The start of the New Year is a great time to begin setting goals and making plans for your financial fitness. The first step is to figure out where you stand. Many Canadians don't have a clear and accurate view of their whole financial picture. To move forward with a financial plan, you need to know what's happening now. Here are four key questions to ask yourself as part of your financial evaluation.

Start with your vision.
How much money do you need in order to support your preferred lifestyle? Consider everything from real estate to travel to daily expenses.

Crunch the numbers.
How does your monthly income compare to your monthly expenses? Precisely. From here you can plan a realistic and achievable budget.

Keep an eye on things.
Are you taking consistent,
incremental steps to improve your
financial health? Leverage tactics such as
automating savings, paying down high-interest debt
and establishing an emergency fund.

Know the numbers.
Is your financial information easily accessible and are you checking it regularly?
Develop the habit of evaluating your financial fitness on a monthly basis.