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Too often at the beginning of a New Year, we don’t address one of the biggest problem areas in our lives: our finances. Instead of striving to be financially fit, our physical fitness is more important. While health and wellness should be a main priority in our lives, our finances should also take some type of priority as well. And as 2013 approaches, striving to be more wealthy should be another resolution to put on our list.

If you are looking to make a few changes in your financial part of life this New Years, here are a few suggestions of resolutions for your finances. Get in better financial shape in 2013!

If there was ever a reason to start taking lottery pools at your job more seriously, the winning pool of two Baltimore teachers and an administrator should be proof that you can’t miss out next time.

The three educators stepped forward on Monday to collect their winnings, but did so anonymously: they wore sweatshirts, gloves and hid behind one of their checks. I guess they were smart enough to realize that the minute they let the world know who they were, the sooner the “world” (and all of its many cousins) would want to get broke off too.

According to the Baltimore Sun, the individuals aren’t planning to spend their new millions on extravagant and wasteful things. After taxes, all three winners will attain $35 million in the next few days, which they plan to use on sensible things like new homes, investments (BORING! I’m kidding…), a European vacation, and probably the best idea: a college fund for one of the winner’s children.

After the big lottery on March 30, a woman by the name of Mirlande Wilson, a single mother of seven kids who played the lottery in a pool with her McDonald’s co-workers (but bought extra tickets for herself, alone), tried to claim that she was a winner. Then she wasn’t so sure if she was, causing a great deal of stress for her co-workers and lottery officials. In the end, she wasn’t the winner, we all learned the importance of making photocopies of the tickets we buy in pools, and these three winners shared a good laugh: “They were humored by it,” says Maryland Lottery Director Stephen Martino. Now that the three winners from Maryland stepped forward yesterday, and the winner from Kansas stepped up last week, the last baller winner from Illinois is the only person left to come forward.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the Maryland winners are two women (one in her 20s, the other in her 50s), and a man (in his 40s), and before winning the lottery, each were said to have been working second jobs to pay the bills. Now that they don’t need a second or primary job, I’m wondering if they will chuck the deuces to their education positions? I love the kids just as much as the next person, but with $35 million??? Geez…I think I’d already be on my way to backpack through Europe. Congratulations!

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Michelle Thornhill is the Senior Vice President and African American Segment Manager at Wells Fargo/Wachovia. Michelle has over 15 years of experience developing consumer initiatives for diverse audiences in the financial services and non-profit sector. Michelle earned a Bachelor of Science from Virgina Polytechnic Institute and State University, a Master of Science in Administration from Central Michigan University and a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University, the John F. Kennedy School of Government. Michelle resides in Charlotte, N.C. with her husband and two sons.

This financial tip is sponsored by Wells Fargo. Here’s Michelle Thornhill.

Along with stocks and bonds, real estate is one of the most common forms of investments. There are various types of investment real estate. They include residential, commercial, industrial, retail and mixed-use. Profits are generated in numerous ways. One is when the real estate appreciates. That means the value of the property has increased. You receive cash flow income when you collect money in the form of rent. You receive commission income from buying or selling property and ancillary income is earned when additional ways to make a profit are developed within the property. Providing coin laundry services inside an apartment building is an example of this kind of profit. If you’re interested in real estate investing, there are many lending options available to consider.

For more financial tips and information, visit wellsfargo.com/mortgage  

(Bankrate) — For CD investors, safety of principal typically trumps building wealth as an investment goal. They’re willing to earn a reduced yield for the knowledge that they can’t lose money in the investment. However, there’s another risk, and that’s purchasing-power risk. If the yield on your CD isn’t higher than the inflation rate, your deposit loses purchasing power over time.

