Your Ultimate February Financial Calendar

In January, our friends at LearnVest shared everything you should do to kick off the new year with financial success. By now, you may have fallen off the resolution wagon?but don't stress. There are plenty of things you can do this month to get back on track and set yourself up for a prosperous 2013.

You can simply set calendar reminders for yourself, and start thinking about your "financial calendar" the way you do your social calendar. You'd never neglect to send your mom a birthday card after jotting it down on your calendar?so treat important tasks like saving for retirement, preparing for taxes, and donating to charity in the same way. Get ready for a much more organized month (and year)!

Here's what you should do in February...

Get Organized for Tax Season

By the end of January, you should have received tax forms, like your W-2 from your employer or 1099s. Organize them, as well as any other information you'll need, including records of charitable donations and other receipts you'll use when itemizing deductions. For more detailed instructions on how to file taxes, subscribe to LearnVest's Ace Your Taxes Bootcamp, which walks you through the process step by step. (Sign up now to be notified when it's available.)

Check Your Credit Score

As we like to say, your credit score is the only grade that matters once you graduate. It can determine your mortgage and other loans. Reviewing it every three months will keep you abreast of how you appear to creditors. And if there's a sudden dip, it will alert you to the fact that something erroneous or fraudulent may have occurred with regard to your accounts, allowing you to take care of it immediately. To check your score for free, use www.creditkarma.com?and then find out how to improve your credit score.

Budget for Valentine's Day Gifts

If you're going to spend a little extra than usual in the "gifts" category of your budget, make sure that you're cutting back appropriately in other areas of spending. Nothing ruins the romantic mood quite like credit card debt.

Your Ultimate 2013 Financial Calendar | LearnVest

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LearnVest's mission is to empower people everywhere to take control of their personal finances so that they can afford their dreams. They believe that financial planning should not be a luxury, which is why they've developed an advice-driven program that is personalized to your specific financial goals and situation. Take control of your money. Join LearnVest today.

Image remixed from Roman Sotola and photolinc (Shutterstock).

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Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/mvBnAUGIPI4/your-ultimate-february-financial-calendar

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