3 Things to Do Before December 31 to Avoid Leaving Money on the Table This Year 

No matter how you celebrate the holidays, December is chaotic — and almost certainly a bit spendy. When your to-do list is full of things like buying and wrapping gifts, attending parties, booking travel, and cooking seasonal treats, being able to save money at this time of year might sound like a pipe dream. But with our three-step, wealth-maximizing end-of-year financial checklist and the help of Origin’s AI Advisor, you’ll maximize your 2025 savings and set yourself up for a strong start to 2026. 

You might have already turned your brain off for the year, but make time for this list — because these are the quiet moves high-earning households do every December. Let’s dive in:

Review Your Spending This Year 

First up, let’s see how things went this year. 

Review your 2025 budget: Was it easy to stick to? Which categories did you regularly overspend in? Were there any areas you ended up not spending as much as you expected? Take all this information into consideration and use it to modify your 2026 budget. Updating your budget now means you can manage your spending on autopilot next year. 

When tweaking your budget for next year, don’t forget to consider income assumptions like raises, bonuses, and RSU events. Update your fixed monthly bills, like insurance premiums, rent, and WiFi. Set your savings targets and ensure you’re topping up your emergency fund so that it fully covers your expenses that have increased. And if you haven’t already, now is a great time to automate transfers for savings and investments. 

Ask AI Advisor: Review my 2025 spending and help me build a realistic 2026 budget. 

Maximize Your Portfolio

Retirement contribution limits increase every year and, if it’s feasible for you, you should do your best to reach them. (Not sure if that’s in the cards for you? A great question for AI Advisor.) This year, the IRS raised limits to: 

• 401(k)/403(b)/457 employee deferral: up to $23,500
• Catch-up contributions: $7,500 extra for people ages 50 to 59 and 64+. For ages 60 to 63, the “super catch-up” limit is $11,250.
• IRA (Traditional or Roth): up to $7,000 (under 50) and $8,000 (50+). You actually have until April 15, 2026, to make IRA contributions, but it’s good to check in on your contributions now.

Make sure you’re not leaving any employer contributions on the table, and if you are, boost your own payroll deduction to get maximum match. Set or raise your 2026 deferrals now, so that they take effect with the first paycheck of 2026. 

Ask AI Advisor: What should I do to max out my 2025 retirement contributions?

Address Benefits Deadlines

If you have a flexible spending account (FSA), that money is use it or lose it — AKA you have until December 31 to make eligible purchases with your FSA funds. If you’ve already covered all your expenses this year, you might be able to stock up on FSA-eligible items you know you’ll need in the coming months. If not, get your reimbursements in. (Your plan might have a grace period that rolls into 2026, allow some carryover, or give you a cushion to submit reimbursements. Double check all of these.)

Once you’ve done that, ask AI Advisor to help you review how you spent FSA money in 2025, and check your employer’s plans for 2026. Estimate your healthcare and childcare costs for next year, and adjust your pre-tax contributions accordingly. 

Healthcare savings accounts (HSAs) are different; that money rolls over and you can invest it long term. Your plan has information on how you can do that — and AI Advisor can always give you guidance on that process. 

‍Ask AI Advisor: Help me figure out what I should contribute to my FSA(s) in 2026.

A Little Bit Extra…

If you find yourself on a roll and have a bit more time and energy, there are a few additional tasks that could save you even more. 

• Portfolio rebalancing and tax-loss harvesting. 
  
  • Ask AI Advisor: Review my portfolio and suggest ways to reduce my taxable gains this year through rebalancing. 
• Audit your annual renewals that are coming up via Origin’s subscriptions calendar, and assess if you got your money’s worth last year. If not, cancel! 
• Shop for insurance. Some drivers who qualify for new plans can save hundreds of dollars a year.

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Once you’ve tackled these three categories — budgeting and spending, tax maximizing, and benefits (and those additional tasks, if you’ve still got gas) — you can rest easy going into the final stretch of 2025, and pat yourself on the back for maximizing your wealth as we enter the new year. 

Have more questions for AI Advisor? Get started today.