Personal finance to-dos for 2026, month by month

A month-by-month checklist of common personal finance items for 2026 highlights key dates — including the Jan. 15, 2026 final estimated tax payment for 2025 and the April 15 federal tax-return and retirement-contribution deadlines.

This article presents a month-by-month personal finance checklist for 2026 that groups routine tasks and calendar deadlines. It notes tax filing and estimated-payment dates, retirement contribution windows and rules, and account-specific matters such as FSAs, HSAs, and beneficiary reviews. The piece also flags federal items like required minimum distributions, Social Security cost-of-living adjustments, charitable rules including Qualified Charitable Distributions, and gift-tax thresholds. The guidance comes from reported deadlines and limits for 2025 and 2026 discussed in the article. Key points: - The fourth and final estimated quarterly tax payment for 2025 is due Jan. 15, 2026, covering income earned Sept. 1–Dec. 31, 2025. - Federal individual tax returns and the first estimated tax payment for 2026 are due April 15, 2026; remaining 2026 estimated dates are June 15, Sept. 15, and Jan. 15, 2027. - For 2025 contributions, the deadline to fund retirement accounts is April 15; the article notes 2025 contribution limits of up to $23,500 for 401(k)-type plans and $7,000 for IRAs, with additional catch-up amounts for older savers. - Required minimum distribution (RMD) rules: the first RMD is due in the year you reach age 73 or may be delayed until April 1 of the following year; those who reached 73 in 2025 and did not take a first RMD must take it by April 1, 2026, with a second by Dec. 31, 2026, and a 25% penalty applies for missed RMDs. - Account and tax limits cited include 2026 HSA contribution maximums ($4,400 individual, $8,750 family, plus $1,000 catch-up at age 55) and a 2026 Qualified Charitable Distribution annual limit reported as $111,000 per individual. Summary: The checklist organizes tax, retirement and account reviews around early-2026 calendar deadlines and routine midyear checks. Key upcoming items noted include the Jan. 15 final estimated payment for 2025 and the April 15 cluster of tax returns and retirement-contribution deadlines. The Social Security Administration's cost-of-living adjustment for 2027 is expected to be announced this month and will affect benefit payments beginning Jan. 1, 2027.