Half the year is in the rearview mirror. That fact alone might trigger a little unease—especially if your financial life hasn’t had your full attention lately. And you wouldn’t be alone. Summer has a way of pulling us into the moment: travel, family visits, long weekends that blur into short weeks. But somewhere between packing a cooler and dodging triple-digit temps, it’s worth asking a simple question.

Is your financial plan still on track?

We’re not talking about an overhaul. Just a quick pulse check. Because the truth is, some of the best planning decisions aren’t made in January—they’re made in July, when there’s still time to adjust the sails before year-end winds start blowing.

Starting With Spending: Awareness Over Austerity

The first step is deceptively simple: take a look at your spending. Not with a mindset of judgment, but with curiosity. Are you spending more than you expected this year? If so, is it a result of inflation creeping in, lifestyle changes, or something less obvious like medical costs or unplanned travel?

It’s easy to set a budget in January and forget about it by spring. But without checking in, that slow drift in expenses can add up—especially if you’re retired and drawing from your savings, or if you’re trying to make big financial moves before year-end. Even if your income hasn’t changed, your outflows might have. And catching that early gives you more flexibility to adjust—not just your spending, but your savings pace, tax projections, and year-end goals.

Reconnecting With Your Savings Habits

Once you’ve taken a hard look at where the money’s going, it’s time to consider what’s being set aside. Mid-year is the perfect moment to ask: are you saving what you meant to save?

For folks still in their working years, that might mean revisiting how much you’re contributing to retirement accounts. Are you on track to max out your 401(k)? Are you making use of catch-up contributions if you’re over 50? What about your IRA, HSA, or brokerage account?

Business owners might want to go even further and ask whether their current cash flow supports a more aggressive funding of a SEP IRA, Solo 401(k), or even a cash balance plan. If your income is up—or unusually down—this year, that opens up planning windows that won’t be there come December.

Even retirees should take a moment to think about savings. Maybe you’ve pulled less than expected from your accounts. Maybe more. Either way, it’s a chance to recalibrate your distribution strategy so it remains tax-efficient and sustainable for the long haul.

Taxes Don’t Wait for the Holidays

Here’s a truth we see play out every year: the people who do the best job managing their tax bills aren’t the ones scrambling in December. They’re the ones taking action right now.

Mid-year is prime time for meaningful tax moves. For example, if you’re in a lower tax bracket this year, a partial Roth conversion could save you thousands down the road. Or, if your portfolio has some unrealized losses, harvesting those losses now could help offset future gains—especially helpful if you’re planning a big sale later this year.

And let’s not forget estimated taxes. If you’re self-employed or taking large distributions, waiting too long to make adjustments can trigger penalties. Reviewing your projected income now gives you time to adjust withholdings or estimated payments before things snowball.

Tax planning is one of those areas where a little mid-year attention can prevent a lot of end-of-year stress. More importantly, it gives you options.

Rebalancing and Risk: Time to Realign?

It’s been another eventful year in the markets. And even if you’ve been blissfully ignoring the financial news, your portfolio hasn’t been standing still. Certain sectors have surged. Others have stumbled. If you haven’t rebalanced your accounts lately, your actual allocation might look very different from what you originally intended.

Now’s the time to check whether your investments still reflect your goals and risk tolerance. If you’re taking more risk than you meant to, a simple rebalance can bring things back in line. On the flip side, if you’re underweight in growth assets and have time on your side, this may be a chance to lean back in.

There’s also the question of concentration. Some clients find themselves heavily exposed to a single stock—often a legacy holding or employer equity—without realizing how much of their net worth is riding on one company. A mid-year review is a great moment to assess whether it’s time to gradually reduce that exposure.

And if you’re sitting on large cash reserves, either from a business sale, inheritance, or just risk aversion, this might be the opportunity to start putting it to work—intentionally, not reactively.

Don’t Forget the “Unsexy” Stuff

Mid-year planning isn’t just about money in and money out. It’s also about cleaning up the things that quietly matter. When’s the last time you reviewed your beneficiaries? Updated your estate documents? Checked your insurance coverage against your current assets or income?

These are the things most people push to the bottom of the to-do list. But summer can be the perfect time to tackle them. It’s quieter. You’ve got a bit of breathing room. And you’re probably thinking about family more than usual.

If nothing else, make sure someone in your household knows where the key documents live. And if you’re working with us, that’s your vault—we can help you upload or organize anything that’s been sitting in a drawer for too long.

What’s Changed Since January?

Here’s a deceptively simple question we like to ask our clients in July: what’s different now than it was six months ago?

It could be something obvious—a job change, a new grandchild, a health scare, a cross-country move. Or it might be something internal: a shift in your goals, your timeline, or even your risk appetite. Maybe that beach house dream isn’t calling to you anymore. Or maybe it’s calling louder than ever.

Financial plans are living documents. They’re not meant to gather dust. They’re meant to grow with you. That’s why these check-ins matter—not because your plan is broken, but because your life evolves. And your plan should, too.

Let’s Make the Second Half Count

July isn’t too late. In fact, it might be the best-kept secret in financial planning. It’s a quiet moment with just enough hindsight and just enough runway to make changes that matter.

At Suttle Crossland, we build plans that aren’t just technically sound—they’re human-centered. Because it’s not just about hitting numbers. It’s about aligning your resources with the life you want, while avoiding surprises you didn’t plan for.

So if you’re unsure whether your plan is still on track—or you haven’t looked at it in a while—we’d love to help. Let’s do a mid-year review together, while there’s still time to make a difference.