If you’re like most people, you’re probably starting the new year with at least one New Year’s resolution you’re hoping to achieve to help improve an aspect of your life.

Some of the most common new year’s resolutions are health-related like committing to dieting and exercising, while others may focus on personal goals such as more traveling, learning a new skill, and career growth. A category of resolutions everyone can benefit from focusing on are related to personal finances.

We’ve compiled a list of financial resolutions that are easy to keep and can help you develop healthy habits for the New Year and beyond.

Check Your Credit Score Regularly

If you’re not planning on making a large purchase in the future, your credit score may seem like an unimportant number, but it actually has a BIG impact on more than your finances. Your credit score and credit history provide financial institutions and other companies with a snapshot of how “creditworthy” you are.

Reviewing your credit report regularly is a great way to see an overview of your financial health for errors or habits that are hurting your overall score and determine areas of improvement. You can get a free copy of your annual credit report at annualcreditreport.com. Your financial institution may also provide free access to your credit score for free within their online banking platforms.

AFFCU is making it easier to stay on top of your credit. Credit Score by SavvyMoney is available for free to AFFCU members in Digital Banking. This helpful tool helps you understand your credit, the factors that impact it, and what you can do to strengthen it. Credit Score by SavvyMoney provides you with a comprehensive credit score analysis, full credit report, and monitoring.

Monitor Your Accounts Daily

Viewing your financial accounts every day is a simple and effective financial habitat. Modern day allows us to have access to our accounts right at our fingertips with mobile and online banking.

Logging in daily helps provide you with a helpful overview of your cash flow and is one of the quickest and most effective ways to help fight fraud and give you an idea of your daily spending habits.

Make Saving a Priority

Regardless of how much you earn or what stage of life you’re in, it’s important to make saving a priority.

Start contributing to an emergency fund each paycheck, so you’re prepared for any type of financial emergency life throws your way. Not sure how to start saving for emergencies? Check out our blog to learn the basics and how to get started.

Already contributing to an emergency savings account? Consider increasing your contribution or even finding a better savings account to increase your earning power.

While standard savings accounts are good because they allow you to earn interest on the funds you store in the account, these accounts tend to offer lower savings rates.

Certificate Accounts and High Yield Savings Accounts offer higher interest rates, allowing you to earn superior savings without doing any hard work.

For example, an AFFCU High Yield Savings Account is a safe place to park your money and allow it to earn interest while still having access to your money in case of an emergency. You won’t have to deal with withdrawal fees or deposit limits either.

Pay Down Your Debt

From student loans, credit cards, auto loans, and mortgages, we all have some type of debt. Having debt isn’t necessarily a bad thing as long as you’re managing it well. Being proactive with your finances will keep things from spinning out of control. Take a look at your debt balances, fees, and rates associated with each account and create an action plan to determine which debt account you’d benefit from focusing on.

You may need to adjust your budget a bit, like canceling a subscription service and using the money from that expertise to make a larger payment to your student loans. After you’ve paid off that balance, tackle the one with the next highest interest rate, then the next, until you’ve taken care of all of the debts on your plate.

Improve Your Money Management Skills

Your money impacts your whole life, so take time to learn as much about financial literacy as possible.

AFFCU offers two no-cost financial education resources designed to provide you with financial programs and a wide variety of comprehensive resources for all aspects of personal finance that fit every type of learning style.

Zogo is a gamified mobile app that rewards users for learning the basics of personal finance. Balance offers articles, webinars, and podcasts on a variety of financial topics. Plus, their budget and spending tools can help you take control of your money.

Once you have a bit more financial knowledge, you’ll be on your way to a brighter financial future!

No matter what type of resolution you’re deciding to focus on this year, it can be difficult to stick to your goal.

Avoid making strict resolutions that are hard to follow, overly ambitious, and too vague or too specific. Try to adjust your habits to create manageable goals.

Keep in mind, that one small mistake shouldn’t make you throw in the towel. Don’t let a minor misstep derail your progress. Each new day can serve as another fresh start.

Eventually, the days will add up and before you know it, you’ll be celebrating a new year and your financial accomplishment.