We’re getting close to this year’s holiday season (Thanksgiving through January 1st) and those are the weeks that you should focus on family and not your retirement accounts. Here are a few retirement planning actions for you to consider taking now, before the holiday festivities begin.

If you are in a 401(k) plan and you’re not maxing out your contributions, consider increasing your contributions for the last few payrolls. Employee 401(k) contributions for plan year 2021 will once again top off at $19,500 with an additional $6,500 catch-up contribution allowed for those turning age 50 or older. If you’ve had a good financial year and you’ll save less than these limits, consider cranking up your contributions now (if your employer allows a change now). You don’t have to worry about your IRA contributions now, because you can make 2021 IRA contributions until April 15, 2022.

Now is also a good time to assess your current investment mix. In general, the stock market outperformed the bond markets throughout 2021. And US markets have outperformed international markets. This may have thrown your asset allocation out of balance. For example, you may have intended to have 60% US stocks, 20% international stocks, and 20% bonds. If you were not automatically re-balancing through the year, you’re probably no longer at these percentages. Now is a good time to re-balance to your target mix.

Retirement planning isn’t limited to retirement accounts. Various taxable accounts are an important part of a retirement plan.  Review your current cash savings to confirm you have an adequate emergency fund, as well as cash available for large purchases you may have on the horizon.

Finally, aside from an emergency fund, you may have other after-tax savings. For those saving in taxable brokerage accounts, the year-end is a great time to check your account to see if you will have any capital gains tax liability. If so, you can review your holdings to see if it may be beneficial to take advantage of tax-loss harvesting to offset any significant gains. If you have any holdings that are at a loss, sell them before year-end.

Get ready for the holidays now with these actions. Enjoy the journey!