As we head into fall, now is a great time to take stock of your home furnishings. Especially if your apartment is now your home office or your nursery doubles as a conference room, your spaces might need a refresher. At The Financial Gym, we always want your money to align with your goals and we know building a home office might not have been part of your original 2020 goals.

Hey Friends! So 2020 has been, well….. 2020, especially for finances! We just had a big bunch of tax changes back in 2018, and from a professional sense we think of the 2020 stuff as just some “tweaks.” With most people having been thrust into a new financial position, however, you may find yourself encountering areas of the tax law you’ve never had to deal with before so we’re recapping some of the most common things we’re talking to our clients about to avoid surprises in 2020!

Since the arrival of COVID-19 in America, our daily habits, routines, and lives have all been upended. As we’re all doing our part to slow the spread, we’re finding ourselves spending more time at home and building new routines. While there are many parts of before life that we’re looking forward to again (like giving big hugs!), the past few months have given us a chance to slow life down and build some new habits.

As the leaves turn from green to vibrant reds, yellows, and oranges, and the temperature drops below 80 degrees, you know what time of year it is: apple cider doughnuts, pumpkin picking, long walks, and bonfires. Summer is rapidly coming to an end and although we will miss sunny beach days, we are excited for the cooler weather that’s approaching.

In 2019 I attended a Women in Events conference where I was introduced to the Financial Gym. It seemed like perfect timing since I had been considering seeking help for my finances but always imagined I’d have to sit in a small office with a stuffy old man and piles of paper to do so. The Financial Gym was anything but that. Shortly after the conference I set up my introductory call which turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

Understanding our personal finances --- how to budget, save, pay off, spend, and invest wisely -- is essential for everyone, including your employees. Financial wellness is a growing concern of employees and the Culture and HR managers that we speak to on a daily basis. We have complied free resources so you can create a free financial wellness week for your employees.

One question we have been asked frequently in light of the pandemic and the residual economic crisis is whether we recommend investing in bonds. Bonds are typically described as less volatile than a traditional stock investment, which make them a more stable choice and can play a key role in your investment strategy.

Recently, Apple announced that it was doing what’s called a 4-for-1 stock split this month. But what does that even mean? Simply, if you owned 1 share of Apple, you now would own 4 shares. So does that mean your money has quadrupled? Unfortunately, no!

54% of employees say that Financial or money matters/challenges cause them stress according to the PWC Employee Financial Wellness Survey. Studies have shown that if employees are financially unwell, absenteeism and presentee-ism will increase and employee productivity will decrease.

Every 10 years the government is required by the constitution to conduct a census which counts the population. The data collected helps inform federal funding towards daily services, products and community support such as hospitals, fire departments, schools, roads and other resources. The information is also used to decide the number of seats each state has in Congress and your political representation at all levels of government.

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 choices: make the trip as direct as possible or allow some stops along the way to make the journey a little more comfortable.

According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), surveyed families are expecting to spend more money on back to school items this year - particularly technology - to make it through partial or full remote learning. If you have kids at home, here are 5 ways to plan it out and stay on budget:

Joanna Lovering is the Founder and CEO of Copper + Rise, a New York City-based style coaching service dedicated to personal and professional empowerment. A passionate stylist and trained executive coach, Joanna pairs her seasonal sensibilities with leadership development techniques to help clients rise to the next level.

A “personal brand” is a theme that other people can understand. It lets people grasp the basic concept of how you fit into their life in an easy and compelling way.

We need more Black people in Financial Services. Banks literally hold the wealth of the country and to not accurately represent the true demographics of the economy does a disservice to those in it.

7 years ago this month, I left Merrill Lynch because I was consumed with the idea that people of all financial shapes and sizes should have access to another human being just like the wealthy have access to financial advisors. I literally couldn’t sleep at night thinking about this idea of The Financial Gym; and for months I fought the pull of it because I’d never wanted to start a business and I had a successful and growing Merrill Lynch practice. Why would I leave?

It may seem crazy to start thinking about planning for the holiday season, but holiday planning is starting even earlier than ever this year! This is partially due to “COVID escapism”. It’s always great to plan for the holiday season; we want our clients to be prepared for the influx of expenses, and enjoy the time rather than stressing about their finances. Here are some tips to get ahead of the ball this holiday season!

Eating is something we all do on a regular basis. In fact, the Department of Labor Statistics ranks food costs as the third largest expense category just behind transportation, with housing coming in first. And since it’s not very likely that you can just up and change your housing and transportation costs anytime soon, that leaves food as the biggest category that we can control on a regular basis.

Have you ever struggled with money? According to a Forbes article written in 2019, CareerBuilder found that 78% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. There can be a lot of shame when it comes to discussing finances, so while it may feel like you’re alone, you are not. It’s never too early or late to start thinking about financial health or to learn something new if you’re already on the journey.

Our Trainers coach their clients to understand their goals and how to align these goals with spending. In addition to personal goals, like saving for a house, paying down debt, or taking a vacation (when it’s safe again!), there are also world goals that many of us have. We can make an impact on these goals with our money, and at The Financial Gym, we love when the financially savvy decision also makes a community impact! One way we can all impact our world in a positive way is to reduce our consumption of plastic, especially single use plastic.