As a corporate executive you have plenty of things on your plate and you probably don’t want to think about adding anymore, but there are several critical financial tasks that you can’t afford to neglect.

Even though corporate executives put in a lot of equity to get their money, they tend to devote very little time to managing it. Getting a head start on your financial and estate plan, however, can give you the peace of mind that you have planned for the future and assist you with managing this money in the most effective way.

After all you’re working hard for it and you should be able to plan for it to pay off dividends for you. Some of the most important steps you can take include:

• Contributing the maximum amount available to your 401(k) plan, especially if your company match is significant.
• Make sure that your wealth isn’t reliant entirely on an employer. Whether you get restricted stock grants, stock options or a 401(k) match, you want to make sure that you net worth doesn’t drop if the company stock price takes a dive or if you are no longer working there.
• Update an estate plan. Far too many people who are corporate executives don’t have a will at all, and for those who do, it’s usually so old that it’s no longer beneficial to them or their loved ones.

Make sure that you evaluate your will and other estate planning documents on an annual basis, and if you have put off creating a will up until now, it’s a great opportunity to schedule an appointment before the end of the year to cross this important task off your to-do list.