Checklist: End of the Year Moves

Things to do this weekend with your money

This is your last chance in 2000 to make the following smart financial moves.

Lock in your losses. Perhaps the only good thing about falling stock prices is that you can use the losses to offset capital gains, or ordinary income up to $3,000 a year, as long as you sell the losing shares today. Visit www.latimes.com/taxes to learn more.

Take your distribution. Retirees must begin tapping their individual retirement accounts after age 70 1/2. Distributions not taken by Dec. 31 typically incur a 50% penalty.

Make charitable contributions. If you itemize your taxes, you can deduct charitable contributions made by midnight Dec. 31. You can charge your last-minute contributions to a credit card (many charities now take such contributions on their Web sites). Or you can write a check, as long as it’s in the mail by year-end. You also can drop off household goods, old clothing and other noncash contributions to charities. Make sure to get a receipt.