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By Kimberly Palmer, NerdWallet The investing information provided on this page is for educational purposes only. NerdWallet, Inc. does not offer advisory or brokerage services, nor does it recommend or advise investors to buy or sell particular stocks, securities or other investments. The start of a new year can bring a surge of motivation around setting new goals, including financial resolutions. One way to help those goals become reality, financial experts say, is to make them as specific as possible. Then, track your progress, while allowing flexibility for unexpected challenges. “It’s easier to track progress when we know where we are going,” says Sylvie Scowcroft, a certified financial planner and founder of The Financial Grove in Cambridge, Massachusetts. That’s why she encourages her clients to set clearly defined goals, often related to paying off a specific debt, saving a certain amount per month or improving their credit score. Here are more tips from financial experts about crafting 2025 financial goals : Trying to accomplish too much can feel overwhelming. Instead, pick your priorities, says Cathleen Tobin, CFP and owner of Moonbridge Financial Design in Rhinebeck, New York. She suggests focusing on those big, often emotionally-driven goals to find motivation. “It’s more compelling than just a number,” she says. For example, do you want to make sure you’re on track for retirement or save money for a house? “Start there.” Scowcroft says she sees clients get tripped up by selecting overly broad goals, such as “get better with money.” Instead, she encourages people to select specific action items, such as “sign up for a budgeting tool and set aside time each month to learn where my money is going.” That level of specificity provides direction so you know what steps to take next, she adds. For example, if your top priority is to become debt-free, then your specific goal might be to pay off an extra $200 of your debt balance each month. Tobin says labeling savings accounts so they correspond with goals can also help. An emergency fund could be named something like “Peace of mind in 2025,” so you remember why you’re saving every time you make a transfer. “It’s more motivating than just ‘emergency fund,’” Tobin says. Measuring your progress as the year unfolds is also a critical component of successful goal setting, Tobin says. She compares it to weight loss. If you want to lose 20 pounds by June, then you need to lose about a pound a week for the first six months of the year. Similarly, she says it helps to break savings goals into microsteps that specify what you need to do each week. Schedule a weekly or monthly check-in with yourself to make sure you are meeting those smaller goals along the way. You might want to review your debt payoff progress or check your credit score , for example. “Being able to break it down into steps that can be done each week or twice a month really helps,” Tobin says. If your goal is to save more money , then setting up an automatic transfer each month can help turn that goal into reality, as long as you know you have the money in your checking account to spare. “It reduces the mental load,” says Mike Hunsberger, CFP and owner of Next Mission Financial Planning in St. Charles, Missouri, where he primarily supports veterans and current members of the military. He recommends starting small to ease into the change. “I wouldn’t jump to double what you’re currently saving,” he says. For example, when it comes to saving in a retirement account, if you’re starting with a 3% contribution, you might want to bump it up to 4%, then slowly increase it from there. “My number one piece of advice is to start small, but make sure you scale over time,” Hunsberger adds. “Because it’s gradual, you probably won’t notice it impacting your lifestyle.” “Stay flexible,” Scowcroft says. “Part of it is just being kind to yourself and not being too rigid.” When unexpected challenges come up, such as a big unplanned expense, you might have to pause making progress on your goal and reset. You might even need to change your goal. Scowcroft says that doesn’t mean you “failed,” just that life changed your plans. Dwelling on any negativity won’t help your forward progress. Sharing your goals with a friend can also make it easier to reach them, Scowcroft says. “It really helps to have an accountability buddy,” she says. She suggests putting a regular “money date” with your friend on the calendar so you can ask each other how you’re doing, brainstorm any challenges or even budget together side-by-side . “It’s a fun excuse to meet up with a friend.” Kimberly Palmer writes for NerdWallet. Email: kpalmer@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @kimberlypalmer. The article The Secret to Making Successful Financial New Year’s Resolutions originally appeared on NerdWallet .Derek Chisora gets UK swan song against Otto Wallin after Jarrell Miller fight falls apartChromeOS 131 began rolling out a couple days ago, and like I assumed at the beginning, it’s not really bringing along too many big changes under the hood this time around. Along with the requisite bug fixes and security patches, here’s a quick look at what’s new in the last ChromeOS update of 2024. Quick Answers redesign First up, Google’s been busy giving Quick