New Year Planning: Shaping your financial future in line with your values
For most Castlefield clients, financial planning isn’t just about numbers; it’s about purpose, peace of mind and making thoughtful, values-based investment choices for both today and the future.
If you’re fortunate to be able to wind down and take a break over the festive season, it’s a natural opportunity to pause and reflect. This may involve checking that your financial plans still reflect your priorities, values and circumstances.
Spending time with loved ones over the festive period can also be a natural moment to talk about your plans and consider what matters most to you.
This blog offers a few areas to consider while you’re reflecting and is a gentle reminder to get ahead and start those new year plans early.
Refresh Your Goals
Over time, priorities change, and financial goals should evolve with them.
It can be helpful to ask yourself:
- What do I want my money to support this year? (for example, family, charities, or wider causes)
- Which of my objectives are short-term (the next 12 months), medium-term (2–5 years) and long-term?
Revisiting your goals helps ensure your financial plan continues to support the life you want to lead, rather than becoming something you feel locked into.
Updating Your Financial Admin: Small Tasks, Big Peace of Mind
Keeping financial paperwork up to date can significantly reduce stress, both now and in the future.
Our Organising Your Financial Affairs document is designed to bring key information into one place, helping your family, attorneys, trustees or executors understand your arrangements when they need to (See, Why organising your financial affairs is important).
A helpful checklist includes (see the Additional Planning Notes below for more detail):
- Completing our Organising Your Financial Affairs document
- Wills: setting up or reviewing your Will
- Powers of Attorney: setting up or reviewing existing arrangements, including whether your chosen attorneys remain appropriate
- Reviewing your household budget
- Ensuring you have an emergency fund in place
- Reviewing protection and insurance
- Checking whether you have made use of available tax allowances before the end of the 2025/26 tax year, including: Pensions, ISAs and Capital Gains Tax allowances.
Choose one thing to do in 2026
Financial planning doesn’t need to be overwhelming. Sometimes one small, meaningful step is enough.
This year, that might be having one honest conversation with friends or family about money:
- Sharing why you invest in line with your values and how this shapes your decisions
- Providing a copy of your Organising Your Financial Affairs document to family members, attorneys or executors, and talking them through your plans
It may also be a good moment to reflect on whether your savings and current accounts align with your values.
Open conversations often lead to greater clarity and confidence.
Looking Ahead
You don’t need to do everything at once. Financial planning is an ongoing process, not a New Year’s resolution to be completed by February.
If you would like to review your current plans or talk through your priorities for the year ahead, we’re here to help you approach the future with clarity, confidence and purpose.
Additional Planning Notes:
Wills and Powers of Attorney are not just legal documents — they are an essential part of good financial planning.
- A Will ensures your wishes are clear and that your assets are distributed as intended.(see also Do I need to make a will?)
- Powers of Attorney allow trusted individuals to act on your behalf if you are unable to do so, providing reassurance for both you and your family. (see also Do I need to make a Power of Attorney?)
These documents should be reviewed regularly, particularly following life events such as marriage, bereavement, retirement or changes in family circumstances.
Household Budget
It is easier than ever to sign up to subscriptions with the intention of cancelling later — including free trials that quietly roll on.
You may wish to:
- Review bank statements from the last 3–6 months and cancel anything no longer needed
- Check whether any outstanding credit cards or debts could be repaid
Small changes here can free up cash flow and reduce unnecessary complexity.
Emergency Funds
An emergency fund provides a vital financial buffer when the unexpected happens — whether that’s a change in employment, an urgent household expense or unforeseen costs.
As a general guide, many people aim to hold around six months’ worth of regular expenditure in easily accessible cash. The right level will always depend on your individual circumstances, but reviewing this each year helps ensure your safety net remains appropriate.
Protection & Insurance
Having the right protection in place is crucial to ensuring that you and your family’s finances can withstand unexpected illness or death.
Even if you already have cover, the new year is a good time to check it still reflects your circumstances. If protection levels are too low, loved ones could face financial hardship at an already difficult time. We can help ensure you have appropriate policies and levels of cover to suit your individual needs.
Tax and Allowances: A Timely January Check
The beginning of the year is an ideal time to plan calmly and proactively, rather than reacting as the tax year-end approaches. Early planning often provides more flexibility and avoids last-minute decisions.
There has been speculation around potential changes to ISA allowances in recent budgets. However, the annual ISA allowance remains unchanged, continuing to provide a valuable opportunity to save and invest tax-efficiently. Reviewing how you use allowances across ISAs, pensions and Capital Gains Tax remains an important part of effective long-term planning.
Written by Helen Tandy
Information is accurate as of 22.12.2025. Opinions constitute the adviser's judgement as of this date and are subject to change without warning. This material may not be distributed, published or reproduced in whole or in part. With investment, capital is at risk.