Did you blow your budget this past Christmas? Are you looking to make better financial decisions for 2026?
The banking experts at Regions Bank can help you set and maintain financial goals. Chattanooga area Regions Bank Market Executive Jason Allen said January is a great time for a financial reset.
“Start with a simple, realistic, financial game plan,” he said. “Think about what you want to accomplish for the year. Pick one or two specific priorities that you want to focus on during the year. Set the goal and then break them down into doable weekly or monthly actions.”
Allen said trying to set large financial goals can be intimidating.
“Financial progress isn't made in January,” he said. “It’s made in February, March, and April, when motivation starts to fade that’s when you got to stick to it. It's kind of the same reason gym memberships fail. You start in January with great intentions, but your goals are too ambitious and too immediate. So, you really got to make this bite size, and it's got to be consistent throughout the year.”
Allen said Regions Bank has several financial resources available online and in-person. You don’t need to have an account with Regions Bank to get access to sound financial advice. He said a great way to get started is to sit with a Regions Bank specialist and create a Greenprint plan.
“We get to learn more about you and what you want to accomplish over time with the resources that you have available,” he said. “Once we go through a series of questions, we meet you where you're at, and we're going to advise you on spending and savings habits. We can advise on good ways to pay down debt, build savings. We can point you to various services or solutions that can help you grow money in your accounts in ways that you may not have thought about before.”
Having the assistance of a Regions Bank finance expert can reduce stress about money management and help you build a solid financial foundation.
“Once you get a good foundation, money management becomes fun,” Allen said.
With a solid foundation you can use credit cards as a means of payment while also gaining rewards. You can develop plans which focus on fun things like travel. You can learn different ways to save for your future retirement.
Allen said it’s important to know your income and where your money is going. He said everyone has variable and fixed expenses.
“Fixed expenses are things like your rent, mortgage, car payment and student loans,” he said. “You can’t really control those. But variable expenses like groceries, gas, eating out and things like that, you can find ways to save on those if you're strategic.”
He said working with a Regions bank expert helps you stay accountable.
“You sit down and get to know a banker on a first name basis, it's going to create this joined journey with accountability where you can check in periodically to see how you're progressing towards your goals,” he said. “And that sense of community and that sense of connection is really going to help people succeed.”
Regions Bank specialists help people save the money needed for home ownership or financial security for retirement or sending a child to college, purchasing a car, or traveling the globe.
“The nice thing about it is that the conversation is it's going to take you down a path that is custom and tailored to you,” Allen said. “We're not trying to throw blanket advice or guidance or tools to everybody because everybody's in different situations. Everybody's at a different stage in life, and everybody has different goals and priorities.”
There are 21 Regions Bank branches in Southeast Tennessee, Hamilton County, North Georgia, Bradley, and Rhea Counties, making it easy to find financial guidance during the holiday season or year-round.
Visit your nearest branch in person or open an account online at regions.com/personal-banking