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Your 2015 Financial Planning Calendar
JANUARY
• If you haven’t already done so, set up a basic filing system for storing your important documents
and records.
• Reset your budget. Review last year’s spending to see where your money went so you can figure
out where to tweak this year’s budget.
• Map out your annual travel budget. Make a list of any expected and/or personal goal trips this
year, start saving for them now in a separate account earmarked for travel.
• Double-check your employer retirement plan contribution percentage. At the very least, you
should be contributing enough to get your full employer match. If you’re at least 50 years old (or
will be by December 31
st
), consider making an additional catch-up contribution.
• If you don’t pay enough income tax through regular payroll withholding or are self-employed, file
your fourth-quarter estimated income tax payment by January 15
th
. This is a good time to note the
remaining quarterly filing dates on your calendar—April 15
th
, June 15
th
, and September 15
th
.
FEBRUARY
• Start getting ready for preparing your 2014 tax return. As you receive Forms W-2, 1099 and other
tax documents, file them immediately—this will reduce time looking for them later.
• Get an annual copy of your credit report. Read the report carefully and report any discrepancies to
the appropriate agencies. To get your credit report for free, check out
www.annualcreditreport.com.
• Have a money talk with your significant other. It may not be the most romantic thing to think
about this Valentine’s Day, but the effects of a successful money chat last much longer than that
bouquet of roses.
• Fill Out Your FAFSA. If your child plans to attend college this September, it’s time to submit your
government application for financial aid, known as the FAFSA.
MARCH
• If you turned 70½ last year and haven’t taken your first-year required minimum distribution (RMD),
you have until April 1 to do so.
• Review your insurance policies. Check out quotes for home, auto and life insurance policies
online, and then call your agent to make sure your coverage is still adequate for your assets and
that you’re getting the best rate possible.
• Take stock of your personal possessions. Create (or update) an inventory of your home and
personal property for insurance or estate planning. In the event that your home is burglarized and
your belongings stolen or damaged, you’ll need detailed documentation to prove their value to
your insurer. Lock your files in a waterproof and fireproof safe, or back them up on a secure file-
sharing website.
APRIL
• File your income tax return by April 15. If you’re requesting an automatic six-month extension,
you still need to pay any taxes due by April 15.
• April 15 is also the last day to make a contribution to your IRA or Coverdale Education Savings
Account for the prior year.
• If you pay King County property tax directly, the first half of 2015 property taxes must be paid by
April 30.