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By Kimberly Palmer, NerdWallet The investing information provided on this page is for educational purposes only. NerdWallet, Inc. does not offer advisory or brokerage services, nor does it recommend or advise investors to buy or sell particular stocks, securities or other investments. The start of a new year can bring a surge of motivation around setting new goals, including financial resolutions. One way to help those goals become reality, financial experts say, is to make them as specific as possible. Then, track your progress, while allowing flexibility for unexpected challenges. “It’s easier to track progress when we know where we are going,” says Sylvie Scowcroft, a certified financial planner and founder of The Financial Grove in Cambridge, Massachusetts. That’s why she encourages her clients to set clearly defined goals, often related to paying off a specific debt, saving a certain amount per month or improving their credit score. Here are more tips from financial experts about crafting 2025 financial goals : Trying to accomplish too much can feel overwhelming. Instead, pick your priorities, says Cathleen Tobin, CFP and owner of Moonbridge Financial Design in Rhinebeck, New York. She suggests focusing on those big, often emotionally-driven goals to find motivation. “It’s more compelling than just a number,” she says. For example, do you want to make sure you’re on track for retirement or save money for a house? “Start there.” Scowcroft says she sees clients get tripped up by selecting overly broad goals, such as “get better with money.” Instead, she encourages people to select specific action items, such as “sign up for a budgeting tool and set aside time each month to learn where my money is going.” That level of specificity provides direction so you know what steps to take next, she adds. For example, if your top priority is to become debt-free, then your specific goal might be to pay off an extra $200 of your debt balance each month. Tobin says labeling savings accounts so they correspond with goals can also help. An emergency fund could be named something like “Peace of mind in 2025,” so you remember why you’re saving every time you make a transfer. “It’s more motivating than just ‘emergency fund,’” Tobin says. Measuring your progress as the year unfolds is also a critical component of successful goal setting, Tobin says. She compares it to weight loss. If you want to lose 20 pounds by June, then you need to lose about a pound a week for the first six months of the year. Similarly, she says it helps to break savings goals into microsteps that specify what you need to do each week. Schedule a weekly or monthly check-in with yourself to make sure you are meeting those smaller goals along the way. You might want to review your debt payoff progress or check your credit score , for example. “Being able to break it down into steps that can be done each week or twice a month really helps,” Tobin says. If your goal is to save more money , then setting up an automatic transfer each month can help turn that goal into reality, as long as you know you have the money in your checking account to spare. “It reduces the mental load,” says Mike Hunsberger, CFP and owner of Next Mission Financial Planning in St. Charles, Missouri, where he primarily supports veterans and current members of the military. He recommends starting small to ease into the change. “I wouldn’t jump to double what you’re currently saving,” he says. For example, when it comes to saving in a retirement account, if you’re starting with a 3% contribution, you might want to bump it up to 4%, then slowly increase it from there. “My number one piece of advice is to start small, but make sure you scale over time,” Hunsberger adds. “Because it’s gradual, you probably won’t notice it impacting your lifestyle.” “Stay flexible,” Scowcroft says. “Part of it is just being kind to yourself and not being too rigid.” When unexpected challenges come up, such as a big unplanned expense, you might have to pause making progress on your goal and reset. You might even need to change your goal. Scowcroft says that doesn’t mean you “failed,” just that life changed your plans. Dwelling on any negativity won’t help your forward progress. Sharing your goals with a friend can also make it easier to reach them, Scowcroft says. “It really helps to have an accountability buddy,” she says. She suggests putting a regular “money date” with your friend on the calendar so you can ask each other how you’re doing, brainstorm any challenges or even budget together side-by-side . “It’s a fun excuse to meet up with a friend.” More From NerdWallet Kimberly Palmer writes for NerdWallet. Email: kpalmer@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @kimberlypalmer. The article The Secret to Making Successful Financial New Year’s Resolutions originally appeared on NerdWallet .

