Skip To Content

How’s your financial plan doing?

 

Use this checklist to review progress with your advisor and identify steps you can take to help your plan work harder for you. Think of it as an annual financial tune-up.

MORE THAN HALF OF AMERICANS don’t engage in financial planning regularly.1 If you’ve already developed a plan with your advisor, you probably know what they’re missing out on — everything from a clear road map to suggested course corrections and the confidence to keep moving toward your goals.

 

Don’t have a plan yet? Take the pop quiz below to learn more about the potential benefits. Already have one? Skip to “Your Financial Plan Checklist” and see if your plan’s keeping up with your life. Consider tackling the 12 suggestions below over time. Hint: There’s one action step for every month of the year.

POP QUIZ

Graphic depicting a quiz that explains what a financial plan can do. Visit the link below for a full description.

Tap + to select correct answer and learn more

True

False

YOUR FINANCIAL PLAN CHECKLIST

1. Ask yourself at least once a year: Does my financial plan still support my financial goals?

 

Your priorities and situation may have changed. See how many of these scenarios apply to you:  

 

  • I haven’t reviewed my plan in the past six months.
  • In the last year, I’ve had big changes in expenses or income.
  • I’m not sure my budget and plan capture my values and priorities.

 

One or more hit home? Consider these steps and questions to ask your advisor:

Graphic illustrating the percentage of Americans who set financial goals. Visit the link below for a full description.

Source: Motley Fool Money, “Survey: Optimism Grows About Keeping Financial New Year’s Resolutions in 2025,” December 2024.

2. Anticipate big life changes

 

Transitions are a part of life. Will you be ready financially? See how many of these scenarios apply to you:  

 

  • Life changes are coming that could change my financial picture (such as switching jobs, getting married, moving or retiring).
  • My family members’ lives are changing (children going to college, parents needing more care, the birth of a child or grandchild).
  • I’m thinking about going back to school, starting a side hustle or picking up an expensive hobby.

 

One or more hit home? Consider these steps and questions to ask your advisor:

Graphic illustrating how often American adults relocate. Visit the link below for a full description.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, “Calculating Migration Expectancy Using ACS Data,” August 2024

3. Stay on track for retirement

 

To judge whether you’re on track for retirement, see how many of these scenarios apply to you:

 

  • I have not raised my contributions for my 401(k), IRA or health savings account (HSA) in the past year.
  • I am contributing to my workplace retirement plan but not collecting the full savings match that my employer provides.
  • I am in my 50s and eligible to make catch-up contributions to my retirement plans, but I have not done so.

 

One or more hit home? Consider these steps and questions to ask your advisor:

Graphic depicting how many millennials expect to retire early. Visit the link below for a full description.

Source: Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies, “The Multigenerational Workforce: Life, Work & Retirement,” June 2024

4. Calculate your retirement paycheck: How much income will you have in retirement?

 

To ensure you have enough money to meet your needs throughout retirement, it’s important to craft a well-thought-out income and spending plan. To assess your retirement paycheck, see how many of these scenarios apply to you:

 

  • I’m hitting one of the key dates for government benefits this year — ages 59½, 62, 65, 70 and 73.
  • I don’t know how much I will collect from income sources such as Social Security, a pension, an annuity and required minimum distributions from tax-deferred accounts.
  • I’m unsure whether my retirement plan can weather key retirement risks.

 

One or more hit home? Consider these steps and questions to ask your advisor:

Graphic illustrating the benefit of waiting to claim Social Security. Visit the link below for a full description.

Source: Social Security Administration, “Retirement Benefits,” 2024

5. Check up on your emergency fund

 

Surprise expenses can put a dent in the best financial plans. See how many of these scenarios apply to you:

 

  • My emergency fund would cover only a month or two of expenses.
  • My emergency fund is tied up in stocks or other illiquid investments.
  • I keep emergency savings in a non-interest-bearing bank account.

 

One or more hit home? Consider these steps and questions to ask your advisor:

Graphic depicting how many high-earning Americans have well-funded emergency accounts. Visit the link below for a full description.

Source: Bankrate’s 2024 Annual Emergency Savings Report

6. Review your insurance coverage: Do you have enough?

 

The right insurance can help you pick up the pieces after unexpected life events, such as a natural disaster or death in the family. To test your preparedness, see how many of these scenarios apply to you:

 

  • It’s been over a year since I checked my homeowners or renter’s insurance policy for disaster coverage.
  • I don’t know if my life insurance policy is sufficient to support my dependents and wealth transfer goals.
  • If I’m suddenly unable to work, I or my family won’t have income to live on.

 

One or more hit home? Consider these steps and questions to ask your advisor:

Graphic depicting the recent increase in home insurance rates. Visit the link below for a full description.

