Tax planning happens now. Tax prep happens in April. And unless you've got a DeLorean that hits 88 mph, there's nothing you can change in February.

Most people think year-end planning means checking how their portfolio did. In this episode of Un Eff Your Finances, Nick St. George, CFP®, explains why your portfolio may be the least important thing on the list, and walks through the 8 things to review before December 31st, while you still have time to act.

In this episode:

1. Taxes: What can you still change? Roth conversions, capital gains and losses, charitable giving, income timing, and why minimizing this year's taxes can make your RMD years more expensive.

2. Employer benefits: Stop clicking "same as last year." 401(k) auto-escalators, Roth vs. pre-tax, HSAs, health plans, disability, and group life coverage.

3. Life insurance: Does it still solve the same problem? A back-of-the-napkin way to size your insurable risk, and why insurance is a fire extinguisher, not an investment.

4. Estate planning and beneficiaries: Why "all my children" is a bad beneficiary designation, how TOD and POD work, and why your family needs to know where the documents are.

5. Kids, grandkids, and education: Helping adult kids without compromising your retirement (nobody gives you a loan for retirement), plus what 529s can be used for now.

6. Cash flow and retirement readiness: Using AI to find out what you actually spend. Hint: it's probably 20-30% more than you think.

7. Outlook: Plan for uncertainty instead of trying to predict it. Nobody had a pandemic on their 2020 bingo card.

8. The portfolio: Does it support your plan? The plan should drive the portfolio, not the other way around.

Your year-end review shouldn't just answer "How did my investments do?" It should answer a bigger question: "Am I making the right financial decisions while I still have time to make them?"

Don't eff around and find out with your retirement plan. Book your year-end review before Thanksgiving turns into January.

📅 Schedule a conversation: https://oncehub.com/NICKSTGEORGE

📧 Want Nick's AI spending-analysis prompt? Email: nick@stgeorgewealth.com

#YearEndPlanning #TaxPlanning #RetirementPlanning #RothConversion #FinancialPlanning #UnEffYourFinances

Nicholas St. George is a Registered Representative with, and securities and advisory services offered through, LPL Financial, a Registered Investment Advisor, Member FINRA/SIPC. This material is for general educational purposes only and is not individualized tax, legal, or investment advice. Please consult your tax and legal professionals regarding your specific situation. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.