Have You Been Financially Naughty or Nice This Year?

CFP Board Consumer Advocate shares the "Santa Claus Audit," a guide to evaluating your 2014 financial behavior

News provided by

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc.

Dec 18, 2014, 07:38 ET

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- If Kris Kringle judged consumers by their financial fitness, who would end up on his "Naughty" and "Nice" lists? This year, consumers can review the jolly ole man's checklist themselves and determine where they stand, courtesy of Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards (CFP Board) and the Santa Claus Audit, a list of personal finance do's and don'ts to consider this holiday season.

"Landing on the 'Naughty' list can lead to worse outcomes than a lump of coal in the stocking – less savings, higher debt and paying more taxes, to name a few," says CFP Board Consumer Advocate Eleanor Blayney, CFP^®. "As 2014 comes to an end, it's the perfect time for consumers to reflect on the state of their finances and prepare for 2015."

In the Santa Claus Audit, Blayney shares the "nice" steps consumers need to take and the "naughty" behaviors to avoid to ensure they always make Santa's "Nice" list.

Be prepared to land on the "Naughty" list if you:

Increase outstanding credit card balances over the year
Dip into emergency reserves for a non-emergency expenditure
Don't request or review free annual credit reports
Don't contribute to an employer's 401(k) plan
Borrow from a retirement plan to cover living expenses

Get Santa's cookies and milk ready; you've made the "Nice" list if you:

Always shop with a list
Prepare a budget every year that guides and governs spending
Save for retirement through qualified retirement plans, as well as taxable saving or investment accounts
Review the beneficiaries of your retirement, life insurance and annuities plans
Speak with a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional

"As Santa Claus comes to town, meet with a CFP^®professional to secure your spot on the 'nice' list for years to come," says Blayney. "He or she will help you turn those 'naughty' financial habits into personal finance successes to celebrate year-round."

ABOUT CFP BOARD
The mission of Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. is to benefit the public by granting the CFP^® certification and upholding it as the recognized standard of excellence for competent and ethical personal financial planning. The Board of Directors, in furthering CFP Board's mission, acts on behalf of the public, CFP^® professionals and other stakeholders. CFP Board owns the certification marks CFP^®, Certified Financial Planner™, CFP^® (with plaque design) and CFP^® (with flame design) in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board's initial and ongoing certification requirements. CFP Board currently authorizes more than 71,000 individuals to use these marks in the U.S.

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SOURCE Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc.