All of us have a financial story that is influenced by our childhood. That story can lead to overspending and mismanaging money — and if we're honest, it's tough to break. Financial Gym client, Rebecca, is working with us to ditch her spending habits after a childhood in poverty and learning how to keep the money she makes. Not only that, she's now paying it forward to others in her community. Read on to learn more. 

Have you ever felt like you’ll always be broke? Do you always feel like there’s never enough money? If that’s the case, we hate to break it to you: you have a scarcity mindset. You focus on lack, rather than growth. Here’s the good news. You can switch up your money mindset! Is it easy? No. But it’s possible to make progress, so you can better your relationship with money. Here are four ways to shift your money mindset.

It seems like every month there’s news of a new data breach. The risk of identity theft and fraud are high. So what can you do to protect your privacy online and secure your financial data? Here are six tips for more personal information security.

Whether you’re just starting out at a job or have been there a while, there’s one thing that you should know: your employee benefits. Your employee benefits add so much value to your compensation. But if you don’t understand your employee benefits, you might not get the most out of what they offer. Here’s a quick guide to understanding your benefits at work.

When you hear the word “investing”, what do you think of? You might instantly think of The Wolf of Wall Street or think of men in suits or terms that seem like another language. Let’s face it, everything about investing can seem confusing and like it is for “them” and not “us.” But here’s the thing. Investing is for everyone and is one of the few surefire ways to build wealth and beat the cost of inflation. But if you don’t know much about investing or how to get started, it can prevent you from taking action. No more excuses! Here’s your beginner’s guide on how to start investing.

I am an avid home cook that enjoys baking, hosting dinner parties and of course meal prepping.  I have always prepped most of my breakfasts, lunches, post-workout snacks, and dinners so that I could enjoy one too many cocktails on the weekend and brunch with friends.  

Do you feel like you’re over your head in debt? You’re not alone. It’s easy to be in denial about how much debt you’re in or feel overwhelmed with the process. While paying off debt isn’t easy, it is possible. Here are five tips for debt management.

If you’re investing for your future, give yourself a pat on the back. Whether you’re investing in a 401(k), ETFs, mutual funds or other investment vehicles, you’re already ahead of the curve. It’s great to start investing as it beats the cost of inflation and can help you build wealth for your future. The problem most newbie investors face is how to make sense of all the information they get from the brokerage firm. Brokerage firms are required to provide monthly or quarterly brokerage statements. It can look like another language if you’re not sure how to read it. If you have a brokerage account, here’s how to understand your brokerage statements.

You’ve finally had enough of being broke and overspending and are ready to get financially fit. There’s just one problem. Bae isn’t on board. Let’s be real, getting financially fit requires some changes and when you must do things differently, not everyone in life will be as thrilled about it as you. But your relationship can have a huge impact on your journey so how do you get your SO on board? Here are five tips for getting your significant other on board with your financially fit journey.

Whether you’ve just found out Grandma Betty died and left you a sum of money, or you got a huge bonus or miraculously won the lotto, you’re probably wondering one thing: What’s the best way to use your newfound wealth? There are no shortage of ways to spend money but without having a plan, you can easily stick to where you’re at or be more worse off than you were before the windfall.

One of the biggest areas of anxiety in my life is my finances. I hate budgeting. I’m not good at negotiating my salary. I check my bank accounts with trepidation and have no idea how my 401(k) works or what its means to invest. As I started working and saving, I knew that I needed to get my finances in order, but I felt so overwhelmed that I didn’t even know where to start.

In case you didn’t know, May is Mental Health Awareness Month. I think it’s interesting that it falls the month after Financial Literacy Month because there is such a strong connection between the two; and I never truly saw just how much until I experienced it firsthand last year.

Kathryn J. has been a Financial Gym client for 1 year. She lives in Pittsburgh and loves gaming with friends, writing, and ceramics.

Let’s face it, you’re not getting any younger. And neither are your parents. At this point, they’re getting up there and you’re starting to worry about their finances and security. What will happen to them? What do you need to do to make sure they have a plan in place for their finances? It can be tough to think about but taking action now and having a conversation now can help everyone. Here’s how to help your elderly parents to get their finances and care in order.

When you’re ready to get fit, you start working out, trying to find the best equipment that gets you the most bang for your buck. What will really get you looking like J. Lo who seems to defy age? Similarly, when it’s time to get financially fit you want to find the right tools to help grow your assets and that starts with saving. There are two different tools that can help you stash your cash: savings accounts and CD accounts. Read on to learn more about these two options and decide what is best for you.

Our client Keeley shares about her initial fears for her first quarterly review and what she’s accomplished in her first 3 months as a client at The Gym. She’s upped her emergency fund and also budgets for fun money since we want you to keep living your best life! Great job Keeley!

You know you should be investing to build wealth and beat the cost of inflation. But when it comes to investing vehicles there are so many options to choose from. Some options you may have come across are ETFs and mutual funds. But what are they and what is the difference? Let’s break it down.

What’s it like to receive your financial plan? FinGym client Ruth Joseph explains how she tackled her plan’s “to-do” list!

It’s almost the new year and you’re ready to get your finances in check. You’ve tried before but you tell yourself this time will be different. Sound familiar? Many of us have goals to improve our finances but fall short for a number of reasons. But there’s a secret weapon that can transform the process: getting an accountability partner.

I was huffing and puffing on the stationary bike in the workout room of my Southern Utah home where my boyfriend and I live with our two dogs. I looked at the incoming call from New York with some amount of trepidation - "I am struggling to remain physically fit,” I thought to myself, "why am I adding the massive challenge of becoming financially fit to my plate?" The holidays were winding down and I was guilty of overindulging not only on food, but also spending too much on more than one occasion - I connected to the video chat anyway.