What should I financially organize before leaving Germany?

A clean German exit takes a bit more than just an Abmeldung at the Bürgeramt. There are three rough blocks of work, and most of them benefit from being started earlier than people expect — three to six months before the move is a more realistic runway than the "few weeks" that often gets assumed.

Cancel and end what you no longer need. Subscriptions, mobile contracts, energy, internet, and any insurance that no longer applies abroad. Most German contracts have notice periods that need to be respected — your employment contract in particular usually requires three months' notice, sometimes more, and that often becomes the constraint on your moving date rather than the other way round.

Decide and continue for the things that don't simply end. Pension contracts (continue, pause, or surrender — usually best to pause unless surrender is clearly justified), your brokerage account (your German broker may keep the account open for non-residents, or you may need to transfer or close it), and your bank account, which is often worth keeping open until everything has settled.

Tax and documentation. File all required German tax returns, including the year of departure. Settle any open items with the Finanzamt. Document the source of funds for any large transfers abroad, and keep a digital archive of important documents for at least ten years — German document retention rules can apply well after you've left.

For higher-net-worth expats, Wegzugsteuer (exit tax) may apply on certain shareholdings of 1% or more. That one absolutely needs to be checked well before the move.