Spring is a time for renewal, a time for out with the old, in with the new. So, while you’re cleaning out the closet and the garage, it’s a good time to give your finances a good spring cleaning, too.

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 Think about it: The government is already forcing you to do an audit of what you made and what you spent last year with your taxes; what better way to kick procrastination than to take that momentum and check off everything on your financial to-do list—from rebalancing your 401(k) to reviewing your life-insurance policy, checking your credit score and planning out your spending for the year?

 “You get involved in your day-to-day life. You’re busy trying to get ahead, taking care of the kids, earning a living and enjoying yourself a little bit. Organizing your finances isn’t something people typically enjoy doing,” said Marie Hoffman, who runs FamilyMoneyValues.com, a web site designed to help Boomers with money management. “But if your goals are to keep your financial house in order and make headway on accumulating assets, then this is just a chore that needs to be done like cleaning the bathroom — so do it!” 

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 Chantay Bridges, a real-estate agent in Los Angeles, and her spouse have always been diligent about their finances but a recent death in the family, and subsequent conversations about was there a will, what would happen to the kids, etc., made them expand their spring checklist this year. They suggest you:

• Check yourr credit scores.
• Get your legal business in order (A will, living trust, etc.)
• Make emergency plans. (Buying gold and silver, stocking up on emergency supplies and establishing emergency contacts)
• Check all of your policies to make sure they’re up-to-date (insurance policies, bank accounts, investments, wills, etc.)
• Make sure your beneficiaries are correct.
• Do a debt check — Is everything paid off or is there anything outstanding?
• Check interest rates on your credit cards and any outstanding loans.
• Check your 401(k)s and get financial advice on their distributions.
• Take stock of stocks — check in to see what’s performing, what they should sell and if there’s anything they can write-off due to low or limited dividends.