Financial Insights & Resources

Expert financial guidance, coaching insights, and practical tips to help you take control of your money.

Financial Education Is Not Enough: The Human Role in Modern Financial Advice

Financial education matters. It helps people understand basic concepts, ask better questions, and compareoptions with more confidence. But education alone does not solve the problem for many people. When someone

Debt Collection Series: How to Respond to a Collections Letter

If your debt was delinquent and sent to a debt collection agency, you might have received a letter from a debt collector. Communicating with debt collectors, by phone

How to Donate for #GivingTuesday While Paying Off Debt

The desire to give can be very strong during the holiday season. With multiple causes that are near to your heart, you may want to put aside some

9 Holiday Staples When Preparing for Houseguests

The holidays are upon us once again. With colder weather and festive gatherings afoot, you’ll probably have more houseguests than usual. When preparing for houseguests, it can be

7 Ways to Make Money While Holiday Shopping

The holidays are a magical time filled with family gatherings, fun decorations, and gift-giving from the heart. But the holidays can take quite a toll on your bank

7 Step Process to Taking out a HELOC

A home equity line of credit (HELOC) is a type of secured loan that gives you a revolving line of credit by using your home as collateral. If

What Is an HOA?

One in five Americans will live in a neighborhood with an HOA, yet many people have questions about what an HOA actually does. What do HOA fees cover?

What’s the Difference Between Quarterly Taxes vs. Annual Taxes?

Editor’s note: Please be aware that we’re not tax professionals and this is not tax advice, just a general guideline.

The federal income tax is a pay-as-you-go

6 Items to Avoid at Warehouse Stores

When looking to save money, many shoppers buy in bulk at a warehouse store like Costco or Sam’s Club. The main idea behind buying in bulk

How to Switch Banks in 5 Easy Steps

If you’ve been banking with the same financial institution since you were in high school, you might be curious about your other banking options. Whether you’re looking for

How to Protect Yourself After a Bank Data Breach

In recent years, data breaches across various retailers, credit bureau Equifax, and the most recent, the Capital One data breach, have made data breaches seemingly inescapable. Since consumers

How an Emergency Fund Saved This New York City Bride-to-Be

After being with my then-boyfriend of 10 years, he finally got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife. Our engagement lasted longer than most

5 Top Companies Offering Seasonal Part-Time Jobs

Taking on a side gig is a practical way to make money on the side ahead of the big shopping season, or simply accelerate your earnings to start

How to Rebuild Your Credit Over Time

Having a strong credit score can open doors to more affordable financial products, like loans, and can even help position yourself as a prime candidate for a new

4 Financial Stress Triggers and How to Manage Them

Money can help catapult you closer to larger life goals, making rewarding milestones, like buying your first home or retiring early a reality. On the flipside, the lack

6 Holiday Expenses to Budget for (Aside From Gifts)

The holidays are packed with opportunities to celebrate life, family, friends, and traditions. With increased family gatherings and celebratory occasions, the holidays tend to cost a little more

What I Learned From My “No Shopping on Amazon” Quarter

My challenge also forced me out into the world to explore different avenues of making purchases that were sometimes even cheaper than Amazon’s prices.  

I used to

Pros and Cons to Borrowing Against Your 401(k)

You can think of your financial journey to retirement as a road trip. If you start in New York and plan to retire in California, you have two

Getting Financially Naked: How My Biggest Fear Changed My Life

I remember my first call to The Financial Gym Advisors like it was yesterday. In 2016, I had just moved to Dayton, OH to start my doctoral degree

5 Essential Tips on Budgeting for Couples

Newlyweds meet many challenges when merging their lives, from living together for the first time to combining finances after marriage. New couples must decide how to manage their

The 5 Financial Benefits of Living with Roommates 

Today, 25 million people in the US live with roommates. This is a dramatic shift from the decade prior when most adults between the ages of 18 and 34

Why Interest Rates are Dropping and What You Should Do About It

Interest rates today are lower than in the recent past. This could spell good news if you’re looking to borrow money but might not be as great for