budget decision to cap the amount of salary that workers can sacrifice into a workplace pension at £2,000 from April 2029 was a blow for pension savers – you can read more about that here.
Not every employer offers these schemes, but if yours does, now is a good time to increase your contributions – provided you can afford it, according to Alice Haine, personal finance analyst at online investment services Bestinvest.
“This can be particularly effective for those nearing crucial tax cliff edges where an individual’s marginal rate can jump dramatically. This includes employees close to the £50,270 earnings threshold where the higher 40% tax rate kicks in – they can potentially dip under it by using salary sacrifice pension contributions.
“For those nearing the £100,000 threshold, salary sacrifice can help mitigate the unique tax challenge where every £2 of taxable income above £100,000 reduces the personal allowance by £1.”
Below, our business and economics correspondent Paul Kelso explains more about salary sacrifice and how it works…
7. Make the most of your tax-free ISA limit
ISAs are designed to shield your money from the taxman and with income tax rates for savings interest, dividend tax and capital gains tax all going up – now is the time to utilise your £20,000 tax-free ISA limit.
“Wrapping your investments up in a tax-free account is more important than ever if you’ve got ISA allowance to spare,” Charlene Young, senior pensions and savings expert at AJ Bell, explains.
“As well as paying in new cash, you can also move money into your ISA using a process called a Bed and ISA. This is where you sell an investment in your dealing account and buy it back in your ISA, so that it’s protected from tax in the future.
“Monthly contributions can help build consistent habits as well as dampen the effect of market movements.”
8. Check your tax code
Tax codes can be wrong, and it is your responsibility, not your employer’s or HMRC’s, to check if yours is correct.
You may be overpaying, or underpaying. This can happen if you change jobs, earn money from more than one source, such as a part-time job, a property portfolio or savings interest, or have recently retired.
You can check your tax code and other income details here.
If you have been overpaying, you may get a rebate.
If you have been underpaying, you could get hit with a bill – but it’s better to know sooner rather than later so you don’t get hit with a larger bill in the future.
9. Consolidate old pensions into a SIPP
Millions of people pay into a workplace pension, but if you’ve had several jobs, you might have acquired multiple pots that you’ve lost track of.
Haine recommends consolidating these old pensions into a Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP).
She says it can be a great way for savers to gain more control, and give a clearer picture of whether their savings are sufficient to fund retirement.
“It also means one password to remember and one place to monitor performance, making it easier to check how your money is invested and whether it aligns with your long-term financial goals,” she says.
“When choosing a SIPP provider, do your homework and compare the range of investment options available and the charges and benefits of your existing plan against the provider you plan to transfer to.
“Also look for any added extras a platform offers, such as free investment tips and guides, investment tracking tools, coaching and advice options and the range of investments on offer.”
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10. Move your credit card debt
Interest rates may be easing, but servicing debt is still high.
If you have large amounts to pay off on credit cards, clearing it as soon as you can is a good resolution to set yourself.
To help, it could be worth considering a 0% balance transfer deal to reduce the compounding effect of interest, where you pay not just the original amount you borrowed, but the interest you have accrued on that amount as well.
This can offer you some breathing space by moving existing debt to a card with zero interest on your balance for a certain period of time. There are currently some deals on the market offering up to 35 months interest free.
“Just ensure you never miss a payment and aim to clear the balance before the promotional period ends, when rates can jump sharply. Also factor in any transfer fees when calculating the savings,” Haine says.
If you have multiple debts, create a clear repayment strategy.
Two popular approaches are the debt avalanche or debt snowball methods – both effective for tackling consumer debt such as credit cards, loans and overdrafts, according to Haine.
“With the snowball method, you clear the smallest debt first for quick wins and motivating boosts.
“The avalanche approach targets the highest-interest debt first to reduce the overall cost.”
11. Set a spending limit and put the credit card away
It sounds obvious, but committing to living within your means is one of the most effective resolutions you can make.
It is easier said than done, though. To help you stick to your goal, Anita Wright, a chartered financial planner at Ribble Wealth Management, said you should set a realistic monthly spending limit.
This can be done fairly simply by writing down how much money comes in every month, followed by all the money that comes out.
Start with the essentials, like rent, council tax, insurance, food, and then review the non-essentials like holidays, clothes and subscriptions.
Tally up all your expenses and subtract them from your income to find out how much cash you have left.
If you’re not leaving yourself any extra money, review your non-essentials and cut back.
“Direct any surplus towards clearing high interest balances first, and only then rebuild your savings,” Wright said.
“That means accepting you cannot have everything you want immediately, and resisting the temptation to fund lifestyle purchases on a credit card.”
