Ring in the New Year with a New Financial You
The holiday reports are in! Retail spending will increase across the board by about 3% this year, reaching its highest point since the Great Recession. Many reports also show that people are feeling more secure about their finances as a whole and are planning their purchases more strategically. We want to celebrate this fact by encouraging savers to take these good financial habits with them into the New Year. Please share the article, social media content, graphics, and resources provided with your constituents, partners, and the general public.
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5 Steps to a New Financial You in 2017
Holiday shoppers have been careful each season to make their lists and check them twice. Budgets have become more discerning and savers have become better planners for their holiday spending, prioritizing savings along the way. According to a September 2016 report, two out of five millennial shoppers got a head start this year and had started buying gifts for the season before summer had even come to a close.
These successful financial habits don’t have to stop there. With the New Year comes an opportunity to make some improvements to your financial health. Don’t make just another resolution that disappears by Valentine’s Day. Take your financial wellness to a whole new level: a New Year, a new financial you.
These five steps will help you to establish your best financial path for 2017, and you can have all the heavy lifting done before the clock strikes twelve:
- Take stock of your finances. Take account of all your income, expenses, and existing savings/investment accounts. And no matter how nice you were, don’t forget to include any naughty debts you may have incurred in the spirit of the season.
- Sketch out a budget “template” for the year to come. Think big picture. Plan your holiday spending for 2016 with this handy worksheet from America Saves and find the method for budgeting that you’re going to use in 2017, and rough out what you’d like it to look like from month to month. Be pragmatic about your needs and be honest about where your money is going. Plan to make adjustments and really dig into your spending habits when you check back in on a regular basis.
- Check your credit report. It is your legal right to get a free copy of your credit report every 12 months from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus. Add a visit to AnnualCreditReport.com to the calendar as an annual “holiday” or divvy up the bureaus to get a free report from a different bureau every four months.
- Set up bank and credit alerts, and financial reminders. Whether you’re at your computer or on your mobile device, you are in an ideal position to receive notifications about upcoming payments, suspicious activities on an account, transactions over a certain dollar amount, low balances, and more. Find out what online services your financial institution(s) offer, and supplement what they don’t with an app or calendar reminder. It’s all right there at your fingertips.
- Make a Commitment to Yourself to Save. Those who make a commitment to themselves and their family to save usually save more than those who don’t. Think of this as your New Year’s Resolution. Make your commitment today by taking the America Saves Pledge and get regular advice and support from America Saves while you save money.
A new financial you is an achievable goal for 2017. Join those savers who have successfully opted to reduce holiday spending and prioritize savings throughout the season. To learn more about spending and saving during the holidays and take the America Saves pledge, visit AmericaSaves.org.
Bonus Content: Hear from two economists about holiday saving and spending in this video that is full of tips and advice from America Saves.
Tammy G. Bruzon works for America Saves, managed by the nonprofit Consumer Federation of America (CFA), which seeks to motivate, encourage, and support low- to moderate-income households to save money, reduce debt, and build wealth. Learn more at AmericaSaves.org.
Social Media Content
Share the following messages with your followers.
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#SavingsTipTuesday
Take control of spending & #saving during the #holidays; create a plan! http://ow.ly/fM4r305sEE1 @AmericaSaves #SavingsTipTuesday
Tweet this now
Get your holiday planning started off right with this free download from @AmericaSaves http://bit.ly/2e8XoQj #SavingsTipTuesday Tweet this now
Set realistic expectations for #holiday spending with family & friends >> http://ow.ly/zKYU305sFhR via @AmericaSaves Tweet this now
Seeking out discounts can #save you a bundle during holiday travel >> http://ow.ly/QQlR305sF85 #SavingsTipTuesday @AmericaSaves Tweet this now
Avoid any nasty surprises this #holiday season by budgeting for the "extras" >> http://ow.ly/WYay305sFVE via @AmericaSaves #SavingsTipTuesday Tweet this now