The secret to making successful financial New Year’s resolutionsBy Kimberly Palmer, NerdWallet The investing information provided on this page is for educational purposes only. NerdWallet, Inc. does not offer advisory or brokerage services, nor does it recommend or advise investors to buy or sell particular stocks, securities or other investments. The start of a new year can bring a surge of motivation around setting new goals, including financial resolutions. One way to help those goals become reality, financial experts say, is to make them as specific as possible. Then, track your progress, while allowing flexibility for unexpected challenges. “It’s easier to track progress when we know where we are going,” says Sylvie Scowcroft, a certified financial planner and founder of The Financial Grove in Cambridge, Massachusetts. That’s why she encourages her clients to set clearly defined goals, often related to paying off a specific debt, saving a certain amount per month or improving their credit score. Here are more tips from financial experts about crafting 2025 financial goals : Trying to accomplish too much can feel overwhelming. Instead, pick your priorities, says Cathleen Tobin, CFP and owner of Moonbridge Financial Design in Rhinebeck, New York. She suggests focusing on those big, often emotionally-driven goals to find motivation. “It’s more compelling than just a number,” she says. For example, do you want to make sure you’re on track for retirement or save money for a house? “Start there.” Scowcroft says she sees clients get tripped up by selecting overly broad goals, such as “get better with money.” Instead, she encourages people to select specific action items, such as “sign up for a budgeting tool and set aside time each month to learn where my money is going.” That level of specificity provides direction so you know what steps to take next, she adds. For example, if your top priority is to become debt-free, then your specific goal might be to pay off an extra $200 of your debt balance each month. Tobin says labeling savings accounts so they correspond with goals can also help. An emergency fund could be named something like “Peace of mind in 2025,” so you remember why you’re saving every time you make a transfer. “It’s more motivating than just ‘emergency fund,’” Tobin says. Measuring your progress as the year unfolds is also a critical component of successful goal setting, Tobin says. She compares it to weight loss. If you want to lose 20 pounds by June, then you need to lose about a pound a week for the first six months of the year. Similarly, she says it helps to break savings goals into microsteps that specify what you need to do each week. Schedule a weekly or monthly check-in with yourself to make sure you are meeting those smaller goals along the way. You might want to review your debt payoff progress or check your credit score , for example. “Being able to break it down into steps that can be done each week or twice a month really helps,” Tobin says. If your goal is to save more money , then setting up an automatic transfer each month can help turn that goal into reality, as long as you know you have the money in your checking account to spare. “It reduces the mental load,” says Mike Hunsberger, CFP and owner of Next Mission Financial Planning in St. Charles, Missouri, where he primarily supports veterans and current members of the military. He recommends starting small to ease into the change. “I wouldn’t jump to double what you’re currently saving,” he says. For example, when it comes to saving in a retirement account, if you’re starting with a 3% contribution, you might want to bump it up to 4%, then slowly increase it from there. “My number one piece of advice is to start small, but make sure you scale over time,” Hunsberger adds. “Because it’s gradual, you probably won’t notice it impacting your lifestyle.” “Stay flexible,” Scowcroft says. “Part of it is just being kind to yourself and not being too rigid.” When unexpected challenges come up, such as a big unplanned expense, you might have to pause making progress on your goal and reset. You might even need to change your goal. Scowcroft says that doesn’t mean you “failed,” just that life changed your plans. Dwelling on any negativity won’t help your forward progress. Sharing your goals with a friend can also make it easier to reach them, Scowcroft says. “It really helps to have an accountability buddy,” she says. She suggests putting a regular “money date” with your friend on the calendar so you can ask each other how you’re doing, brainstorm any challenges or even budget together side-by-side . “It’s a fun excuse to meet up with a friend.” More From NerdWallet Kimberly Palmer writes for NerdWallet. Email: kpalmer@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @kimberlypalmer. The article The Secret to Making Successful Financial New Year’s Resolutions originally appeared on NerdWallet .

