Have you filed your taxes yet? This is crunch time if you haven’t already. Tax season is a good time to take a look at your overall financial health. Financial health refers to the state of your personal financial situation, including how much savings you have, how much you are putting away for retirement, any debts you have, and how much of your income you are spending on regular expenses.

You may already be gathering information about your financial accounts, investments, donations and other income and spending. Given that, you may want to take advantage of the resources available to you to evaluate your finances and help you plan for the future. 

• Check out the financial section on this Employee Assistance Program (EAP) website. There are online seminars and hundreds of articles on everything from budgeting tips to estate planning.
• Ask if you are eligible for a free consultation with a financial planner through your EAP.
• Contact your employer Human Resources department and ask about benefits such as 401K plans and employer matching, donation matching, and tuition aid, if relevant.
• Consider talking to a lawyer about updating your will or other estate planning. Again, ask about free consultations through your EAP.

Tackling these big financial questions can be overwhelming. You have already gathered your important financial documents for filing your taxes, and putting in the extra effort to organize your finances at this time may give you some piece of mind for the rest of the year.

Claire holds a master’s degree from the California Institute of Integral Studies, where she specialized in somatic psychology.  She received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Wesleyan University.  Claire has worked with adults in non-profit counseling centers, and with children in preschool settings and residential treatment. She has also provided psychiatric assessments in the emergency room. Claire enjoys yoga, sipping tea with friends and hiking with her husband and two boys.