My message on International Women’s Day is to become a woman of action. Or, if you are a man reading this, encourage the women around you to become women of action. Whatever you would complain about, take the complaint and become the agent for change.

I saw an ad on Facebook, and I was immediately intrigued about having a financial advisor that’s more like a gym trainer. My first thought was automatically “Oh, there’s no way I could afford something like that”. But did that stop me from signing up for a free warm up call and finding out all the information I could? No, it did not. I was immediately hooked after that first call and especially after I found out that I could afford the monthly membership fee.

Whether you should consolidate or refinance is a personal decision. If your main goal is to save money, refinancing can help. If you want to simplify your payments, consolidating can be a good option. Like any loan-related decisions, you want to read the fine print, know your interest rate, repayment term and monthly payment. Think of the short-term and long-term benefits, weighing the pros and cons to come to a decision that works for you.

As far as I was concerned, saving almost half my monthly income was the way to go. It worked on paper, and made logical sense, but it didn’t fit in with the full picture of what I was trying to accomplish, which I didn’t see until Crystal laid it out for me. She suggested that I reduce my monthly emergency fund contributions by $166 so I could have more flexibility with the rest of my budget.

Whether you’re just starting a new job or want to change your tax situation, there’s one form that is inevitable for employees to fill out. The W-4. This is where you put down your tax withholding which states how much should be taken out of your check and this is what will determine if you get a refund or not. If you’re single and not filing jointly and don’t have kids to worry about, you might wonder what is the right thing to put down. Read on for more guidance. Please note we’re not tax specialists so this is general guidance and anything specific should be discussed with a tax specialist.

In the span of a few weeks, Financial Gym client Elena Douvanis Irwin left her corporate job, got married, and started a full-time master’s degree program at NYU to pursue a brand-new career as a mental health counselor. It was a lot - and she knew it. Elena describes how and why she joined The Gym so she and her new husband could start their financial journey together and what she has learned so far.

Money talk used to be a scary conversation I mostly avoided. I very much had an out of sight, out of mind attitude coupled with a shame that I should know about this and didn’t feel equipped.  This state of being wasn’t helping me feel any more in control of my money or empowered about money management. Staying silent about money also could not help me with wealth or long term life planning, both larger concepts but certainly worth mentioning as we begin this chat. 

As you head into this year’s tax season, you want to make sure you get all the deductions you can! Taxes for 2019 can be done now and you can get ahead and submit before April 15. Just make sure to deduct what you can and if you get a refund, use it wisely.

One way to reset your finances is to implement “no spend days” several times a week. Like the name suggests, it’s all about having days where you don’t spend anything, not even a penny. We’ve created this no spend day tracker to help you get started.

It’s tax time. Let’s face it, most of us hate tax time and are filled with dread. Though doing your taxes isn’t exactly on your “fun” list, they are unfortunately a requirement for “adulting.” If you have regular 9 to 5 employment, it’s likely you can file your own tax return without too much hassle. Here’s how you can file your own tax return.

How should you prepare to file your taxes? What papers do you need to get ready for tax season? We have complied a list of 7 ways you can prepare for tax season!

If you want to learn how to get out of debt fast, you have to make moves to make it happen. These five tips can help you get on the path to debt-freedom so your money can once again be all yours.

Has your income been affected by the government shutdown? Luckily, many corporations, local businesses, and community food banks are banding together to help where they can. Here’s what you can do to make sure your budget stays on track during this government shutdown.

You might be dreaming of getting a puppy as your newest addition to  your family. You already know the breed and have the perfect name picked out. But before you go out and get a puppy, you want to be financially prepared for the cost of owning a dog. Like children, dogs, and especially puppies cost money. Here’s how to prepare. 

Using these five savings account calculators you can see just how much you need to save to reach your goals. Whether it’s saving for a vacay to Cabo or preparing for a baby, paying off debt or saving for a down payment, these simple savings calculators can help you understand where you’re at and what you need to do to reach your goals.

Jenny Rausch has been a virtual Financial Gym client for one exciting, empowering year. She wrote her about her experience being a client.

The Government Shutdown has impacted our Financial Gym family.

Welcome to a new year! Time to let go of last year and start fresh. That means new budget, new goals, and even a new mindset. You have to change things up if you want different results. So if you want to get your finances together this year, here’s how to cultivate a new mindset and achieve your New Year financial resolutions.

The past few weeks, my team and I have been working on our 2019 plans and strategizing a year that we’re all excited about. In the planning process, we decided to make the upcoming year a theme year and our theme is “Manifest Your Dreams with The Financial Gym in 2019.”

The most popular new year’s resolution is to save more money, exceeding the desire to lose weight. Most people fail and don’t reach their set goal. Here’s five tips for setting financial goals that you can work toward.