Woman with shoulder length hair sits at a wooden desk and calculates year-end finances at home.

6 Essential Year-End Money Moves

10/22/2025

As the year winds down, a little end of year financial planning and money management can help you enter the new year with confidence.

Once again, here comes Baby New Year. November and December always seem to fly by in a blur of holiday gatherings, last-minute errands, and year-end deadlines. But before the calendar flips to January, it’s worth hitting pause to make a few intentional money moves. Not only can they help you finish the year strong, but they can also set the tone for a financially healthier year ahead.

Here’s your year-end checklist.

Key takeaways:

  • Reviewing your spending and saving from the past year lets you see what worked, what didn’t, where you can adjust for the year ahead, and when to meet with a financial planner.
  • Maxing out tax-advantaged accounts like your 401(k)—and making charitable gifts—before Dec. 31 may help lower your taxable income.
  • Unused paid time off and flexible spending account funds should be spent before the end of the year, so you don’t lose valuable benefits.
  • A cybersecurity checkup can help protect your accounts and personal information from increasingly sophisticated scams.

1. Review your end-of-year finances

Before the clock strikes midnight, carve out some time to look back on how you’ve managed your money this year. According to a 2025 Bankrate survey, only about 34% of Americans regularly track their spending—and even less (just 29%) review their budgets. Those who do are more likely to hit their end-of-year savings

Start by looking at your spending to see how well you stuck to your budget and where your money actually went.

Pro tip: Fifth Third Momentum® Checking and Savings Accounts make this easy with built-in tools to get a clear snapshot of your saving and spending patterns.

Once you’ve taken stock, use those insights to set fresh goals for the year ahead, such as saving more money, taking a summer vacation, building an emergency fund, or perhaps preparing for a baby.

2. Max out your tax-advantaged retirement accounts

Each year, the IRS publishes rules for tax-advantaged retirement accounts that include how much you can contribute to your 401(k) and traditional IRA—two of the most common retirement accounts. For 2025, the 401(k) limit is $23,500 (plus an extra $7,500 if you’re 50 and over) and the IRA limit is $7,000 (or $8,000 if you’re 50 or older).

If you have one or both of these accounts, consider maxing out your contributions. Why? Because you’re contributing pretax dollars, which means you’re lowering your taxable income. The IRS will tax the money later, when you withdraw it in retirement, which gives your money plenty of time to grow in the meantime.

Another smart year-end tax move? Charitable giving. Donations made to qualified nonprofits before Dec. 31 can be tax-deductible if you itemize, potentially reducing your taxable income. Make sure to keep receipts or acknowledgment letters for your records.

3. Use paid time off and FSA funds

Unused PTO is essentially money left on the table. If your company’s policy doesn’t roll days into the new year, plan to take them before they vanish. You don’t need to take a fancy vacation—make it a staycation and catch up on your favorite show, hike that trail you never seem to have time for, or tackle that home project that’s been on your list forever.

According to a 2024 Harris Poll, 78% of U.S. workers don’t use all of their PTO. But taking a break has a multitude of mental and physical advantages, such as reducing burnout, improving productivity, decreasing stress and even boosting long-term job satisfaction—so take it seriously.

And don’t forget other benefits that may expire at year’s end, like your flexible spending account for healthcare or dependent care. Many FSAs have a "use it or lose it" policy. Check your balance and schedule eligible health, dental or vision appointments now to ensure you don’t forfeit those funds.

4. Keep your holiday budget in check

The National Retail Federation reported that shoppers in the United States spent a record $994.1 billion during the 2024 holiday season—about 4% higher than in 2023. Trends driving that increase (such as using generative AI for bargain hunting and in-app shopping) are likely to continue playing a role this year, so make sure you keep an eye on your spending.

A few ways to stay on track:

  • Set a total holiday budget and break it down by category (gifts, food, travel).
  • Make a list before you shop—and stick to it.
  • Shop early to spread out costs, avoid last-minute splurges and potentially sidestep higher peak-season prices.
  • Consider thoughtful, lower-cost alternatives like homemade gifts or shared experiences.
  • Use cashback or rewards programs strategically to offset spending, like the Fifth Third 1.67% Cash/Back Card.

If you’re still worried about going over budget, keep your finances close at hand. Fifth Third’s online and mobile banking makes it easy to track your spending in real time—even while you’re standing in the checkout line. If you do slip up and overdraft your account, Fifth Third’s Extra Time® can give you more time to make a deposit and avoid fees.[1]

5. Do a little cash flow planning

Unexpected expenses don’t wait for a convenient moment. And no, we’re not talking about forgetting someone on your Christmas list. A car repair, an urgent medical bill or a sudden home fix can easily pop up in December and throw off your plans.

To prepare, keep a small emergency cushion—even just $500 to $1,000 can make a big difference. Fifth Third’s MyAdvance® service is another great option. It offers 24/7 access to cash advances, helping you bridge short-term gaps without high-interest payday loans.

h2>6. Put yourself through a mini cybersecurity bootcamp

Online scams evolve quickly, and fraudsters are increasingly using AI tools to create realistic phishing emails and text messages, fake voices and even deepfakes to impersonate people you know and organizations you trust.

As the year comes to an end, consider taking a few minutes to double-check that the cybersecurity strategies you have in place—for yourself and your family—still make sense. Update your passwords, enable multifactor authentication, check for software updates and review your account statements for unusual activity.

Fifth Third’s SmartShield® can also help protect your accounts by monitoring for suspicious transactions, alerting you to unusual activity and offering tools to quickly secure your information if something looks off.

The bottom line:A little financial housekeeping now can pay off well into the new year. Whether you’re maxing out savings, keeping holiday spending under control or boosting cybersecurity measures, each step helps you start January ahead of the game.

Three things to do next: