Year-End Money Moves: What Your Retirement Plan Needs Before 2026

As the year winds down, many people focus on wrapping up projects, setting goals, and getting ready for a fresh start. Your retirement plan deserves the same attention. A few simple year-end check-ins can help make sure your strategy is aligned with your situation, goals, and the year ahead.

You don’t need to be nearing retirement to benefit from a review. Whether you’re early in your career, building momentum, or somewhere in the middle, these steps help keep your retirement plan healthy and on track. And the best part? None of them require complicated financial decisions, just taking a closer look at where things stand.

Below are five helpful year-end money moves to consider as you prepare for 2026.

Make Sure You’re Getting the Full Employer Match

If your retirement plan includes an employer match, it can be helpful to check whether you contributed enough this year to receive the full amount available to you. Matching contributions vary from plan to plan, so reviewing the details can help make sure you understand how your specific match works.

Common factors to review include:

• The percentage of your salary your employer matches

• Whether the match requires contributing a certain minimum percentage

• How timing and pay periods affect match eligibility

Some people unintentionally miss part of their match due to changes in their contribution rate, adjustments in income, or taking time off work, which is why a year-end review can be useful. If you’re unsure how your match is calculated, reviewing your plan documents, contacting your human resources department, or reaching out to someone on the RetireAdvisers℠ team may help bring clarity.

Review Your Contribution Amount

Your contribution rate is an important part of your retirement strategy, and it can be helpful to review it periodically. Year-end is a natural point to ask yourself whether your current rate still fits your budget, goals, and financial situation.

You might consider:

• Did your income or budget change this year?

• Do you want to adjust your contribution rate going into 2026?

• Does your current contribution amount reflect your long-term goals?

Some people adjust their contribution level at the beginning of a new year, while others choose to keep it the same. There’s no single “right” answer. The goal is simply to confirm that the amount you’re contributing continues to feel appropriate for you.

Revisit Your Investments

Over time, markets fluctuate, life circumstances change, and your comfort level with investing may shift. Because of this, reviewing your investment selections at year-end can help you determine whether they still align with your goals and preferences.

Here are a few things you might look at:

• Your current mix: Does your portfolio look different today than when you first selected it?

• Your timeline: Has anything changed that affects how long you plan to stay invested?

• Your risk comfort: Has your comfort level with market ups and downs changed this year?

• Allocation drift: Did market movement change your investment percentages more than expected?

You don’t need to make changes unless something clearly feels out of sync. The purpose of this review is simply to make sure your investments still match your long-term intentions and personal comfort level.

If you’re looking for additional information on how to think about investment choices, our article Building a Retirement Investment Portfolio: Aligning Goals, Tolerance, and Capacity, offers a general overview of how goals, risk tolerance, and investment strategies can work together.

Check Your Beneficiaries

Beneficiary information determines who would receive your retirement plan assets if something were to happen to you. Since personal circumstances can change, reviewing your beneficiary designations annually can help make sure they remain accurate.

Year-end is a helpful reminder to:

• Verify your listed beneficiaries

• Update them if your circumstances or intentions have changed

Even if nothing has changed recently, it’s still a good practice to confirm that your records are correct.

Review Your Overall Retirement Progress

Year-end is an ideal time to step back and take a broad view of your retirement plan. This doesn’t require complex calculations,  just an honest look at how you feel about your progress.

One helpful question to consider is:

“Am I moving in a direction that supports retiring on time, or even retiring early, if that’s something I’m thinking about?”

This question isn’t about predicting the future. Instead, it helps you reflect on whether:

• Your contributions feel appropriate

• Your investments align with your comfort level

• Your current approach supports the type of retirement timeline you envision

• Your overall plan still matches your goals

If you’re curious about how early retirement fits into long-term planning, you may find our article How to Retire in Your 50s helpful. It provides a general overview of things to consider if you’re exploring that possibility.

Looking Ahead to 2026

A year-end review can be a useful way to stay informed and organized as you move into 2026. These steps are designed to help you better understand your retirement plan and make sure it continues to reflect your goals and preferences.

If you have questions about your plan’s features or would like assistance understanding any of these topics, the RetireAdvisers℠ team is available to discuss the resources and information provided through your retirement plan.

The concepts expressed herein represent the views and opinions of Pension Consultants, Inc., and are not intended as legal, tax, or investment advice for any specific individual, account, or plan.