Answers a fresh coat of paint. For those unfamiliar, Quick Answers is like having a super-smart research assistant built right into ChromeOS. It uses the magic of AI to help you make sense of web pages and PDFs. Need a quick summary? Want an interactive outline to navigate a lengthy document? Or maybe you have a specific question about the content? Quick Answers has you covered. X remove ads With M131, Quick Answers is getting a styling update, making it even easier on the eyes. Google didn’t really specify what changed, and I’m frankly having a tough time deciphering what is different. Perhaps it’s a server-side roll-out and will actually hit soon. For now, right clicking on text still looks the same to me. Safety Reset We’ve all been there. Chrome starts acting up, and you can’t quite pinpoint the culprit. Maybe a rogue extension is causing trouble, or perhaps some experimental settings have gone awry. In the past, the only solution was a full-blown Powerwash, but there’s now a new way to try and remedy an issue without washing things clean called Safety Reset, and it can: Tidy up Chrome’s settings and shortcuts: Any oddball configurations will be reverted back to their defaults. Disable all extensions: This helps isolate problematic add-ons that might be causing performance issues or strange behavior. Sweep away temporary data: Cookies and other site data will be cleared, giving you a fresh browsing slate. The best part? Your crucial data like bookmarks, history, and saved passwords remain untouched. It’s a fantastic way to troubleshoot issues without going through the full Powerwash process (though that is admittedly not a huge deal compared with other operating systems out there). Flashing notifications ChromeOS has always been at the forefront of accessibility, and M131 continues that trend with a new feature aimed at users who might miss those subtle corner notifications. Now, you can enable flashing notifications that will briefly illuminate the screen whenever a new alert pops up. This is a game-changer for users who are hard of hearing or those who rely on screen magnification, which can sometimes make it difficult to spot those corner notifications. To turn on this feature, head over to Settings > Accessibility > Audio and captions > Flash notifications. As with all ChromeOS updates, M131 will be gradually rolling out to devices over the next few days and so will these new features. For what its worth, Flash Notifications and Safety Reset are there for me already, so it seems things are rolling out smoothly this time around. Again, I’m not sure what is different with Quick Answers, but that one may not be fully rolled out yet. X remove ads Join Chrome Unboxed Plus Introducing Chrome Unboxed Plus – our revamped membership community. Join today at just $2 / month to get access to our private Discord, exclusive giveaways, AMAs, an ad-free website, ad-free podcast experience and more. Plus Monthly $2/mo. after 7-day free trial Pay monthly to support our independent coverage and get access to exclusive benefits. X remove ads Start free trial Plus Annual $20/yr. after 7-day free trial Pay yearly to support our independent coverage and get access to exclusive benefits. Start free trial Our newsletters are also a great way to get connected. Subscribe here! Click here to learn more and for membership FAQ X remove ads
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VERMILLION, S.D. — A touchdown pass with 12 seconds left delivered one of try biggest wins in University of South Dakota football history. Quarterback Aidan Bouman dropped back and found a wide open Javion Phelps streaking down the sideline for a 25-yard touchdown to put the No. 4 Coyotes up 29-28 on No. 1 North Dakota State on Saturday at the DakotaDome in Vermillion. The rest was history as the one-point gap stood as the game’s final score. “Javion made a good play, he found a pocket and we scored,” Bouman said. “We took a sack the play before which wasn’t good, you always want to get the ball out (while running the two-minute drill), but guys got up and got to the ball just we practice. “Guys just made plays. I just had to get the ball out and give guys a chance.” The win earned USD a share of the Missouri Valley Football Conference crown for the first time in program history, which is split three ways with NDSU and South Dakota State. “I’ve been here six years and saw some of the older guys around today,” said defensive lineman Blake Holden, who was one of many seniors recognized before the game. “Growing up a Coyotes fan and living out my childhood dream, doing something that no other team here has done is just surreal. “This win just shows the loyalty and dedication the guys that have been around here and have stuck it out.” The Coyotes (9-2) got out to a 14-0 lead behind a pair of Travis Theis rushing scores. USD’s defense was dominant to start the game. Though NDSU would find ways to move the ball eventually, mainly in the form of quarterback Cam Miller, the Bison’s first nine offensive plays of the game went for a combined nine yards and resulted in a trio of three-and-outs. “I’m very proud of these guys,” said USD head coach Bob Nielson. “We got out the early lead but watched (NDSU) come back and take the lead and just kept playing. “It’s the game it should have been. Championship games should come down