#SavingsFactFriday
Watching your accounts during the #holidays can help protect your identity >> http://ow.ly/q9Ns305sFog @AmericaSaves #SavingsFactFriday Tweet this now
You can beat the #holiday financial blues w/a little careful planning >> http://ow.ly/iosi305sEb6 via @AmericaSaves #SavingsFactFriday Tweet this now
The most effective way to keep your festivities #frugal is #saving automatically. http://ow.ly/6uSj305sEkU @AmericaSaves #SavingsFactFriday Tweet this now
If you don't have a #holiday budget, you might be spending too much $$ >> http://ow.ly/tcHS305sF0w #SavingsFactFriday @AmericaSaves Tweet this now
Setting clear gift-giving expectations will help avoid #holiday splurging >> http://ow.ly/Pa7x305sFCw via @AmericaSaves #SavingsFactFriday Tweet this now
Additional Posts
.@AmericaSaves challenges you again to #save $1 for every $1 you spend. It isn’t as crazy as it sounds >> http://ow.ly/mTGb305sELE Tweet this now
Plan your holiday spending this year and you could win $50 from @AmericaSaves >> http://bit.ly/2e8XoQj #HolidaySavings Tweet this now
2 of 5 #millennial spenders have already started buying presents >> http://ow.ly/Nc2M305sDQ3 via @Forbes @AmericaSaves Tweet this now
Ever wish you could just ask an economist? @AmericaSaves did! Here's what they had to say about holiday spending: http://bit.ly/2efx07w Tweet this now
Set your #NewYears goal, make a plan, #save automatically – pledge to #save today! >> http://ow.ly/GV2w305sEUO via @AmericaSaves Tweet this now
Do you have a savvy tip or story about #holiday #savings? Share it w/ @AmericaSaves! You could win $25! >> http://ow.ly/cdPi305sEQt Tweet this now
America Saves Twitter Chat
Please join @AmericaSaves on Thursday, December 8th at 2pm Eastern for a 45-minute power chat on savings and financial habits during and after the holidays.
Americans plan to spend over $900 on their holiday shopping this year. It makes sense when you add up all the travel, meals, gifts, tips, and even the lights! Please join our Twitter conversation to discuss how to set a holiday budget, limit spending, and establish good savings habits for the New Year.
Hashtag: #HolidaySavings
Featuring:
Aaron Klein, fellow of economic studies at Brookings Institution (@Aarondklein)
Mark Calabria, director of financial regulation studies at CATO Institute (@MarkCalabria)
Topic: Holiday Habits: Spending Less and Saving More
When: Thursday, December 8 at 2pm Eastern (iCalendar | Google Calendar | Outlook | Yahoo)
Easy ways to follow the chat: Twubs or tchat.io.
Q1: How big of an impact does holiday spending have on our economy
Q2: Where or how did you shop on Black Friday and Cyber Monday?
Q3: What impact does online shopping have on our spending habits?
Q4: What is the best way to plan a holiday budget and stick to it?
Q5: How can we limit holiday spending or stretch it out over time?
Q6: What are some tips for using credit responsibly over the holidays?
Q7: What are some tips to cut gift-giving costs?
Q8: How can we give the gift of savings?
Relevant Resources
Share the following resources with your audience and with partnering organizations.
From America Saves
Blog Articles
- Video: America Saves Conversation with Economists
- Beware of Holiday Budget Busters
- Finding the Funds for the Holidays
- It's the Holidays: Ready, Set, Shop!
- Last Minute #SavingsTips for Thanksgiving
- Protecting Your Identity during the Holiday Season
- Saving Money on Holiday Travel: College Edition
- Should You Consider an Extended Warranty?
- Six Warning Signs That You May Be Spending Too Much Money This Holiday Season
- Ten Terrific Tips to Take Charge of Holiday Spending
- The America Saves Holiday Savings Challenge
Resources + Research
- 2016 Holiday Outlook, PwC US
- Anticipated holiday spending on the rise; Two in 10 consumers have already started shopping for the holidays, The NPD Group
- Consumers Expect to Spend Slightly Less on Holidays This Year, Consumer Federation of America
- Consumers generally upbeat about finances but expect to spend the same or less on holiday gifts, Berkeley Research Group
- Consumer Spending Research, National Retail Federation (NRF)
- National Retail Federation Forecasts Holiday Sales to Increase 3.6%, NRF
- Holiday Shopping Habits 2016, Rubicon Project
Holiday Spending + Savings in the News
- Black Friday Sales That Aren’t Worth It, GOBankingRates
- Financial fine-tuning you must do before year's end, USA Today
- Holiday Outlook: Spending Up, Santa's Helpers Down, US News & World Report
- Is the Grinch at last banished from holiday spending? CBS MoneyWatch
- Low-income consumers plan to spend more this holiday, CNBC
- Poll: Holiday retail season starts too darn early, CreditCards.com
- Retail Spending to Grow by 3% This Holiday Season, TheStreet
- Steps to Take Now to Avoid Holiday Overspending, GoBankingRates
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