Four Ways to Financially Embrace the Year of the Wood Snake
In the Year of the Wood Snake, consider looking to the snake's traits of being strategic, cunning and alert to help guide your finances this year.


You can learn a lot from animals, what they represent and their behaviors. What can we take from the Year of the Wood Snake as we head into the Chinese lunar new year?
In the Chinese culture, the new year is the first day of the first month in the traditional Chinese calendar. According to the Western calendar, February 16 marked the beginning of the Chinese New Year — also known as Spring Festival — the longest and most important celebration for Chinese families across the globe. Because the Chinese calendar is lunisolar, meaning it is based on both lunar and solar cycles, it is celebrated on a different date each year.
The lunar calendar also defines the 12-year repeating cycle of the Chinese zodiac, with each year named after an animal and one of the five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal and water). This cycle, the Year of the Wood Snake, began on January 29 and will end on January 28, 2026.

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
In Chinese culture, there is a belief that people inherit the animal's personality traits for the year they were born. The wood snake is charming, intelligent and creative but can also be ruthless, secretive and cunning. It appears you may have to be all of these things in matters of finance.
“Since 1900, the benchmark index is down an average of 2.9% in the Year of the Snake,” according to Capital IQ, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. “It has risen in only three of the nine snake years since 1900, marking the worst performance of any of the named lunar years.”
There may be uncertainty due to President Donald Trump, tariffs and trade. “In this environment, interest rates will likely stay elevated, and trading activities will remain volatile,” Carmen Lee, head of OCBC Investment Research, told The Straits Times.
Snake personalities carry attributes such as being determined, alert, smart, well-spoken and having an element of mystery. They work in a strategic manner to achieve goals and value knowledge and relationships.
The snake represents instinct, wisdom, transformation and resourcefulness.
Here are four ways you can use the snake’s traits to achieve or maintain financial stability in 2025:
1. Trust your instincts
Everyone has faced financial challenges, and it is tempting to look at quick fixes or what appears to be a way to help you get out of debt. Be on alert for scammers who claim to be lenders, loan servicers, financial counselors or representatives of government agencies and promise to help you with your mortgage.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, “(These kinds of) scammers target desperate homeowners looking to avoid foreclosure and stay in their homes. These scammers promise they’ll get changes to your loan so you can keep your home. But they want you to pay them an upfront fee before giving you any services or getting any results. Don’t do it. It’s illegal for a company to charge you upfront for promises to help you get relief on paying your mortgage. If you’re working with a lawyer, make sure they’re licensed in the state where you live and are reputable.”
Snakes are very powerful and slither around to survey the land. They avoid danger by hissing, rattling and biting (and sometimes they’re poisonous). They know when to hide, blending in with the environment, and when to retreat. In financial matters, you need to know when to trust your gut and retreat, especially when a deal or proposition seems sketchy. Ask a financial planner, a trusted friend or a lawyer about any deal that seems too good to be true.
2. Be wise about money and investing
Sometimes money can feel like it’s burning a hole in your pocket, which can lead to ill-advised decisions. Snakes are strategic, and you can be, too, when it comes to wanting to spend money. Determine your priorities, such as your mortgage, living expenses and emergency savings.
It is also important to pay off high-interest debt. Credit card balances increased by $24 billion to hit $1.17 trillion in the third quarter of 2024, and auto loan balances increased $18 billion to $1.64 trillion, according to a New York Fed report.
Strategies to pay off debt include:
- In the snowball method, you focus on paying off the smallest balance first while also making payments on other debt. This method produces a sense of accomplishment that helps encourage you to take on your other debts.
- In the avalanche method, you pay off debts with the highest interest rate first, while still making payments on other debts.
Also, consider your long-term investment goals, such as creating a diversified investment portfolio. Figure out the best wealth-building products that fit into your life and goals.
3. Transform your money mindset
Snakes transform themselves by shedding their skin, symbolizing rebirth and the ability to change. Everyone has the ability to move past mistakes or blips in our financial past. Maybe you’ve struggled with a lot of debt. Or perhaps you lent money to someone who never paid you back. Forgive yourself.
Some steps to help reset your money mindset include:
- Think positively and believe you can achieve anything.
- Stop comparing yourself to others, such as a friend who goes on fancy trips or a relative who owns a huge home.
- Look at what is contributing to your current money situation and consider how you can make it better. Do you get coffee at the coffee shop or eat out a lot? Consider making your own coffee and making food at home.
- Track your spending and make a budget.
- Set attainable savings goals and consider opening a high-yield savings account, which offers a higher interest rate than traditional savings accounts. This can help you earn more on deposited funds.
4. Be resourceful in retirement
Many people don’t realize there are tools and resources out there to help prepare for retirement.
“Retirement is expensive. Experts estimate that you will need 70% to 90% of your pre-retirement income to maintain your standard of living when you stop working,” according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
The snake knows how to be resourceful and take advantage of an opportunity. If an employer offers a retirement savings plan, such as a 401(k) plan, take advantage of the matching contribution and the opportunity to build tax-deferred retirement savings.
Find out whether your company has a pension plan, which would be established or maintained by the employer or by an employee organization (such as a union) or both. Pensions typically provide retirement income or defer income until termination.
Not everyone has access to a pension, and those people should take advantage of the Roth option in their employer-sponsored plan, if there is one, and catch-up contributions. A designated Roth account is a separate account in a 401(k), 403(b) or governmental 457(b) plan that holds designated Roth contributions.
According to the IRS, “The amount contributed to a designated Roth account is includible in gross income in the year of the contribution, but eligible distributions from the account (including earnings) are generally tax-free. The employer must separately account for all contributions, gains and losses to this designated Roth account until this account balance is completely distributed.”
IRAs (Roth IRAs and traditional IRAs) and Social Security benefits can be combined to fund retirement. IRA distributions are not considered earned income for Social Security reasons, but they may be taxed as income.
If you create an account with SSA.gov, you can see what your Social Security benefits are expected to be at different ages.
Finally, it’s important to understand how your savings are invested. By diversifying, or putting your money in different types of investments, you are most likely to reduce risk and improve returns.
Be inspired by the snake and give it your best to make 2025 the best year ever.
Related Content
- What Are the Investment Opportunities and Threats in 2025?
- Market Volatility: Creating an Adaptable Retirement Plan
- For a Good Time Managing Your Money, Call on These Apps
- Six Charitable Giving Strategies: Feel Good and Cut Your Taxes
- How One Caregiver Is Navigating a Loved One's Dementia
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.

