GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. -- Whether you make actual resolutions for the new year, most people have resolved to be more financially responsible as the nation continues to dig out of a years-long debt binge.
KARE 11 Sunrise financial contributor Dan Ament with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney of Wayzata cites a December Fidelity Investments survey that indicates 46-percent of Americans surveyed want to save more in 2012, and 21-percent are resolving to spend less.
Ament's advice is to look first at consumer debt. Pay down your credit cards first, and also take a look at your mortgage. With lending rates at historic lows, people with good credit who are not underwater on their mortgage might find this is a good time to refinance.
Additionally, Ament suggests you keep close track of your finances. One easy way is to ditch cash for credit or debit (only if you can pay your balance every month.) Even better, pay by check. All of those methods will leave a paper trail for you to see exactly where your money is going.
Finally, make your newly acquired financial moves a habit. That means sticking with the program long enough so it becomes second nature, so that by 2013, you will be facing a new year with your financial house in order.
Copyright 2012 by KARE. All rights reserved.)