How to reset your finances for the New Year
January has a habit of arriving with a thud. The calendar flips, the holidays retreat, and suddenly, there is pressure to reset everything at once. New goals, better habits, a cleaner spreadsheet.
In this episode of Money Hacks, a podcast by The Business Times, the mood is deliberately different. With Howie Lim on leave, Emily Liu steps in for the first episode of 2026 and opts for a softer landing, steering the conversation away from big, performative resolutions and towards something more humane: reflection, emotional honesty and small, workable money habits that do not require a personality transplant.
Liu speaks to Patrine Choo, a financial consultant at Great Eastern, and Lillian Zhang, product marketing manager at Google and author of The New Money Rules. Their approaches differ, but the message converges. Before obsessing over numbers, look at behaviour.
Why listen
- A gentler January reset: Why easing into the year may work better than forcing change.
- Money without the guilt: How to look at your finances without judgement or dread.
- Small steps, real momentum: Why habits quietly outperform resolutions.
Hosted by Emily Liu, this episode of Money Hacks is a calm reset for anyone feeling overwhelmed by the start of the year. Howie Lim returns in the next episode.
Money Hacks is the flagship personal finance podcast from The Business Times. Catch past episodes at bt.sg/podcasts. Have a burning question or episode idea? Email the team at btpodcasts@sph.com.sg.
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Written and hosted by: Emily Liu (emilyliu@sph.com.sg)
With Patrine Choo, financial consultant, Great Eastern and content creator, and Lillian Zhang, product marketing manager at Google and author, The New Money Rules: The Gen Z Guide to Personal Finance
Edited by: Emily Liu & Claressa Monteiro
Produced by: Emily Liu & Chai Pei Chieh
A podcast by BT Podcasts, The Business Times, SPH Media
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