The Blend — 12.8.2015
You might remember an article from a few weeks ago about how to do an end-of-year financial checkup as a suggestion for something to do on Stay In The Black Friday. And that article got us thinking of other things you can squeeze into the last 3 weeks of 2015. So here are 4 easy things you can do before the clock strikes 2016.
Check your credit report and FICO® Score.
To make sure you have a good handle on your finances going into 2016, you can check your credit report right now at annualcreditreport.com (available free to you once a year). And beginning January 2016, if you’re a Payoff Member with a funded Payoff Loan™, you’ll be able to see your FICO® Score free every month (we’re the first marketplace lender to offer this benefit).
Reconnect with an old friend or acquaintance.
It’s the holidays. It’s time to reach out to a person you haven’t talked to in a while. Give them a call, send an email, tag a throwback Instagram photo, invite them to go smart shopping, whatever you want to do. Don’t worry about how long it’s been. Your friend has probably been meaning to reach out too.
Give your insurance a checkup.
Our friends at PolicyGenius have created an easy way to make sure you’re prepared for surprises. Try their insightful insurance checkup now. It’s a great way to see if you’re doing too much or not enough on the insurance front, and it takes only 5 minutes. Compare it to your financial checkup for a full picture of what you can do to improve your finances before and in 2016.
Start an old year’s resolution.
New year’s resolutions are tough. They’re a 52-week commitment. But do you know what’s much easier? Old year’s resolutions. Going to the gym 3 days a week for just the next 3 weeks is so much easier to accomplish. And maybe you’ll start a habit that can carry over into 2016.
This Week’s Blend
Dreams
What’d you want to be when you grew up? Remember pretending to be Indiana Jones when you were a kid and/or just last weekend? We’re inspired by the true story of Brent Easter, who grew up to be the real-life Indy.
Money
Make 2016, twenty-six-green. With 2016 approaching, it can be easy to get overwhelmed by your finances. Here’s an easy strategy to keep money from overwhelming your brain. And it might seem like all your troubles would go away if you made more, but if you aren’t due for a raise, try this guide to getting richer without making more money or these strategies for getting your boss to pay you more.
Your Money Personality
Want your very own Blend? Take the money personality quiz now and subscribe to get The Blend delivered fresh into your inbox every week, so you don’t miss out on perks like personalized links and insights specific to you. Otherwise, it’s like you’re drinking only The Decaffeinated Blend, and that’s just not as fun.
