With the end of the year drawing closer, many Americans are shifting into holiday mode. But aside from shopping for gifts and spending time with family, the end of the year also delivers some crucial financial deadlines.
Many tax credits, deductions and incentive programs are structured around the calendar year, which means missing these deadlines could leave you with a higher tax bill or less money saved. With this in mind, here are the top five financial moves you should make before 2026 is officially here.
Generally, the deadline for contributions to your 401(k) retirement plan is December 31, with some exceptions. This means the clock is ticking on your opportunity to max out your annual contribution limit for 2025. If you’re over the age of 50, you can also make catch-up contributions to super-charge your retirement savings.
Unfortunately, many Americans are not only missing out on hitting their maximum contribution limit, they’re also missing out on maximizing their employer match. According to Vanguard, 24% of employees were saving less than their employer’s match cap over a nine-year period between 2013 and 2022 (1).
An employer 401(k) match is essentially additional compensation and if you’re not maximizing your match, you’re leaving free money on the table. If you haven’t already, look into your employer’s 401(k) program and consider contributing the optimal amount to qualify for the full match by December 31.
Tax loss harvesting is, perhaps, the most overlooked tool available to investors. This strategy allows you to convert capital losses on investments into tax savings.
According to the Internal Revenue Service, any losses experienced on the sale of capital assets can be used to offset capital gains on the sale of other assets (2). Under current rules, you can use up to $3,000 in capital losses to reduce your taxable income.
So, if you sell a publicly traded stock for a total loss of $13,000 and sell another stock for a total gain of $10,000, you can offset the gain entirely and reduce your taxable income by $3,000. However, this maneuver must be executed within the calendar year, so you may need to sell some of your investments at a loss before December 31 to create a capital loss.
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A Health Savings Account (HSA) is particularly attractive because of its rare triple tax advantage. Not only do you get a tax deduction for making contributions to this account, but the investments can also grow tax-free, and withdrawals for qualified medical purposes are tax-free as well (3).
The versatility of this account could be one of the many reasons why it’s so popular. At the end of 2024, there were roughly 39.3 million HSAs in America, collectively providing coverage for approximately 59.3 million people, according to an estimate by Devenir (4).
However, across all age groups, account holders were contributing significantly less than the annual limit for these accounts. Given the current sky-high costs of healthcare in America, it’s a good idea to contribute as much as you can to this tax-advantaged account.
For 2025, the HSA contribution cap is $4,300 for individuals enrolled in a self-only high-deductible health plan, and $8,550 for those with family coverage (5). The deadline for this contribution is generally the same as your tax filing deadline, so you can wait until April 2026, but contributing before the end of the year is still a good idea.
Regular Roth IRA contributions can be done until the tax filing deadline, which is typically in April. However, contributing before the end of the calendar year could be valuable if you’re trying to reduce taxable income for this year, or if you’re executing complex financial maneuvers like a five-year Roth conversion ladder.
You could speak with a financial adviser before the new year to see if contributing or converting to a Roth IRA is a good move for you.
According to a 2025 survey from The Marist Poll, only 58% of Americans know their net worth, while 21% do not and another 21% are unsure (6).
While the calculation isn’t complicated — it’s simply the difference between all of your assets and liabilities — these variables are often too volatile to track throughout the year. That’s why the end of the year is the perfect time to list all the assets you and your family own, alongside all the debt you may have accumulated over the course of the year.
This annual financial snapshot should give you plenty of information to make better financial moves over the long term.
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Vanguard (1); Internal Revenue Service (2, 3); Devenir (4); Fidelity (5); The Marist Poll (6)
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
