It's time to look towards your 3rd quarter tasks, so here is the Financial Planning Association (FPA) task list, my third post in a series of four.

I've had a small pile of documents slowly forming at the edge of my desk that needed updated beneficiary information. After my new nephew was born, I needed to add him as a beneficiary to various documents and this FPA list was just the thing I needed to prompt that action. I hope you are finding these tasklists useful as well.

In case you missed the previous list, not to worry - you can go back and try to catch up, but I'd recommend you just start with July tasks. If you are really ambitious, and determined to get your financial house in order in 2011, you'll find the first quarter financial planning tasklist here. Good luck!

JULY:

• Do a beneficiary check: Is the beneficiary information on all your investments, insurance policies and bank accounts up to date?

• Check your will: If you haven’t checked your will in five years, see if your instructions are current. Make sure your powers of attorney reflect your intentions.

• Consider whether your salary or benefits are on target with your industry: Every year, it makes sense to do an assessment of where you are in your career, both financially and professionally. This way, you can start thinking about compensation issues well ahead of calendar-year budgets.

• Do a winter energy checkup: Have your furnace checked to make sure it is working properly during the heating season. 

AUGUST:

• Go over money issues with your college student: Whether they’re freshmen or seniors, take some time to go over how they’ll manage their money at school.

SEPTEMBER:

• *Order your last credit report: Get your third and final credit report of the year.

If you are moving along checking items off this list, good for you and congratulations! If you need a little help and want to schedule some hourly financial planning help, you can always give me a call.

*I personally like the FICO site for obtaining credit scores.