Editor’s note: We asked our resident money experts to share how well they did fulfilling their financial resolutions from last year, and what they’ve resolved for the year ahead. Here, the first in our series:

I made two financial resolutions last year around this time, vowing to:

1. replenish our family’s woefully inadequate emergency fund, and
2. not let the financial markets’ ups and downs (especially the downs) drive me into a straightjacket.

Somewhat to my surprise, I made progress on both fronts. Our emergency fund
is now within the three to six months of living expenses many financial
planners recommend as a minimum. I accomplished that, in part, by selling
some shares in a mutual fund that was way down at the time.

Of course, the fund soon shot back up again, but so be it. Our emergency fund is closer to three months than six at this point, but I plan to keep adding to it in 2010.

As to that second resolution, the financial markets don’t bother me much these days (especially now that they’re up). But the gruesome unemployment stats do. Even though I have a job, I know what it’s like not to, and I feel for anybody in that situation. I believe things will get better and, in some ways, already have, but a lot of Americans have done a lot of suffering, and through no fault of their own. I’m going to continue to work on those two resolutions in 2010 and also add a third: to count my blessings. Sounds corny, I know, but it’s something
many of us, me especially, could surely be better at.—Greg Daugherty, executive editor

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