9 financial moves to avoid before the new year

While it’s true that many companies won’t delay the year-end bonus until the following year, it’s worth asking because the worst they can say is no, he says. 3. DON’T SPEND MONEY YOU DON’T

HAVE. While retired folks, in particular, might like to give generously to kids and grandkids at holiday time, don’t give or purchase anything that you can’t pay off within a few months,

says Crystal McKeon, a certified financial planner in Houston. “While the gift may give someone else joy, you don’t want to give yourself heartache,” McKeon says. Instead of giving a costly

gift, she suggests, perhaps you can enjoy the same good feelings by planning some sort of special shared experience that doesn’t cost nearly as much. 4. DON’T GET DIVORCED IN DECEMBER. 

Instead, for the best tax filing outcome, it’s usually best to wait until January, says Sara Stolberg Berkowicz, a certified financial planner in Skokie, Illinois. She knows this very

personally because that was the advice she received — and heeded — two decades ago when she divorced. After all, married couples typically receive better breaks on their taxes, and their

filing status is determined on Dec. 31. So, for example, if your divorce is finalized on Dec. 30, your tax status for the entire year will be single — not married — even though you were

married for 99 percent of it. “When you file for divorce can make thousands of dollars of difference in taxes,” Berkowicz says. “You should consider taxes as a determining factor for the day

your divorce is signed by the judge.” 5. DON’T PAY ALL BILLS EXACTLY WHEN THEY ARE DUE. For example, many folks have property taxes due or want to give sizable charitable donations at the

end of the year. You might, instead, choose to make two property tax payments (or two “annual” charitable deductions) in one year, Berkowicz suggests.  This way, instead of receiving the

standard deduction, if you bunch the payments into one year you might qualify for a more tax-advantageous itemized deduction. That’s ending the year tax-smart. 6. DON’T LET UNUSED SERVICES

FOLLOW YOU INTO 2024. Use the end of the year as a reminder to review your recurring bills and make certain that you are using all of the services for which you’re paying, McKeon says.