How five top CEOs described the AI boom in 2024On November 21, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a draft Interim Framework for Advancing Consideration of Cumulative Impacts (Interim Framework). 89 Fed. Reg. 92125 . According to EPA, the Interim Framework provides a shared reference point for EPA programs and regions as they determine when and how to analyze and consider cumulative impacts. EPA states that Agency programs will incorporate the Interim Framework “into their processes and programs, as appropriate, feasible, and consistent with applicable law, in ways that reflect programmatic and context-specific needs.” EPA will consider public input for potential incorporation into the Interim Framework. EPA notes that public input will also inform its expanding knowledge, along with results from scientific research and program evaluation. Comments on the Interim Framework are due February 19, 2025 . EPA Principles for Considering Cumulative Impacts The Interim Framework lists the following principles for considering cumulative impacts: Center cumulative impacts work on improving human health, quality of life, and the environment in all communities. Focus on the disproportionate and adverse burden of cumulative impacts. Apply a fit-for-purpose approach to assessing and addressing cumulative impacts. Engage communities and incorporate their lived experience. Use available data and information to make decisions and take action. Operationalize and integrate ways to consider and address cumulative impacts. Processes for Considering Cumulative Impacts The Interim Framework includes the following schematic as a guide to critical phases when cumulative impacts principles can be incorporated into program-specific and cross-program, community-focused processes. According to EPA, “[t]his conceptual model is designed to be general and adaptable to a variety of regulatory and nonregulatory contexts. It is deliberate in cultivating meaningful public and community involvement throughout the work, as appropriate, and emphasizes the use of fit-for-purpose approaches to cumulative impacts assessments to inform EPA decisions.” Cumulative Impacts Implementation at EPA The Interim Framework includes examples of actions that EPA has taken or has initiated at this time to integrate the principles of cumulative impacts into its processes. Appendix B of the Interim Framework includes narratives that illustrate EPA and others’ actions that apply the principles of cumulative impacts under various statutory and regulatory authorities. EPA notes that “[a]lthough these early efforts might not consider the full range of chemical and nonchemical stressors or might not have been carried out as formal cumulative impacts assessments, they nonetheless include multiple sources of pollution and, in some cases, multiple pathways of exposure or consideration of social determinants of health in planning and regulatory decisions to consider and address disproportionately impacted communities.” EPA states that it will update Appendix B regularly with additional examples of cumulative impacts pilot projects, case studies, and other actions in the electronic version of the Interim Framework. Moving Forward According to the Interim Framework, EPA activities underway include: Leadership structure: EPA formed a chartered work group with representatives from all headquarters and regional offices to advance this work and related internal communications and identified executive champions to lead and guide it; Performance measures: EPA has developed performance measures per its commitment in the EPA Office of the Inspector General’s 2023 report, “ The EPA Needs to Further Refine and Implement Guidance to Address Cumulative Impacts and Disproportionate Health Effects Across Environmental Programs ”; Cumulative impacts research projects: EPA has over 90 intramural and 30 extramural research projects underway that focus on cumulative impacts. According to EPA, this research builds on more than a decade of work on community-focused science, including discussions with Tribes to explore different cumulative impacts methods (Torso et al ., 2023). EPA states that it has proactively engaged the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) to develop a foundational report, State-of-the-Science and the Future of Cumulative Impact Assessment (NASEM 2024), “to bolster analysis and consideration of cumulative impacts in Agency processes for years to come”; and On-the-ground cumulative impacts analyses: EPA states that it has a range of on-the-ground activities, such as those in Chelsea, Massachusetts, North Richmond, California, and Cleveland/Cuyahoga County, Ohio, that are creating opportunities for EPA to advance consideration of cumulative impacts through collaboration. According to the Interim Framework, EPA will continue to build its capacity to analyze and consider cumulative impacts and to advance the state of the science and the practice. Key next steps include: Engaging its partners and co-regulators through outreach, listening sessions, public comment, and consultation; Consulting with expert bodies for advice ( e.g ., National Environmental Justice Advisory Council, Local Government Advisory Council, Tribal Science Council, National Tribal Toxics Council, EPA’s Science Advisory Board, NASEM); and Fostering the practice in a cost-effective