Whether or not you make financial New Year's resolutions, you no doubt want to improve your bottom line in the coming year. With that in mind, we have some suggestions for bolstering your finances each month, ranging from budgeting in January to checking up on your insurance coverages in April to reviewing your estate plan in October.

March, as the bull market approaches its 11th anniversary, looks like a good time to reflect on your investing philosophy and tolerance for risk. And if your charitable giving has been thrown for a loop by the new tax law, consider setting up a donor-advised fund. We've slated that for December.

January

Map out a spending and savings plan. Budgeting may seem like a bore, especially as the winter doldrums set in. Rather than think of it as a financial killjoy, view it as a way to ensure that you have enough money for what you truly value and enjoy--say, a secure retirement and a vacation or two every year. A popular budgeting guideline suggests keeping essential expenses, such as for a mortgage or rent, utilities, insurance, and groceries, to about 50% of your spending. Debt repayment and savings should take up 20%, and "wants," such as dining out and cable TV, make up the final 30%.

Plenty of tools are available to keep you on target. Mint is a go-to app for creating a customized budget, including charts to visualize your cash flow. With Goodbudget, you set limits by designating virtual envelopes of cash for each budget category. To fill in a detailed budget line by line, check out our interactive Household Budget Worksheet.

Set up retirement account contributions. Once you've decided how or . You can contribute up to $19,500 to a 401(k) in 2020, plus $6,500 in catch up contributions if you're age 50 or older. The IRA contribution limit is $6,000, plus $1,000 in catch-up contributions for those 50 and older.