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Top personal finance New Year’s resolutions for 2025

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The elevated inflation in recent years continued to wreak havoc on many Americans’ wallets in 2024, but the start of the new year provides a great opportunity to set new financial goals to get back on track.

“As we step into 2025, the country’s financial landscape calls for proactive resolutions to address rising concerns such as inflation and debt,” WalletHub analyst Chris Lupo told FOX Business. “Top financial resolutions for 2025 should be focused on smart budgeting, saving, and debt repayment.”

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Many Americans set new financial goals at the start of the New Year (iStock / iStock)

Here are some of the top financial New Year’s resolutions for 2025, according to WalletHub:

1. Make a realistic budget and stick to it

“With Americans carrying nearly $1.3 trillion in credit card debt, setting realistic budgets is a must,” Lupo said.

CREDIT CARD DEBT SURGES TO ANOTHER RECORD HIGH, NEW YORK FED DATA SHOWS

2. Save more money

Lupo says saving is also key, as many households lack emergency funds. He suggests starting small with a goal of saving two months’ take-home pay and working your way up to a year’s worth.

“Don’t forget to maximize your earnings: 5%+ APYs on online savings accounts make switching banks worthwhile,” he noted, adding that high-yield Certificates of Deposit (CDs) are also worth considering.

3. Explore ways to refinance high interest rates

High-interest debt is costly, so Lupo says to consider tools like balance transfer cards or debt consolidation loans to cut costs. 

4. Repay 25% of your credit card debt

The average American is currently carrying more than $10,000 in credit card debt, and the sooner it can be tackled, the better. WalletHub says it is important to get serious about it, but suggests it is probably best to start small by setting a goal of chipping away at a quarter of it over the course of the year.

COUPLE REVEALS HOW THEY GAINED THEIR OWN FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE

5. Fight back against inflation

Look for ways to cut costs in everyday expenses, like shopping around for everything you buy, taking advantage of deals and coupons, turning the thermostat down, buying in bulk and cutting back until prices come down.

Grocery shopping

WalletHub suggests fighting back against high prices by shopping around and finding the best price on everyday items. (Paola Chapdelaine for The Washington Post via Getty Images / Getty Images)

WalletHub has another 10 suggestions for 2025 financial resolutions, including paying bills right after getting your paycheck, making sure you have enough insurance for a catastrophe, protecting your identity, brushing up on your financial literacy, and even looking for a better job.

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“Focus on financial literacy and healthy money habits, like paying bills immediately after payday,” Lupo said. “These steps will help make 2025 a financially healthier year.”

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Biggest banks planning to sue the Federal Reserve over annual stress tests

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A general view of the Federal Reserve Building in Washington, United States.

Samuel Corum | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images

The biggest banks are planning to sue the Federal Reserve over the annual bank stress tests, according to a person familiar with the matter. A lawsuit is expected this week and could come as soon as Tuesday morning, the person said.

The Fed’s stress test is an annual ritual that forces banks to maintain adequate cushions for bad loans and dictates the size of share repurchases and dividends.

After the market close on Monday, the Federal Reserve announced in a statement that it is looking to make changes to the bank stress tests and will be seeking public comment on what it calls “significant changes to improve the transparency of its bank stress tests and to reduce the volatility of resulting capital buffer requirements.”

The Fed said it made the determination to change the tests because of “the evolving legal landscape,” pointing to changes in administrative laws in recent years. It didn’t outline any specific changes to the framework of the annual stress tests.

While the big banks will likely view the changes as a win, it may be too little too late.

Also, the changes may not go far enough to satisfy the banks’ concerns about onerous capital requirements. “These proposed changes are not designed to materially affect overall capital requirements, according to the Fed.

The CEO of BPI (Bank Policy Institute), Greg Baer, which represents big banks like JPMorgan, Citigroup and Goldman Sachs, welcomed the Fed announcement, saying in a statement “The Board’s announcement today is a first step towards transparency and accountability.”

However, Baer also hinted at further action: “We are reviewing it closely and considering additional options to ensure timely reforms that are both good law and good policy.”

Groups like the BPI and the American Bankers Association have raised concerns about the stress test process in the past, claiming that it is opaque, and has resulted in higher capital rules that hurt bank lending and economic growth.

In July, the groups accused the Fed of being in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act, because it didn’t seek public comment on its stress scenarios and kept supervisory models secret.

CNBC’s Hugh Son contributed to this report.

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