Moneysmart tips: A money 'to do' list to kick off 2026
No matter what stage of life you’re at, the start of a new year is a great time to get some money admin stuff done.
So, here's 5 key tasks to kick off your new year. Plus, some more value-adding actions below.
1. Check your credit card’s working for you
2. Give your health insurance a health check
3. Review your mortgage
4. Find your super
5. Do a written budget
$2.6 billion in unclaimed money
When a financial institution loses touch with you, money that’s sitting in a bank account, life policy or investment can become unclaimed and get transferred to ASIC. There’s currently $2.6 billion being held - use our free search tool to check if some of that could be yours.
$18 billion in lost super
In fact, the ATO advises that the total lost and ATO-held super as of 30 June 2025 was almost $19 billion for just under 7.3 million accounts. Learn more about lost super and how you can find it.
$271 million in unpaid Medicare benefits
According to Services Australia there’s currently over $271 million in unpaid Medicare benefits owed to almost 1 million people. They can’t pay you if they don’t have your current bank details – it’s a good idea to check yours.
Time to compare your card
Australians owe around $33 billion on credit cards with $18 billion of that money accruing interest. At an average credit card interest rate of 18%, it's an expensive habit.
This month, check your credit card to make sure you’ve chosen one that works for you.
No Interest Loans: What to know
A No Interest Loan (NIL) helps you borrow money quickly, with no interest and no fees and charges. They’re offered by more than 170 local community not-for-profit organisations in over 600 locations.
If you’re looking at a No Interest Loan though, avoid the social scams and make sure you use a trusted source.
How much will retirement cost you?
Thinking of turning your summer break into something more permanent? The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia and Super Consumers Australia have both run the numbers on how much super you might need to aim for.
What will your retirement look like?
Retirement isn’t one-size-fits-all, so the savings you’ll be aiming for will depend on the retirement you want. We have steps to get you started.