Set Personal-Finance Course for Rough 2009

As the economy falls deeper into a hole, a review and some preparation can improve your finances for the year ahead. Here are a few tasks you should consider doing.

Review 401(k) plan (and other job benefits). The economic crisis has businesses trying to cut costs anywhere they can, and one place that's convenient is the 401(k) match. Eastman Kodak(EK Quote), FedEx(FDX Quote), General Motors(GM Quote), Motorola(MOT Quote) and Resorts International have all recently cut their matching contributions.

The rule of thumb has been to invest in your 401(k) up to the match. If your company no longer offers the match, it may be time to look at other options. This is especially true if your company's 401(k) offers limited investing options or ones you didn't particularly like, but tolerated due to the match. ...