Today is actually the midpoint of the year. That makes it a particularly good day to check in on your finances.

Here are a few things to look at:

• Are you meeting your savings goals? Look at all of the types of savings: retirement, college, emergency, and life happens. Once those are managed, you can look at more specialized savings: house down payment, vacation, new car, holiday, etc.
• Are you reducing your debt as quickly as possible? You should be putting as much money as possible toward any debt, though you needn’t feel obliged to pay down your mortgage ahead of schedule — as long as it will be paid off before you retire.
• Take a look at your spending. Is there anything you can cut back?
• Are you having enough money withheld from your taxes? It is especially important to check if you have more than one source of income. Each employer withholds on the basis of what they pay you, but having more than one income source may change your tax bracket.
• Take a look at your insurance: health, life, car, homeowner’s, long-term care, disability. Do you have adequate coverage? Are your deductibles too low or too high?

Since most folks tend to look at financial things at the beginning of the year or around tax time, you may get more help from your financial advisor or other agency during the slow summer months. And you will set yourself up for success in the second half of the year!