It’s fairly common to set financial goals at the beginning of the year. In fact, when 839 Americans were asked about their New Year’s resolutions for 2026, 46 percent said they wanted to save more money. While that’s an excellent goal, it’s important not to drop the ball when it comes to follow-through. In this case, that means checking in to see how you’re doing based on the goals you’ve set. Seeing your progress cannot only inform future decisions but also give you an opportunity to make a few changes so you’ll end the year well.
Although one survey mentions saving as a common New Year resolution, that doesn’t mean it was the only one Americans were focused on. According to the Motley Fool Money’s Financial New Year’s Resolution Report, a survey of 2,000 people revealed even more aspects of financial plans for 2026. When asked, most respondents (25 percent) focused on reducing their debt. Of these, 37 percent made credit card debt their priority.
In second place, 16 percent of those surveyed wanted to save for a major life event such as buying a home, making home improvements, taking vacations, and buying a car. Interestingly, Gen Z was mostly focused on saving for car down payments and education expenses, while Millennials were interested in car down payments, vacations, and a down payment on a house. For Baby Boomers and Gen X, vacations and home improvement costs were high on their lists.
The top five goals were then evenly distributed among the other respondents. Nine percent of them stated that they wanted to increase their income, save for retirement, and reduce their spending.
When it came to whether they thought they’d stick to their resolutions, only 43 percent of respondents said they would. The top reasons they gave included rising costs, difficulty maintaining habits, not having enough time, not knowing how to accomplish their goals, and not getting enough support from their friends or loved ones. Unfortunately, past statistics show they may be right, as Motley noted that only 27 percent of Americans kept their financial goals in 2025.
Their concerns highlight a critical reason you may not hit the financial goals you expect. Fortunately, a mid-year check-in can help. There are easy steps to follow that will show you where you stand.
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Ideally, your goals would have been S.M.A.R.T. That means they’d be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Goals made this way are easy to assess. For example, if your goal was to save $100 every month, then it won’t be hard to see if you’ve achieved that objective or not. If your goals were a little more vague, though, it’s still possible to see what you’ve accomplished. “I want to cut my credit card debt by the end of the year” isn’t as clear as it should be, but you can still check if you’ve made a dent.
Some aspects to look at are whether you’ve hit your targets, if any of the goals have stalled, and if the goals you set are still attainable. Sometimes issues outside your control can significantly affect your financial goals, so you need to consider them, too. If certain goals are no longer feasible, there’s no shame in that. You can use what you learned in 2027.
Even with the best intentions, your spending habits can easily derail your financial goals. What you planned often veers from reality in day-to-day life. That’s why you need to objectively look at what you’ve spent since the beginning of the year. Are you spending more than anticipated? Have any unexpected bills popped up? Do you have additional recurring costs?
If you’re not happy with the result, you’re not alone. According to a recent Credit Karma survey, 78 percent of Americans don’t feel financially secure, and many of them blame rising costs. Another reason to look at your spending is to see where you may be losing money you don’t even think about. For example, many Americans are unaware of how much they spend on monthly subscriptions. Worse yet, they may underestimate the recurring cost.
If you planned to increase your savings or build an emergency fund, now’s the time to check on your progress. Have you been saving consistently? Did you cut down on what you saved, or did you focus on only one thing? Did you have to spend your emergency fund?
Seeing the number in your savings account may be sobering, but it’s imperative that you know where you stand.
This is another part of your financial situation that may have changed. Between taking on new responsibilities and not managing existing debts well, you may have more issues than you’re aware of. At this stage, you should ask yourself if you’ve reduced your balances and if you’ve been consistently paying more than the minimum payments. You should also note if it’s possible to move money around to tackle high-interest debt faster.
Now that you have an accurate picture of your finances, you can determine what changes need to be made. Better yet, you have a better idea of how external factors like the economy have affected your ability to accomplish the goals you set. While you weigh that, you may decide to prioritize specific goals. For example, if your debt is higher than expected, you may spend the rest of your year working on getting it under control.
Your goals may be personal, but that doesn’t mean you have to keep them to yourself. Accountability can make the difference between missing the mark and staying on track. While you can certainly share your goals with friends or loved ones so they can check in, budgeting, saving, and investing apps may work just as well. You can use them to determine if you’re meeting monthly goals.
Additionally, you can meet with a financial advisor to chart your course forward. The emphasis doesn’t have to be only this year. Long-term goals can be broken down into yearly ones that you can incorporate into your financial planning.
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Depending on the results of your financial check-up, you may already be overwhelmed with what you need to change. The good news is that you don’t need to try changing everything all at once. It’s better to make a list of priorities instead. As an example, if you noticed ways you can cut back on spending, then it’s a good idea to do that so you can allocate those funds elsewhere. That money can be used to reduce debt or build up your emergency fund.
Are you worried about how much debt you’re carrying? Then it’s a good idea to meet with a financial advisor to discuss your options for controlling it. You don’t need to wait until the new year to roll around before addressing it. If anything, leaving it alone may make things worse for 2027.
Are you concerned that your savings aren’t keeping up with what you’ve needed to spend? That’s another question for a financial advisor. It’s not always possible to see shifts in the economy coming, but they may be able to guide you on the best savings and investment techniques that can give you a fighting chance.
Yes, you’ve done a mid-year check-up, but why stop there? The new year isn’t that far away, and it can be helpful to look at how what you’ve learned this year may affect your goals for 2027. One area that can certainly use some perspective is your budget. The amount of money needed to cover your obligations may be slightly or vastly different from what it was at the start of 2026. What would that look like for 2027 if prices increased by a similar percentage?
Another area to address is what you need to prioritize. Do you still need to focus on debt reduction, or is your emergency fund more important? Do you have any concerns about job security? These things may not be pleasant to think about, but it’s in your best interest to plan accordingly.
Finally, you have to consider whether anything will change for you in 2027. Are you planning to retire? Are your kids going to college? Are there any major expenses coming up? Those events may call for more detailed plans than you had in mind at the start of 2026. If retirement is on the horizon, for example, reducing high-interest debt and working on your investment portfolio may be high on your to-do list. The important thing is that your goals aren’t abstract but are actionable and relevant to your life.
Lots of people set financial goals for the new year, but that doesn’t mean they stick to them or even keep track of their progress. If you had plans to save more money or reduce your debt, now is a good time to see how you’ve done. Even if you haven’t accomplished everything you planned to, you may be able to change things in your favor. At the very least, you’ll have information to make a better plan for 2027.
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