NYT 7-Day Financial Tuneup: Free Customized Advice

The New York Times has a free 7-Day Financial Tuneup that asks you a few quick questions and then sends you a series of (somewhat) customized e-mails containing financial advice. I did the survey twice with different answers to reveal more possibilities, telling it that I had credit card, mortgage, and student loan debt. Here’s what came with my introductory e-mail:

Thanks for signing up for The 7-Day Financial Tuneup. Based on what you told us, we selected the seven tasks most relevant to your financial situation that we recommend you complete this week to optimize your individual financial situation. We will send you an email every day with a task that you can complete immediately, or choose to leave until later in the week when you have more time. These tasks will help you take important steps to educate yourself, trim your spending and determine your financial priorities. Check your inbox tomorrow for the first day’s task.

I haven’t gotten any e-mails yet, but here’s what I have to look forward to:

• Day 1. Optimize Your Thinking. Prepare for the week ahead by taking a few moments to figure out how you think about money. (Good news: There are no wrong answers.)
• Day 2. Trim Your Budget. Cut costs on things you don’t use, and lower your spending on the essentials.
• Day 3. Find the Best Credit Card for You. Make sure you have a credit card that matches your needs.
• Day 4. Plan for Your Retirement. Take a moment to save for retirement, your future self will thank you.
• Day 5. Understand Your Credit. Learn how to read your credit score and figure out how to make it better (if you need to.)
• Day 6. Save on Health Care Costs. Make sense of your flexible spending plans and figure out the right amount to set aside tax-free.
• Day 7. Student Loans. Organize your existing loans and set a reasonable plan to pay them off.
• Other possible topics include “Compare Insurance Rates” and “Funding your Emergency Funds”.

Altogether, I would think of it as a free, short personal finance book. Sounds good to me.