How often should I actually check my accounts and review my finances?

Match the frequency to the task. Glance at transactions weekly, just a few minutes, to catch fraud and stay aware of spending without obsessing. Do a slightly deeper monthly review to compare spending against your plan, confirm bills were paid, and check progress on goals. Reserve a longer annual checkup for the big-picture items: rebalancing investments, revisiting insurance and beneficiaries, adjusting contribution rates, and resetting goals for the year ahead. Checking investment balances daily tends to hurt more than help, because it invites emotional reactions to normal market noise. The rhythm that works is frequent-and-light for cash flow, occasional-and-deep for strategy. The Annual Checkup assessment at wealthserene.com/assessments/annual-checkup gives you a structured yearly review to work through.