18 Financial Goals to Set and Achieve This Year (2026)

Trying to make the most of financial goals set achieve? You are in the right place. Below we break it down in plain English, with practical tips you can actually use.

Key Takeaways

• 18 Financial Goals to Set and Achieve This Year Research says that merely writing your goals down makes you 42% more likely to achieve them.
• Experts suggest aiming at something small to help start building momentum.
• Written by Ben Huber Last Updated: April 25, 2024 Reviewed by Jana Lynch Home Money Management Personal Finance Achieving financial goals ta...

18 Financial Goals to Set and Achieve This Year

Research says that merely writing your goals down makes you 42% more likely to achieve them. Experts suggest aiming at something small to help start building momentum.

Written by Ben Huber Last Updated: April 25, 2024 Reviewed by Jana Lynch

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Achieving financial goals takes a little more than just luck.

It requires discipline, dedication, and repeated sacrifice. It means setting short- and long-term financial goals and then following through on them. Unfortunately, these are things with which the majority of Americans seem to struggle.

Research, however, suggests that simply writing out a list of financial goals makes a person 42% more likely to achieve them.[1]

Although some people do win the lottery or come into a large settlement, odds are that person won’t be you. Don’t wait for financial success to come knocking. Affording a house, the kids’ college tuition, and, ultimately, retirement, will most likely be on you.

Lucius Seneca’s quote is as true today as it was in ancient Rome: “Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity.” It means that every person is responsible for creating his or her own fortune.

Opportunities for success are more likely to come to those who have a clear financial roadmap and who set realistic financial goals.

18 Smart Personal Finance Goals to Pursue This Year

Whether the objective is to get personal finances back in check or to save more money, consider the following examples of personal financial goals. Numerous of these can be started immediately.

1. Build an emergency fund.

A money goal won’t be worth anything unless you first set aside funds in case of an emergency. Since it’s impossible to know what life will bring, keep a little extra stashed away at all times.

According to Certified Money Coach Megan Robinson, an emergency fund is “a savings account set aside specifically for those ‘just in case’ situations.”

Most experts recommend keeping at least three months’ worth of living expenses in a separate high-interest savings account online - more, if possible. Don’t let an unforeseen expense ruin an otherwise healthy financial outlook.

2. Boost a low credit score.

One of the most popular items on this list of financial goals is to improve a low credit score. That’s not as hard as it might sound - but it is a long-term financial goal that is going to take some time.

First, check your credit score for free. Once you know where you stand and what’s impacting your credit score, you can work on improving it.

These four things can help raise a credit score quickly:

1. Pay off a chunk of a credit card or loan balance to reduce the utilization ratio (UR)
2. Ask for a limit raise - ironically, this can also reduce the UR
3. Correct report errors - according to the FTC, nearly 20% of credit reports contain errors
4. Join another cardholder’s existing account (this further reduces the UR, and that person’s score may give you a boost)

3. Get a side hustle.

In our 2021 side hustle study, we found that 76% of Americans think side hustles will continue to get more popular in the new year; with 14% now reporting they’re making over $1,500 per month with their own.[2] That’s a decent amount that could put a big dent in the average person’s monthly bills.

Before you choose a side hustle, think about how much money you want to make and the amount of time you’re willing to commit. A side gig that brings in some extra spending money is very different from one that can grow enough to replace your full-time income.

If you’re just looking to bring in some extra money for now, then consider a side hustle that’ll help you make money fast.

On the other hand, if your goal is to eventually replace your full-time salary, then you’re probably better off with a more long-term venture, like freelance writing, working as a virtual assistant, or launching your own affordable online business. 

4. Read three personal finance books.

Make it a short-term goal to read a few good personal finance books. If you’re not much of a reader, then listen to some personal finance podcasts instead. Knowledge truly is power.

5. Automate your investing.

Technology has come a long way in the 21st century. Simple smartphone apps like Acorns (which is currently offering a free $5 signup bonus) are completely automated and help take care of investing and saving.

If you’re looking for more robust options, check out our list of the best investment apps.

6. Be health-focused.

According to Investopedia, the average American spent $10,671 on healthcare in 2020.[3] That is an incredible amount of money to pay to stay in good health. But choosing a healthy lifestyle can actually reduce overall spending, as well as being a wise physical choice.

Those who are hoping to lose a few pounds should check out HealthyWage, which will pay users to lose weight. The only catch is that shoppers will owe the company if they are unable to reach their health goals. People who are looking for a little extra motivation could win up to $10,000 through this app.

7. Get out of debt.

It is vitally key to focus on getting out of debt. This doesn’t mean that everything else on a list of financial goals is unimportant, but debt can be truly damaging to the goal of achieving financial independence.

Don’t become a victim of a vicious loop of minimum payments and accrued interest. Putting off the bills will only make them harder to eliminate - and worse yet, be ruinous to a credit score, in the meantime.

Jeff Rose, a certified financial planner at Good Financial Cents, has listed some no-brainer reasons for getting out of debt:

• “Getting out of debt means that you will have full control over your income
• “It will leave you with more money for savings and investing - and even more for spending
• “It will make it easier to quit a job you don’t like
• It will free your mind of the worry and stress that come with debt.”

8. Keep accurate records.

If merely writing down your financial goals makes you 42% more likely to achieve them, it goes without saying that accurately tracking spending creates a further sense of accountability. Creating a money journal of sorts will help you track past successes (and failures), learn from past mistakes, and identify areas for improvement.

Plus, tracking goals will then be a breeze because you have reference points and objective data from which to draw conclusions.

9. Create (and follow) a budget.

According to a recent Gallup poll, 32% of people have actually attempted to create a budget.[4] What’s stopping the other 68%?

Taking the time to categorize spending can be a huge eye-opener.

A good budgeting guide is the 50/20/30 rule. According to this plan, 50% of all regular income should go toward essential spending (rent, tra

Final Thoughts

The bottom line: a little research on financial goals set achieve goes a long way. Compare your options, watch for seasonal offers, and never pay full price when a better deal is one click away.

Originally published at dollarsprout.com.