Source: Insurify, “Report: Home Insurance Rates to Rise 6% in 2024 After 20% Increase in Last Two Years,” 2024

7. Plan for the uncertainties of future healthcare costs

 

Healthcare costs are generally rising faster than inflation.2 To assess your healthcare coverage, see how many of these scenarios apply to you:

 

 

One or more hit home? Consider these steps and questions to ask your advisor:

Graphic depicting the growth in out-of-pocket healthcare costs. Visit the link below for a full description.

Source: KFF, “Health Care Costs and Affordability,” May 28, 2024

8. Speed up paying down your debts

 

Creating a targeted plan to pay off high-interest debt can help you reach other goals. To review your situation, see how many of these scenarios apply to you:

 

  • My current loans or credit cards carry high interest rates.
  • I haven’t looked into refinancing or consolidating these loans.
  • I don’t have a plan for paying back what I owe in a timely manner.

 

One or more hit home? Consider these steps and questions to ask your advisor:

Graphic depicting the recent growth in home equity loans. Visit the link below for a full description.

Source: CoreLogic, “Home Equity Lending Rose to Highest Level Since 2008 in 2024,” Oct. 9, 2024

9. Create a strategy for sharing your wealth

 

Donating to a philanthropic cause you support or helping family members in your lifetime can be rewarding. To review your giving strategy, see how many of these scenarios apply to you:

 

  • I am weighing making gifts to my heirs in my lifetime to reduce the size of my estate.
  • I’m interested in funding a 529 plan for a grandchild to reduce my estate and retain control of the assets.
  • I want to make a bigger impact with my charitable giving.

 

One or more hit home? Consider these steps and questions to ask your advisor:

Graphic illustrating what grandparents can gift to a 529 plan in 2025. Visit the link below for a full description.

Source: Internal Revenue Service

10. Shore up your estate plan

 

Having an estate plan that reflects your wishes is an important part of financial planning. To pressure-test your plan, see how many of these scenarios apply to you:

 

  • I haven’t reviewed my estate plan recently and am not sure it accurately reflects my intentions.
  • I am missing a key document, such as a living will, healthcare directive, healthcare proxy or durable power of attorney.
  • I have experienced changes in my life that might require updates to these documents.

 

One or more hit home? Consider these steps and questions to ask your advisor:

Graphic showing the percentage of Americans who have a will. Visit the link below for a full description.

Source: Caring.com 2024 Wills and Estate Planning Study

11. Look for ways to minimize taxes

 

No matter your goals, tax laws can have an impact on how far your money goes. To see where you stand on tax planning, see how many of these scenarios apply to you:

 

  • I don’t keep up on new tax laws or IRS rule changes that could impact my financial planning, including changes in tax rates, tax brackets and deductions.
  • I’m considering converting a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA.
  • I have losses in my investment portfolio that could be valuable for tax planning.

 

One or more hit home? Consider these steps and questions to ask your advisor:

Graphic illustrating how many Americans find the tax code too complex. Visit the link below for a full description.

Source: Tax Foundation, “National Tax Literacy Poll,” April 2024

12. Pressure-test your investment portfolio

 

Reviewing — and possibly adjusting — your strategy regularly can help your investments stay on track as you pursue your financial goals. See how many of these scenarios apply to you:

 

  • I am uneasy about how to manage risk as the financial markets and my circumstances change.
  • I am not confident that my mix of stocks, bonds and other assets in my portfolio is still suitable for my risk tolerance and retirement timeline.
  • I have never considered whether my investment strategy aligns with my values.

 

One or more hit home? Consider these steps and questions to ask your advisor:

Graphic showing how comfortable Americans are managing investments. Visit the link below for a full description.

Source: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, “Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2023,” May 2024.

 

Want a copy of this checklist to keep? Download one now to use as a starting point when consulting your advisor and reviewing what you need to do next to make the most of your financial strategy.

 

New to Merrill? Connect with a Merrill Advisor to discuss your priorities.

Would you like us to contact you?

Investment minimum $250,000

 

By providing your contact information above, you agree that a representative of Merrill, the Brokerage affiliate of Bank of America Corporation, may contact you via telephone and/or email to discuss and/or offer investment products and services that may be appropriate for you. You agree that you are providing to us your consent for us to contact you regardless of any Do Not Call or Do Not Email privacy choices you may have previously expressed until you revoke this consent, or up to 90 days. You may revoke your consent at any time by notifying the Merrill representative.

1 Motley Fool Money, “Over Half of Americans Make This Serious Mistake With Their Financial Planning,” January 2024.

2 KFF, “Health Care Costs and Affordability,” May 28, 2024.

X

You need to answer some questions first

Then we can provide you with relevant answers.

Get started