manner, focusing initially on place-based analysis and decision contexts. According to the Interim Report, further actions to build capacity are underway in the following areas: Training: EPA is developing comprehensive training programs designed to boost staff fluency and proficiency in cumulative impacts. The training modules will range from foundational to advanced levels, providing staff with approaches and tools needed to operationalize cumulative impacts across various programs. EPA national program offices and regions are invited to step forward to pilot this crucial training initiative; Funding: EPA has committed to funding the development and implementation of community action to identify, assess, and address multiple, disproportionate, and/or cumulative impacts affecting communities through its Environmental Justice Granting and Collaborative Agreement programs. EPA notes that it has also funded over $50 million in Science to Achieve Results (STAR) grants to build academic-community partnerships to advance consideration of cumulative impacts in actions affecting communities; Tools and protocols: EPA states that it is investing in science to support the practice of cumulative impacts analysis and assessment. It is developing innovative geospatial and data integration tools to aid in the effective implementation of cumulative impacts across programs. These tools will expand and enhance EPA’s ability to characterize and address the burdens facing communities comprehensively. EPA is also developing protocols to enhance the capacity of governments and groups at all scales to develop action plans to identify, characterize, and address cumulative impacts affecting communities; and Convening whole-of-government solutions: EPA states that it “plays an important role as the convenor for the whole-of-government and community approaches.” EPA is taking steps to convene leading experts to advance the boundaries of science and best practices in policy and implementation of cumulative impacts. Commentary Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C ® ) is pleased to see EPA’s contribution in this important area. This work aligns, in part, with the recommendations of other entities, particularly the Environmental Defense Fund’s (EDF) cumulative risk assessment (CRA) framework that considers multiple exposures to chemical and non-chemical stressors. For discussion, see our memorandum dated September 12, 2022. EPA has also considered non-chemical stressors in the context of its codified regulatory definition of “potentially exposed or susceptible subpopulations” (PESS) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). PESS is defined under TSCA Section 3(12) as follows: The term ‘‘potentially exposed or susceptible subpopulation’’ means a group of individuals within the general population identified by the Administrator who, due to either greater susceptibility or greater exposure, may be at greater risk than the general population of adverse health effects from exposure to a chemical substance or mixture, such as infants, children, pregnant women, workers, or the elderly. EPA expanded on the above illustrative examples to include “overburdened communities” in the definition of PESS in its final rule , titled “ Procedures for Chemical Risk Evaluation Under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) ” (the Framework Rule). EPA states in the preamble to the final rule that the term “[overburdened communities] describes situations where multiple factors, including both environmental and socio-economic stressors, may act cumulatively to impact health and the environment and contribute to persistent environmental health disparities.” Cumulative impacts and non-chemical stressors may contribute to potential risks, but evaluating the myriad stressors, including toxic effects by a common mechanism, socio-economic stressors, and co-exposures with unrelated substances, can quickly become unmanageably complex. EPA’s research into this area will elucidate how EPA can efficiently consider these cumulative effects. EPA’s recent draft risk evaluations under TSCA Section 6 have considered additional PESS factors. For example, EPA’s draft risk evaluation for 1,3-butadiene included pre-existing disease ( e.g. , obesity), lifestyle activities ( e.g. , smoking), sociodemographic status ( e.g. , race/ethnicity), other non-chemical stressors ( e.g. , adverse childhood experiences), and geography/site-specific issues ( e.g. , fenceline, historical releases), among other factors. EPA also provided summaries of how these factors were incorporated into its risk estimates. B&C notes that EPA’s draft risk evaluation for 1,3-butadiene and its consideration of PESS may encounter legal challenges once EPA promulgates a risk management rule on this substance. EPA preliminarily determined that 1,3-butadiene presents an unreasonable risk of injury to workers and the general population, including fenceline communities, from inhalation exposures. EPA stated that the highest risk areas are along the Gulf Coast region from Texas to Louisiana, near 1,3-butadiene releasing facilities. We note this because the Interim Framework includes a disclaimer that states the following: Pursuant to a permanent injunction issued by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana on August 22, 2024, EPA will not impose or enforce any disparate-impact