Your Money: Financial tune-ups, charitable donations and more
What would you like to tune up financially in the new year?
Your Money
December 15, 2025

Welcome back, everyone.

A fresh year inspires many of us (me included) to make certain changes — something to make ourselves feel more ordered, or more in control, particularly within our financial lives.

I use a financial planner infrequently, but I’d like to force myself to go through the tedious exercise of compiling all of the information — spending, savings — that you need to have in hand before you visit a pro. It’s always illuminating, and gives me a sense of control, simply because I know exactly what’s happening and where we can make improvements.

What would you like to tune up financially in the new year? Are there any parts of your financial life that need more organization?

Please drop us a note at YourMoney@nytimes.com and let us know.

Below, you’ll find a selection of money-related news from across The Times. Have a peaceful week.

PERSONAL FINANCE

An illustration depicts a blue Social Security card with one side of its arch supported by a fractured crutch, all on a red background.

retiring

Social Security Disability, a Protection for Some Workers, Is at a Crossroads

The benefits provide important economic support for older people who cannot work. The White House recently halted changes to the program that had worried some experts.

By Mark Miller

An older man with short white hair and round glasses sitting on a brown couch. He is wearing a dark green plaid jacket over a light green button-down shirt.

Tech Support Scammers Stole $85,000 From Him. His Bank Declined to Refund Him.

A retired lawyer lost the money in a tech support scam, a type of online fraud that is surging. Citibank said it couldn’t recover the funds, which criminals wired from inside his account.

By Tara Siegel Bernard

An exterior view of the Federal Reserve building.

Strategies

This Isn’t the First Time the Fed Has Struggled for Independence

The Trump administration is threatening the Fed’s autonomy, which the central bank regained with the Treasury-Fed accord in 1951.

By Jeff Sommer

How to Read the Fed’s Projections Like a Pro

The forecasts will offer a glimpse of the path for policy at a highly uncertain moment for economy — and the central bank.

By Colby Smith

What the Fed’s Rate Decision Means for Your Finances

See how the central bank’s interest rate stance influences car loans, credit cards, mortgages, savings and student loans.

By Tara Siegel Bernard

People riding a down escalator into a store.

Holiday spending shows effects of an uneven economy.

Discount and higher-end retailers have reported stronger sales from consumers who are hunting for the best deals and long-lasting items.

By Kailyn Rhone

A cook preparing a cut of raw beef steak in a restaurant.

As the Price of Beef Soars, Restaurants Are in ‘Code Red’ Mode

Midpriced steakhouses and fine-dining establishments are trying to figure out how to cover their rising costs without scaring away customers.

By Julie Creswell

A man, shot from the back, shopping for milk in a supermarket.

Same Product, Same Store, but on Instacart, Prices Might Differ

The findings are the latest example of how the notion of a single price is breaking down in the digital age, a trend economists say could be pushing up some prices.

By Ben Casselman

TRAVEL

In an illustration, two people look at a photograph of a house on their phone that has a five-star rating, while in front of them is a ramshackle version of the same house.

Travel 101

How to Avoid an Airbnb Fail

Sometimes, a short-term rental doesn’t live up to its billing. Here’s how to recognize red flags before you turn up at the front door.

By Adrienne Wichard-Edds

A grand hotel lobby, dominated by a roaring fireplace set in pale stone, is decorated for the holidays, with a glittering Christmas tree, and wreath.

5 Glittering Getaways, Just in Time for the Holidays

From Colorado Springs to Vienna, here’s where you can indulge in a festive winter break.

By Stephanie Rosenbloom

An illustration of a traveler in a suit with a red jacket, a blue tie and blue pants running through a spiral-shaped contrail left by a jet flying ahead of him. He is carrying a roller bag, and his hat has flown off his head behind him.

Tripped Up

Help! Can an Airline Really Do That to Me?

You may be surprised by the little-known and sometimes nonsensical rules lurking in the fine print. Here are a few that tripped up readers in 2025.

By Seth Kugel

A U.S. border agent wearing a dark uniform sits behind a metal counter at an airport. He is wearing a light blue glove as he prepares to accept a document from a traveler with long, black hair who is facing him across the counter.

U.S. Plans to Scrutinize Foreign Tourists’ Social Media History

Even visitors from countries like Britain and France, whose citizens don’t need visas, would have to share five years’ worth of social media.

By Christine Chung

An A.I.-generated image of a smiling woman with long, dark brown hair and sunglasses on her head. She is wearing a gray tank top and is standing in front of what appear to be domed temples.

These Travel Influencers Don’t Want Freebies. They’re A.I.

Social media posts by A.I.-created travel avatars cost far less to produce, yet look and sound real. Human influencers worry they’re being elbowed out.

By Julie Weed

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