How to Set Financial Wellness Goals for 2025

As 2025 approaches, companies are waking up to the fact that financial wellness is no longer a "nice-to-have" but a must. With 70% of employees saying financial stress affects their work, HR leaders are realizing that old-school benefits just aren’t cutting it anymore. What’s the solution? Setting clear, actionable financial wellness goals.

In this guide, we'll break down why financial wellness needs to be a priority, how to set goals that truly make a difference, and what you can do to build a program that creates a lasting impact in 2025.

Why Financial Wellness Should Be a Priority in 2025

• Financial stress is at an all-time high: Employees distracted by money concerns are 5x more likely to be disengaged at work and 2x more likely to seek new jobs. This means that money stress is not just a personal problem, it’s a core business problem that HR teams need to address.

• HR teams are seeing the ROI of financial wellness: Companies with financial wellness programs experience higher retention, greater benefits engagement, and increased productivity.

Step 1: Integrate Financial Wellness Into Your HR Strategy

A successful financial wellness program isn’t just a “nice-to-have” sidecar benefit of sorts—rather, it should be a foundational aspect of your HR strategy and at the core of your benefits packages. 

Consider how financial wellness supports:

• Retention: Employees who feel financially secure are 20% more likely to stay in their current roles.

• Productivity: Reduced financial stress means employees focus more at work and take fewer sick days.

• Benefits utilization: Employees engage more effectively with 401(k), HSA, and FSA programs when they receive financial education and planning support.

Pro tip: Review last year’s benefits utilization data to identify financial gaps—low 401(k) participation, lack of HSA usage, or high 401(k) loan requests may indicate employees need better financial guidance.

Step 2: Define Your Financial Wellness Goals

HR leaders should establish clear, measurable financial wellness goals for 2025. 

Some examples of common goals include:

Pro tip: Use employee surveys to identify financial stressors and build goals that address their most pressing concerns.

Once goals are set, HR teams need to build a structured financial wellness plan. Key components should include:

1. Personalized Financial Planning

• Offer one-on-one sessions with Certified Financial Planners® to help employees navigate debt, investments, and savings goals.

• Provide access to digital planning tools for budgeting, retirement projections, and tax optimization.

2. Targeted Financial Education

• Host quarterly financial wellness workshops covering topics like debt management, investing, and estate planning.

• Launch an on-demand learning portal with interactive financial content and resources.

3. Optimized Benefits Communication

• Develop clear, engaging messaging around 401(k), HSA, and FSA benefits.

• Create a benefits utilization campaign to encourage participation before open enrollment.

4. Measurable Outcomes & Reporting

• Track employee participation, financial stress scores, and benefit utilization metrics.

• Conduct pulse surveys every quarter to measure the program’s impact and make adjustments.

Next Steps: Build Your 2025 Financial Wellness Strategy

If you're seeking a structured approach, we've developed a step-by-step 2025 Financial Wellness Goal-Setting Guide that includes

• Financial wellness assessment template

• Pre-built goal-setting framework

• Best practices for maximizing employee engagement

Download Now(opens in new window)

Need help implementing a financial wellness program? Contact our team today to explore solutions tailored to your workforce!