or cumulative-impact-analysis requirements under Title VI against any entity in the State of Louisiana. It is unclear if EPA’s consideration of additional PESS factors may violate this permanent injunction, if for example, EPA’s final risk management rule for 1,3-butadiene impacts facilities in the State of Louisiana. It is also unclear if the forthcoming change in administration will lead to executive action, as done by the Biden-Harris Administration, to suspend, revise, or rescind the Interim Framework, the Framework Rule, or EPA’s work products under TSCA Section 6.Rich countries' promise of $300 billion a year in climate finance brought fury at talks in Baku from poor nations that found it too paltry, but it also shows a shift in global political realities. The two-week marathon COP29 climate conference opened days after the decisive victory in the US presidential election of Donald Trump, a sceptic both of climate change and foreign aid. In the new year, Germany, Canada and Australia all hold elections in which conservatives less supportive of green policies stand chances of victory. Britain is an exception, with the new Labour government putting climate high back on the agenda, but in much of the West, concerns about inflation and budgetary shocks from Russia's invasion of Ukraine have dented enthusiasm for aggressive climate measures. At COP29, Germany and the European Union maintained their roles championing climate but also advocated a noticeably practical approach on how much money historical polluters should give poorer countries. "We live in a time of truly challenging geopolitics, and we should simply not have the illusion" otherwise, European climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra told bleary-eyed delegates at COP29's pre-dawn closing session Sunday, as activists in the back loudly coughed to drown him out. But he vowed leadership by Europe, hailing COP29 as "the start of a new era for climate finance". German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, a Green party member and longtime climate advocate, called for flexibility on ways to provide funding. Europe should "live up to its responsibilities, but in a way that it doesn't make promises it can't keep", she said. Avinash Persaud, special advisor on climate change to the president of the Inter-American Development Bank, called the final deal "the boundary between what is politically achievable today in developed countries and what would make a difference in developing countries". Activists say that climate funding is a duty, not choice, for wealthy nations whose decades of greenhouse gas emissions most contributed to the crisis that most hits the poorest. This year is again set to be the hottest on record on the planet. Just since COP29, deadly storms have battered the Philippines and Honduras, and Ecuador declared a national emergency due to drought and forest fires. Wealthy historic emitters' promise of $300 billion a year by 2035 is a step up from an expiring commitment of $100 billion annually, but all sides acknowledge it is not enough. The COP29 agreement cites the need for $1.3 trillion per year, meaning a whopping $1 trillion a year needs to come from elsewhere. Even within the $300 billion commitment, some activists see too much wiggle room. "It is, to some extent, almost an empty promise," said Mariana Paoli, the global advocacy lead at London-based development group Christian Aid. She described the target as "creative accounting", saying there was not enough clarity on how much money would come from public funds and in grants rather than loans. She acknowledged the politics of the moment but said that wealthy nations had options such as taxation on fossil fuel companies. "There is a backlash because there is no political will," she said. In one closely scrutinised part of the Baku deal, countries will be able to count climate finance through international financial institutions toward the $300 billion goal. The text states that it is "voluntary" -- potentially opening the way to include China, which is the world's largest emitter but refuses to have requirements like long-developed countries. In a joint statement at COP29, multilateral development banks led by the Washington-based World Bank Group but also including the Beijing-based Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank -- which has long faced US criticism -- expected that they together can provide $120 billion annually in climate financing and mobilise another $65 billion from the private sector by 2030. Melanie Robinson, director of the global climate program at the World Resources Institute, said there were good reasons to rely on multinational development banks, including how much capital they can leverage and their tools to advance green policies. "They are the most effective way to turn each dollar of finance into impact on the ground," she said. She agreed that the $300 billion was insufficient but added, "It's a down payment on what we need." Beyond the debate on dollar figures, she pointed to an initiative within the G20 by Brazil, which holds COP30 next year, to reform financial institutions so as to incorporate debtor nations as well as climate concerns. "There is really a much bigger opportunity for us -- which is shifting the whole financial system," she said. sct/giv

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