to the wire. Doing something that no other team at South Dakota has done is certainly a special accomplishment. But we feel like we have a lot more left to accomplish.” Theis capped off the first USD scoring drive by taking a direct snap and diving over the goal line from six yards out to give the Coyotes a 7-0 lead with 6 minutes, 35 seconds left. He then went in from 12 yards out for his second score as he found a seem on the edge and took it in with 12:44 left in the second to put his team up 14-0 with just under 13 minutes left in the second quarter. North Dakota State bounced back with a 23-yard scoring pass from Miller to Braylon Henderson to cut the USD lead in half. CharMar Brown tied it on a 3-yard rushing score. “We just kept trust in ourselves and stuck to our game plan,” said USD senior defensive back Dennis Shorter. USD responded by taking the lead back on a 37-yard Will Leyland field goal but then saw NDSU answer with 14 unanswered points as Miller rushed in for a touchdown and Brown scored on a 1-yard run with 4:10 left in the fourth quarter to cap off a 20-play, 99-yard drive after USD downed a punt at NDSU 1. “You never think its over until the clock hits zero,” Bouman said. “(During the NDSU drive) I was just pacing up and down the sideline telling guys we need to score (quickly) when we get it back.” The Coyotes’ D held again and Bouman found Jack Martens for a 40-yard TD. South Dakota won possession back with around 1 1⁄2 minutes left and went 58 yards on six plays as Bouman found Phelps for the winner. For NDSU, Miller ended the game 10-22 passing for 174 yards plus 19 carries for 82 yards and two total touchdowns (one rushing, one passing). Brown had two scores and wound up with 54 yards rushing on 10 carries. RaJa Nelson, Bryce Lance and Henderson all had three catches for NDSU as the team had four receivers end the contest with between 40 and 50 yards. Bouman, a redshirt junior, completed 18 of 30 passes for the Coyotes for 272 yards the pair of TDs. Theis, a senior running back, totaled 13 carries for 66 yards plus two TDs while Charles Pierre Jr. and Keyondray Jones-Logan combined for 11 carries and 64 yards. Theis also chipped in four catches for 45 yards. Phelps’ catches all came at opportune times as he ended with 79 yards receiving. Senior Carter Bell hauled in four receptions that went for 60 yards and Martens had two catches for 51 yards. The win solidifies USD’s spot among the teams that will receive a first-round bye in the FCS playoffs and a second-round home game, but USD will find out its fate on Sunday during the NCAA selection show. “That was a heck of a football game,” said Nielson. “This team set out on a mission almost a year ago. The only thing they’ve been focused on was winning a championship. We won one today (a conference title), but that’s not the only one we want, and we’re going to have a chance to play for another one. “There’s a lot more out there for this team, so we’ll see where the bracket shakes out and get back to work.”
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Danica Patrick, renowned as the sole female victor of an IndyCar race in the United States , has hinted she will continue to work for British broadcaster Sky Sports in 2025. Former NASCAR star Patrick regularly appears on Sky Sports during Formula 1 races held in North and South America, and she even ventured to report on the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix recently. Although Sky Sports frequently shuffles its lineup - introducing new talent while seeing familiar faces like Johnny Herbert exit stage left in 2023 and Damon Hill bow out last month - it appears Patrick, 42, is set for a longer stay. Her end-of-season social media post carried a tinge of sentiment as she reflected on the year. She wrote: "What a fun year to be reporting on F1 and be at the last race in Abu Dhabi! So many winners and so many story lines! 2025 is going to be lit! "Most of all... I love my Sky Sports crew. They make work fun and are also incredibly talented and I learn from them every weekend!" Despite her achievements on the racetrack, Patrick has stirred controversy with her political stance. She openly supported Donald Trump , who clinched the United States Presidential Election last month, and cast her vote for the 78-year-old. In October, she moderated a North Carolina town hall event featuring J.D. Vance, Trump's running mate set to take office in January. On US TV news, she defended her choice to back the Republican ticket over Democrat Kamala Harris. She said: "It feels like voting for Donald Trump is like the vote of reason. It's like the rational, reasonable choice. There is a difference definitely between the way that men and women are voting, and I think maybe one of the reasons why women are having a harder time with the vote is just [Trump's] personality. "That's the most common answer you hear from people. 'I just can't vote for him'. I don't think that's a good enough reason. You don't have to go to dinner with him, you just have to like the country that you live in. "If he gets into office, with all the amazing, brilliant people who are supporting him, I feel like it can not only make America great again but make America greater than it's ever been."NoneIsrael launches new strikes on Lebanon as leaders draw closer to ceasefire with Hezbollah