The end of the year is just around the corner which means it’s the perfect time for a spot of self-reflection, making resolutions and financial planning for the next 12 months. The seasonal sales may have started, but taking a time-out and deciding whether or not you really need to browse your favourite retailer's online store for their post-Christmas bargains could be a dealbreaker for starting 2022 off on the right financial footing - however big your budget. We can all struggle to make the best decisions when it comes to money, but often the hardest part is knowing where to start. Read More Related Articles Read More Related Articles Shona Lowe, financial planning expert at abrdn.Com, shares five starting points to help improve your cashflow from January 1, 2022. 1. Have a clear budget Shona says that creating a plan and sticking to it will help your confidence and overall approach to your money. She said: “Analyse your spending habits from the last six to 12 months so you can...

  Joni Mitchell’s “River,” a 50-year-old Christmastime song of lost love, finally has an official video to go with it. (Watch it below .) And the folk-pop legend sounds like she couldn’t be happier. “River expresses regret at the end of a relationship... But it’s also about being lonely at Christmas time,” Mitchell said in a statement at the end of the animated work, which was posted to her YouTube channel on Thursday. “A Christmas song for people who are lonely at Christmas! We need a song like that.” Mitchell sings plaintively of wanting a river she “could skate away on” ― reflected in Skazka Studios’ black-and-white animation of a solitary figure gliding across the frozen water. The watercolor style captures “the song’s lonesome mood while paying tribute to Mitchell’s prolific creativity as a painter,” according to her website. “River” appeared on Mitchell’s 1971 album “Blue.” The video is one melancholy ride, but worth it.