SoFi Blog

While you may or may not be the type to enjoy New Year’s resolutions, setting financial goals for the new year is a very different kind of ambition than losing weight or making your bed every day.

Yes, it may be important to cut down on carbohydrates or increase the number of trips you make to the gym each week (of course, you can still do those things), but harnessing the power of focused financial discipline can provide you with practical habits that can serve you for a lifetime. Here are eight straightforward and achievable practices for helping to improve your financial future.

The smooth lines, sumptuous curves and oh, that unmistakable purr. If you’re a classic car enthusiast, these tantalizing traits are just part of the equation. Because besides the obvious attributes—timeless design, intricate details and craftsmanship—there’s a sense of gratification that comes along with classic cars that’s hard to surpass.

If you’re the restorer then you feel an immense sense of pride in a job well done. If you’re the buyer, you’ve instantly made a statement of impeccable taste. And if that’s a perk for you, you’re definitely not alone.

In fact, the value of classic cars has increased 334% over the past decade, according to the Knight Frank Luxury Investment Index. That growth far outpaces the growth in the value of art, wine, coins, or almost any other collector item. And while that’s gratifying to hear as a classic car collector, it’s still not why you got into the classic car game. You see the value beyond just thinking of your car as an “asset.”

You think you have everything squared away. Your rent is paid. Your student loans are covered for the month. You even have some extra cash to try out the new craft brewery with your friends this weekend.

Then, suddenly a financial disaster strikes. Maybe your beloved dog gets sick or maybe your faithful old clunker of a car suddenly breaks down. All you know is that you need money and you need it quickly.

Of course, there are a number of reasons you might need a sudden infusion of cold hard cash that don’t involve trips to the pet ER or the mechanic. Maybe you want to refinance your credit card debt. It doesn’t matter as much why you need money as it matters where you’re going to get it.

During the holiday season, the activities and schedules of Americans tend to change as families and friends take time off to gather together to celebrate. And it isn’t unusual for some traders to also leave work behind to take an extended break from typical routines.

How, though, do traders and investors adjust their schedules in Q4? How do they tweak their investment strategies?

In this post, we’ll offer insights into how stock market activity during the holidays typically compares to the rest of the year, and share information about Christmas stock market trends and historical December stock market trends, overall.

Online shopping has never been easier or more popular with consumers. The bargains are mind-boggling. The selection is vast. Shipping is often free and fast. And those dreaded returns are getting simpler all the time.

According to the 2017 Deloitte holiday retail survey , the Internet isn’t just for browsing anymore. In past surveys, Deloitte found consumers were going online to find deals and recommendations, but when it came time to actually making a purchase, shoppers still hit the stores.

Last year, survey respondents said they planned to spend 51% of their holiday gift-buying budget online, compared with 42% in-store. And the National Retail Federation reported a year over year increase in online “and other non-store” sales of 11.5% in 2017.