Cortburg Speaks Retirement

Kickstart 2026 with These 5 Simple Financial Habits

• Miguel Gonzalez, MBA, AIF®, CPFA®, CRC® • Season 2026 • Episode 273

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A new year is the perfect time to reset your financial life. Miguel Gonzalez shares 5 easy habits to help you start strong, stay consistent, and make 2026 your most financially confident year yet.

Cortburg Retirement Advisors is a boutique financial planning firm committed to helping you grow, protect, and preserve your assets from your first job to retirement. We specialize in wealth management, estate and tax planning, group retirement, employee benefits, insurance, and retirement planning to navigate any economic climate.

Miguel Gonzalez, a Retirement Specialist with 20+ years of experience, offers expertise in retirement income planning, investment management, and retirement plan design. With an MBA from Columbia Business School, and professional experience with JP Morgan Chase, Merrill Lynch, and more, Miguel is a trusted advisor for his clients.

Welcome to Cortburg Speaks Retirement Podcast
with Miguel Gonzalez, MBA, AIF®, CPFA®, CRC®

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Welcome to Cortburg Speaks Retirement

An audio podcast about investing in the stock market, financial planning, money management and retirement planning.  Each Wednesday, we help investors at all stages of life learn how to potentially grow and preserve their money from first job through retirement.

Now here is your host, Miguel Gonzalez.

Good morning and welcome to the CORTBURG SPEAKS RETIREMENT audio podcast.   

As we welcome a new year, many people focus on health goals—like exercising more or eating better. But the truth is, your financial health deserves the same kind of attention.

So today, let’s talk about a few simple habits that can help you start the year strong and set yourself up for success—financially and personally.

1. Reflect Before You Reset

Before making new goals, look back at the past year.
 Ask yourself: What went well financially? What didn’t? Maybe you paid off a credit card, built up savings, or simply became more aware of your spending habits. A quick reflection helps you see where progress happened—and where you can improve.

2. Choose One or Two Realistic Goals

Many people set too many resolutions and get overwhelmed by February. Instead, focus on one or two meaningful financial goals.
 That could be building your emergency fund, paying down a specific debt, or finally creating a budget that works.
 Small, focused goals create momentum—and momentum leads to results.

3. Automate Good Decisions

The easiest way to reach a goal is to make it automatic.
 Set up recurring transfers to savings or investment accounts, or schedule bill payments so you never miss a due date.
 Automation removes emotion and turns good intentions into consistent progress.

4. Review and Simplify

The start of a new year is the perfect time to declutter your finances.
 Cancel unused subscriptions, review insurance policies, and check your credit report for accuracy.
 Sometimes a little simplification can reveal money you didn’t realize you were losing.

5. Reward Progress, Not Perfection

Building financial habits is just like building muscle—it takes time.
 If you stick with your plan 80% of the time, that’s success. Celebrate small wins along the way—a paid-off card, a higher savings balance, or even sticking to your budget for a full month. Those small victories compound into real change.

In Closing

“New Year, New You” doesn’t have to mean a complete overhaul. It’s about consistency, not perfection.
 By taking small, intentional steps and building habits that last, you can make this year your most financially confident one yet.

This is Miguel Gonzalez, Certified Retirement Counselor (CRC) and Managing Partner, with Cortburg Retirement Advisors signing off for this week’s educational podcast.  

End of video disclosures:
CRC conferred by The International Foundation for Retirement Education.


 Securities offered through LPL Financial. Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advice offered through Private Advisor Group, LLC, a registered investment advisor.
 
 

Private Advisor Group, LLC and Cortburg Retirement Advisors, Inc. are separate entities from LPL Financial.
 
 

The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual.
 
 

All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however, LPL Financial makes no representation as to its completeness or accuracy.

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Miguel Gonzalez, MBA, AIF®, CPFA®, PPC®, CRC®

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