This year, more than most, many of us are looking to the New Year for a fresh start. If New Years Resolutions are on your mind, one of them might be to finally get your financial house in order. If so, good for you! But I have bad news: “Getting your financial house in order” is a poorly set goal that you have almost no chance of achieving. Now that I’ve burst your bubble, please allow me to show you the way forward to setting and achieving your financial goals in 2021.

Back in August, I wrote all about saving and where to put those savings. One of the first places I advised you to save was in your employer-sponsored retirement plan. For most people, that plan is a 401(k). This month I’ll be laying out principals and rules of thumb you can use in making choices that fit your specific situation.

In the context of a financial plan, this question is the one I hear most often. And I get it: money is finite. You have goals for today, goals for five years from now, and goals for 30 years from now that must all be balanced. So how do you get the most bang for your buck? If you follow me on social media you’ll know I detest one-size-fits-all personal finance advice. What I’m going to outline here are principals you can use to get pointed in the right direction.

Around this time of year, we get at least one or two incoming phone calls from people wishing to set up and fund IRA accounts right before the tax filing deadline, because their CPA told them they needed one for tax reasons. In the spirit of the season (and with the hope that you won’t wait until 24 hours before the deadline to act), I’m going to outline the whats, whys, and hows of IRAs.