It's time to spring clean your finances

Ah, spring. The snow recedes, the wind warms and positive change is the air. You may be thinking about doing a little spring cleaning to tackle tasks that have gone undone in the hustle and bustle of life. But sometimes the most important things get the least attention. Like your money.

This season is the perfect time to make sure you’re on the right track towards your goals.

Here are a few ideas to help you spring into action.

Go over your savings goals. It’s a good idea to periodically take a look at your long-term or short-term savings goals and make sure you’re on track. You can tweak your strategy if you need an adjustment.

Review your beneficiaries. A lot can change from year to year. Spring is a great time to review and update your beneficiaries, especially if you’ve had any life changes.

Go paperless. Still receiving bills, receipts and other important documents in the mail? Now’s the time to go digital. You can easily keep track of all your retirement savings statements and documents online, in one secure place. If you’re a Manulife group plan member sign in to your account at manulife.ca/gro to make this change and don’t forget to download the Manulife Mobile app!

Many of us already enjoy the ease and convenience of paying our bills online. Automating your retirement savings can be just as easy! By setting up automatic contributions with payroll deductions, if your plan allows, you remove any chance of forgetting to contribute to your plan. This can help you stay on track and reach your savings goals. 

If you feel like your finances are a bit messy to manage, you may want a clean-up. Consolidating your finances could help you manage your finances more efficiently and may also allow your savings to grow a little quicker.

Pay fewer fees. Most investments will come with an associated investment management fee (IMF). The more places you keep your money, the more fees you may potentially pay. Consolidating your finances in one place may reduce the fees you pay, and help grow your savings more quickly.

Keep track of your money. Keeping your money in one place could help make it simpler to keep track of, and make adding to it easier.

All your info on one app. By consolidating your finances, you could view all your accounts and financial documents easily from one mobile app.

Tidying up your finances is easier with a bit of help. A financial advisor can help you start with your spring cleaning, and work towards your long-term  or short-term savings goals.

Financial planning. Whether it’s an annual budget, saving for something specific, your advisor can help you set a plan in place that is designed to work with your lifestyle.

Investing advice. Making sense of the market can be daunting. Your financial advisor can help you explore investment options that work within your risk tolerance and make sense for your savings goals.

Retirement planning. Saving for retirement could be easier with expert advice. Talk to your advisor this spring, and find out how tidying-up your finances could help you along the way to retirement.

By taking some time to go over your finances and make adjustments if necessary, you could give yourself a savings advantage that will help make reaching your savings goals easier. Use this financial spring cleaning checklist to help you get started:

• Check in on your money, consider trimming any unnecessary subscriptions or fees you may be paying.
• Determine if your group retirement savings plan allows for contributions to be made through payroll deductions.
• If managing your money is getting a bit messy, consider consolidating your accounts to help make it easier for you to stay on top of, and you may pay fewer fees.
• And don’t hesitate to reach out for advice – a financial advisor can help you take full advantage of a financial spring cleaning this year.

Need help cleaning up and consolidating your money? Talk to an advisor today!

Your Manulife group plan may include access to PlanRight® Advisors at no additional cost to you. Check with your employer/plan sponsor to see if this benefit is part of your group savings plan. A PlanRight advisor can help you plan and prepare for your financial goals at each stage of your life.