Marguerita M. Cheng is the Chief Executive Officer at Blue Ocean Global Wealth. She is a CFP® professional, a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor℠ and a Retirement Income Certified Professional. She helps educate the public, policymakers and media about the benefits of competent, ethical financial planning.
-
The Most Tax-Friendly State for Retirement in 2025: Here It Is
Retirement Tax How do you retire ‘tax-free’? This state doesn’t tax retirement income, has a low median property tax bill, and even offers savings on gas. Are you ready for a move?
-
Plan for Higher Health Care Costs in 2026: Projected Medicare Part B and Part D Premiums
In 2026, Medicare participants will pay more for their health care. Part B costs are expected to rise more than 10%. Here's what you can do.
-
Plan for Higher Health Care Costs in 2026: Projected Medicare Part B and Part D Premiums
In 2026, Medicare participants will pay more for their health care. Part B costs are expected to rise more than 10%. Here's what you can do.
-
The Weak Dollar is Making a European Vacation Harder to Afford in Retirement
Travel pros explain how you can afford a European vacation in retirement, despite a weak dollar.
-
Cash Balance Pension Plans: the Smart Way to Turbocharge Your Retirement
Cash balance plans can significantly boost your retirement strategy if you want a reliable, guaranteed income stream.
-
Avoid Medicare's 'Shadow Tax' With This Financial Expert's IRMAA-Busting Tips
You're cruising along in retirement, and then bam: Your Medicare premiums soar because your income crossed the limit. Take a breath. There could be a solution.
-
Grilling Season and ETFs: There's More Than One Way to Cook Up a Portfolio
Exchange-traded funds come in a multitude of 'flavors' these days, from passive to active to factor-based. Their flexibility is what makes them so delicious.
-
You Don't Want It, But You Should Plan for It Anyway: An Expert Guide to Long-Term Care
Planning for long-term care is crucial to protect your independence, family and financial stability against unexpected health events and rising care costs not covered by standard insurance.
-
Retire in the Canary Islands for Beaches and Natural Beauty
Retirees enjoy Spain's Canary Islands, where life can be as hectic or chilled as you like. The one constant will be almost year-round mild weather.
-
The '120 Minus You Rule' of Retirement
The '120 Minus You Rule' updates an older retirement rule, with a twist. Here's how this approach to retirement portfolio construction can work for you.