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(Wall Street Journal) — The past couple of weeks have provided no shortage of drama: the debt-ceiling debate, a ratings downgrade of the U.S., questions about European banks and wild swings in the stock market.  It all makes for a lot of sleepless nights.  Given all the tumult, how can we add more sheep to our evenings? Ultimately, a smart, long-term investment strategy should enable us to weather — and even take advantage — of these kinds of storms.  So, how to get there? A lot of times, sitting tight is the best strategy. Anyone trying to time the enormous swings of the past several days has probably discovered that’s not very easy. Still, doing nothing doesn’t always make us feel more secure.  Here, then, are five strategies that might give you more calm without upending your portfolio.

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(USA Today) — You’re walking across the street, minding your own business, when you look up and see a tractor-trailer bearing down on you. It should stop, you think. Suddenly, you realize that there’s a good chance it won’t stop. What do you do?  Investors are getting a similar feeling of impending doom as the deadline for Congress to raise the debt limit approaches. “People are getting more uneasy because of all the rhetoric on the airwaves,” says Lance Roberts, CEO of Streettalk Advisors, a Houston investment firm.  What should you do? The overwhelming likelihood is that Congress will eventually act and the U.S. won’t default. Until it does, you can expect increasing volatility in the stock, bond and commodity markets. If you’re tired of the roller coaster, consider moving some — not all — of your portfolio into short-term money market securities or bank accounts. You should have enough cash available for your short-term living expenses, anyway.

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(Wall Street Journal) — The challenges women face often cut across industries. But some are also unique to specific sectors. Women who have risen high in four industries—finance, health, technology and media—sought to illuminate these issues by recounting their own experiences and assessing how women generally have fared in their fields…

MS. GALLONI: Debra Lee, chairman and CEO of BET Networks, is the woman behind famous shows like “The Game” and “The Mo’Nique Show.”  You started at BET in 1986 as general counsel. And then 10 years later you were promoted to chief operating officer. And you say many people below you tried to sort of trick you. They figured, “She doesn’t know my business, so I’m not going to tell her things.”  Can you tell us a little bit about how that happened? And how much do you think that that had to do with the fact that you were a woman?.

MS. LEE: It was a small, entrepreneurial company. I had been part of a peer group of probably seven or eight other executives. All except two were male. I went from being part of the peer group to being the boss. And I found out all the other men had asked for the COO position, so they were not happy when I was given it.

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(Washington Post) — As the economy emerges from the recession and the national debate turns to limiting the cost of the social safety net, only one in four African Americans and one in six Hispanics reported owning stocks, bonds or mutual funds, a new poll shows.In addition, only 46 percent of blacks and 32 percent of Hispanics said they had an IRA or any other type of individual retirement account, according to a new Washington Post-Kaiser Family Foundation-Harvard University poll. Half of whites said they had stocks, bonds or mutual funds and two in three said they had IRAs, 401(k)s or similar securities.

The relative paucity of investments held by blacks and Hispanics tracks with previous studies, something that experts call an outgrowth of the gaping wealth disparities separating the races.  Not only are African Americans and Hispanics less likely than whites to own retirement accounts or investment securities, they also are far less likely to own homes, which remains the largest engine of wealth creation for most Americans.

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(BET) — 50 Cent has long been admired for his business sense.    It turns out the Queens MC-turned-mogul is quite the spokesperson as well. Fif, who recently became minority owner in TV Goods, took to Twitter to encourage his followers to invest in the company this weekend, causing the company’s stock to soar 355%.  “I invested in TVG,” he wrote. ”If you can by stock in it. I don’t care If its only 500 dollars. You better get in now TVG I’m never saying this again. Watch how this company blows up.”

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(AJC) — Like a lot of Americans, Grady Houston of Carrollton pulled back from the stock market and went to bonds and CDs when the economy tanked and losses grew in his portfolio.  Diana Thorne, of Roswell, switched to almost all cash. But the mild thaw in the economy’s deep freeze — along with low interest rates that show no sign of rising — has Houston, Thorne and lots of other Georgians warming again to Wall Street. Money managers for the ultra-wealthy and the Main Street Joe alike say their clients, tired of earning little from low-risk, low-reward investments, are putting more of their cash back to work when they’re able.

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