Budgeting for a Better Year

To all of our members, Happy New Year! I sincerely hope you all had a restful holiday season and were able to spend time with those who matter most. As we ring in a new year full of new opportunities, many of us reflect on how we can make improvements to our lives and well-being. Whether you have made resolutions related to improving your personal wellness or saving for the future, everyone can benefit from reassessing their finances.

January is the perfect time to revisit your budget; with the expensive holiday season behind us, you can start the new year with a fresh slate. At CUA, we want you to achieve your goals! That’s why we have created easy-to-use downloadable tools like our budgeting goals worksheet, bi-weekly budgeting spreadsheet, and monthly budgeting tracker, and a series of CUAdvice articles to help you prepare for a successful and prosperous 2025.

An important factor to remember when preparing a new budget is to pay yourself first; be sure to place some money in a retirement fund or savings account to take care of your future self. If you are new to investing, I encourage you to read CUAdvice: Introduction to Investments, review our products or set up an appointment with one of our Financial Advisors to help you find the best way to grow your wealth. For those whose wallet got swept up in the holiday spirit, now may be a good time to focus on paying down your high-interest debt or consolidating your debts with a balance transfer to a lower interest credit card or acquiring a personal loan or line of credit.

As for business owners and community groups in Nova Scotia, I’m happy to announce CUA’s Community Investment Grant Program is now open for applications. Each year, CUA provides direct funding to individuals, organizations, small businesses, and social enterprises as part of this Program. With $100,000 in funding available, this year’s five grant categories are: small business; community; health, wellness and recreation; sustainability; and, arts and culture. Further information, including eligibility criteria, how to apply, and past recipient profiles, are available on our website.

From everyone here at CUA, we wish you well on your personal and financial resolutions. As always, if you have any questions about one of CUA’s products or services, please reach out to a member of our team at 902.492.6500, book an appointment online or email us at info@cua.com.

Your CEO,