6 Smart Year-End Moves for a Stronger Retirement

Darren Downs, CFP^®, CIMA^®

December 17, 2025

As the year comes to a close, it’s a great time to reflect on your financial progress and make strategic updates to your retirement plan. These six key areas can help you finish the year strong and step into the next with confidence:

1. Tax-Efficient Distribution Planning
Ensure you’ve taken your Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) if you’re 72 or older—missing them can result in a 50% penalty. Consider Roth conversions to manage future tax exposure, and explore tax-loss harvesting to offset gains. If your income changed this year, review your withholding or estimated tax payments to avoid surprises.

2. Investment Strategy & Income Sustainability
Revisit your portfolio to ensure it still aligns with your goals and risk tolerance. Rebalancing can help lock in gains and maintain diversification. Also, evaluate whether your income sources—like pensions, annuities, or dividends—are sufficient for your retirement lifestyle.

3. Healthcare & Insurance Coverage
Review your Medicare plan during open enrollment and assess your long-term care needs. Update life, disability, and property insurance to reflect any lifestyle changes.

4. Estate & Legacy Planning
Make sure your will, trusts, and powers of attorney are current. Double-check beneficiary designations, as they can override your estate documents. Consider charitable giving strategies like Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) or Donor-Advised Funds.

5. Lifestyle & Values-Based Spending
Reflect on how your spending supports your values. Whether it’s travel, hobbies, or family time, align your budget with what brings you joy. Plan for upcoming life transitions like caregiving or relocation.

6. Meet with Your Financial Professional
A year-end review with your advisor can help you act on time-sensitive opportunities and ensure your plan is cohesive and personalized.

Taking these steps now can help you enter the new year with clarity, confidence, and a plan that supports your goals.

Cetera exclusively provides investment products and services through its representatives. Although Cetera does not provide tax or legal advice, or supervise tax, accounting or legal services, Cetera representatives may offer these services through their independent outside business. This information is not intended as tax or legal advice.

Converting from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA is a taxable event.

A diversified portfolio does not assure a profit or protect against loss in a declining market.

Rebalancing may be a taxable event. Before you take any specific action be sure to consult with your tax professional.

Generally, a donor advised fund is a separately identified fund or account that is maintained and operated by a section 501(c)(3) organization, which is called a sponsoring organization. Each account is composed of contributions made by individual donors. Once the donor makes the contribution, the organization has legal control over it. However, the donor, or the donor's representative, retains advisory privileges with respect to the distribution of funds and the investment of assets in the account. Donors take a tax deduction for all contributions at the time they are made, even though the money may not be dispersed to a charity until much later.