How To Make Financial Resolutions

MIAMI (CBS4) -Whether it's doing a better job paying off our bills or filing our taxes a little earlier, it's the perfect time to make some new years' financial resolutions and start sticking to them.

So what's should you focus on first?

How about getting ready for all the bills.

Sixty-nine percent of our New Year's resolutions include trying to cut back family debt.

Up next: Improving credit scores, cutting back on using credit cards and finally boosting savings.

"If you don't make a financial plan and set up your goals during the first part of the year, you run the risk of having more problems further down the year," said Howard Dvorkin of Consolidated Credit Counseling Services.

Consumer credit experts agree. The top New Year's resolution should be paying off credit cards.

"The minimum payments are a trap, you'll never get them paid off. Try to pay them off as soon as possible, double at least triple the minimum payments," Dvorkin warns.

So how can you keep your new year's financial resolutions?

Set up a family budget and stick to it.

Check out your credit report and make sure it has no errors. Then, pay down your debt and increase savings.

Next, double check your investment blend between cash, stocks and bonds and consider focusing on more long-term financial planning.

Early January is also a great time to double check the interest rates on all your credit cards and other loans and try to find cheaper ones.