Personal Finance Tasks to Do ASAP in 2026

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At the beginning of each year, we always like to remind readers of several important financial housekeeping tasks to do — plus new tax rules, current forecasts for interest rates, and more. Even if your New Year’s resolutions have nothing to do with personal finance (if they do, share them in the comments!), these are key things to consider in January and beyond.

Financial Numbers to Know in 2026

We have more details on these numbers below, but here are the key numbers for the year:

Mortgage Rates in 2026

Here’s some good news: As ABC News recently reported, this week mortgage rates dipped to the lowest they’ve been in 15 months, after peaking at more than 7% in early 2025. The average interest rate for a 30-year mortgage is 6.15%, significantly down from 6.89% last May. And this week, CNBC shared experts’ predictions that rates will stay between 6% and 6.5% this year.

The Housing Market in 2026

In December 2025, Redfin predicted that this year would bring gradual increases in home sales and improved affordability, while home prices and monthly housing payments will grow slower than wages. The website also foresees that sales of existing homes will rise by 3% over 2025 by year-end, while rents will increase as supply falls this year.

CD rates in 2026

A few weeks ago, NerdWallet told readers it’s a good time to make a move on the current high-yield CDs before rates drop more, as both national average and high-yield CD rates saw notable drops starting in September 2025. Still, the article noted that rates are still at some of highest in more than a decade.

In terms of specifics, top one-year yields are around 4.00%, and the best five-year CD rates are closer to 3.75%.

Series I Savings Bonds in 2026

The current interest rate is 4.03%, including a fixed rate of 0.9%. This applies to bonds issued November 1, 2025, to April 30, 2026.

In case you’re not familiar, Series I bonds earn interest monthly, while interest is compounded semiannually; you’ll earn both a fixed rate of interest and a rate that changes with inflation. You can redeem your I bond after 12 months (or keep it in there as it earns interest for up to 30 years). If you cash in the bond in less than 5 years, however, you lose the last 3 months of interest.

Student Loan Changes in 2026

Brace yourselves, because this year, we have a lot more student loan news to share than we usually do — and it’s not great.

ICYMI, here’s some eyerolling news from last fall: As of July 1, 2026, the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program will exclude employers that “engage in unlawful activities such that they have a substantial illegal purpose, including supporting terrorism and aiding and abetting illegal immigration” as well as “performing prohibited medical procedures that attempt to transition children away from their biological sex.” (Here’s the government’s fact sheet that details the new PSLF rules.)

On a more encouraging note, this article from The College Investor notes that 21 states and the District of Columbia are suing the U.S. Department of Education over the new policy.

Even bigger changes have hit the student loan repayment plan called Saving for a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan, which was created by the Biden administration. As NPR recently reported (along with PSLF news), pending court approval, the SAVE plan will end, forcing millions of borrowers to change plans that will likely have higher monthly payments.

NPR also explained in detail why “trying to change repayment plans in 2026 is about to get weird” and reported that new loans for graduate students will be subject to new borrowing limits ($20,500/year), and the current grad PLUS program will end.

Regarding private student loans, U.S. News & World Report has a chart (updated Jan. 2, 2026) that features the best options for 2026. Currently, the highest rated are Ascent, SoFi, and Nelnet bank.

Personal Finance Tasks to Do ASAP in a New Year

Review 401(k) Limits for 2026

The 2026 IRS contribution limit for 401(k), 403(b), and most 457 plans, as well as the federal government’s Thrift Savings Plan, is $24,500, up from $23,500 in 2025. For people aged 50 and over, the catch-up contribution limit has increased to $8,000.

If you’re making regular contributions from your paycheck, make sure you’ve adjusted your chosen amount accordingly if you want to max out your 401(k). It’s best to do this at the beginning of the year so you only have to do it once — if you do it in the middle of the year, you’re either not maxing it out or you’ll have to change your contribution again next January.

{related: where to save (when you don’t know what you’re saving for)}

Review IRA Limits for 2026

The 2026 IRS contribution limit for IRAs has increased to $7,500. For people aged 50 and over, the catch-up contribution limit has risen to $1,100.

{related: not sure what to do first/next in your personal finance journey? here’s our money roadmap}

Reassess Your Debt

If your mortgage or student loan payments have changed recently, figure out how you can round the required amount UP to an even number, and make the change accordingly (paying the extra toward principal). Do what you can — every little bit helps with principal (this calculator from Bankrate helps you see how much), and knowing that a memorable round number is coming out of your bank account helps you to know if your balance is sufficient.

{related: how to decide when to pay down debt — and when to save}

For example, if your mortgage payment is now $3,218, you could pay

• an extra $282 toward principal each month (total = $3,500 each month)
• an extra $82 toward principal each month (total = $3,300 each month)
• an extra $782 toward principal each month (total = $4,000 each month)
• or an extra $32 toward principal each month (total = $3,250 each month)

Review Your State’s 529 Contribution Limits

If you have a 529 plan, reassess your automatic contributions. Each state occasionally changes the amount you can give to get a state income tax deduction; if you want to max it out, then assess.

Readers with kids: Don’t forget that as of January 1, 2024, you can roll unused 529 funds into a Roth IRA for your child without tax penalty. Saving for College has all the details.

{related: the 411 on using 529s to go back to school}

Reassess your Subscriptions

Now is a great time to reassess your subscriptions and other repeating payments to make sure you’re not wasting money on services you’re not using, and check for rate hikes.

Many streaming services raised their prices in 2025, and this year, it’s Paramount+’s turn. The streamer recently announced it will charge subscribers more in 2026, increasing its $7.99/month Paramount+ Essential plan to $8.99/month from $7.99, and its Paramount+ Premium to $13.99/month from $12.99. Some are expecting Spotify to raise its rates this year, too (again).

Automate Investing or Saving If You Can

Consider setting up automatic investing, or automatic saving to amortize big expenses. Kat has a small amount of money automatically moved from checking to her online savings accounts to help her save for multiple financial goals, like her emergency fund, vacation fund and predictable large bills (term insurance, accounting advice, etc.).

What personal finance tasks would YOU do ASAP in a new year, readers? Have you already made any moves in 2026, and has this list inspired you to take action?

{related: what was the best financial decision you made last year? (2018 discussion)}