We all have friends who are a blast to hang out with, but who aren’t always the most supportive of our financial goals — whether on purpose or not. The worst is when you realize that you, yourself, can actually be that friend who pressures others into spending, even when it comes from a good place!

For example, you may have found yourself encouraging a friend to go out for drinks or to buy something new, even after they may have casually mentioned that they’re trying to save money.

This time of year, when we reflect on all we have, is a popular time to think about giving to others as well. When your budget is tight, you may not feel like you have the means to help others without putting your own finances at risk. Fortunately, there are ways to be generous without breaking your budget.

There are many worthy causes—so many that choosing where to donate can be overwhelming. Pick one or two to focus on now for now. You can always add more or switch it up down the road.

One question our trainers always receive is “what is your favorite podcast?” Many of our trainers are avid podcast listeners and love listening to new podcasts—so much so that we even have a whole slack channel dedicated to our favorite podcast episodes!

Here is a round-up of our favorite podcasts:

“Brown Ambition is a weekly conversation between two successful women of color dealing with topics of professional and financial ambition, will and so much more. Wisdom is found here weekly.”

Chances are the employees at your company are feeling the pain of inflation and concerns of a recession. They don’t need to hear it from an economist to know that things in general are getting more expensive and companies are looking for ways to tighten their belts. Combine that with the pressure of the holiday season, and you may have some stressed folks in your workplace. In addition to raises and/or bonuses if your company can afford them, there are other ways you make this time less financially stressful for your employees.

Carrying a credit card around this holiday shopping season can make sense in many ways. It offers convenience and greater purchasing power, but there’s a fine line between smart holiday card use versus letting credit card shopping get out of hand. Here’s a basic guide on the dos and don’ts when using a credit card over the holidays.

Before setting foot in a store or visiting an online retailer to check-off your gift list, set boundaries around your spending limit. First, decide how much money you can afford to spend in total.

We are officially in the single digits when speaking to how many weeks are left in the year. With the holidays approaching it is an easy time of year to put your financial health to the side and make focusing on your finances a New Year’s Resolution. But what if you did a refresh of your finances NOW so you can give more attention to your other life goals in 2023!

Below are 6 ways you can take a few moments to review your overall financial health and make sure you’re setting yourself up for ultimate success in the new year!

Starting a business can be rewarding but also difficult. Business owners can see their passion come to life but also put in the time and effort, that no one else sees. If you run a business, you’re a master juggler and wear a lot of hats.

One thing that can make starting a business or managing a business tough is finances. As if personal finance wasn’t hard enough to deal with, business finance is a whole other animal. We’re going to break down the basics of what you need to know about finances for small business. Here are five things you should do to manage finances for small business.

A health savings account (HSA) can be a useful part of your financial toolbox. Like retirement accounts, HSAs come along with powerful benefits like tax-free spending on healthcare, but they also have some odd rules. Knowing the ins and outs of your HSA will help you get the greatest benefit from it depending on your own financial situation.

As you accumulate money in your HSA, you can actually invest those funds so they can grow for you over the years. As long as you spend that money on qualified health expenses, you never pay taxes on your contributions or your investment gains.

Winter is coming and it will bring along challenging conditions for our cars, homes, and health. Luckily, a little preventive maintenance goes a long way toward averting costly problems this season. Try these winterizing tips to keep your car, home, and health running as smoothly as possible:

Although it’s never fun to break down on the side of the road, it’s a whole lot worse when it’s below freezing. The cold exacerbates the decline of car batteries so check that your car’s battery is in good health and consider replacing it if not.

Salary negotiation is a widely accepted practice during the job hunt process: about 70% of employers expect job candidates to negotiate. Despite that, a recent study from Fidelity found that 58% of young professionals accepted job offers without negotiating. Many people don’t negotiate because it’s uncomfortable or they fear how they will be perceived, but by not negotiating, you could be leaving money or other benefits on the table. The same study found that 87% of job seekers who negotiated received at least some of what they asked for.

Try these strategies to put yourself in the best position for a successful negotiation.

Finances can feel so serious, but they don’t always have to feel like that. Savings challenges are a great way to add a little “fun” into finance. They can help you save for a specific purchase, holiday gift money, or just to boost your overall savings. These challenges force you to step outside your day-to-day routine and get creative.

There are a few strategies to make you the most likely to succeed at your savings challenge. First, set the rules before you start and put them in writing so you are clear on what counts as success to you. You should also choose what you want to use the money for in advance and track your progress to keep up your motivation.

Sometimes, we get so caught up in the hamster wheel of life, we forget to ask ourselves what all of this hard work is even for. When you’re so busy reacting to the needs and demands of others, then of course, it would be hard to refuse the extra glass of wine at dinner, click “purchase” on Amazon, and order take out for dinner.

You’re much more likely to change your day-to-day budgeting habits when you have a specific goal that represents something you truly want for yourself.

Below are some examples of goals that I hear from clients. Guess who is reaching their goals faster? The ones with goals they feel obligated to have? Or the ones that match their personal values and desires?

Even in the best of times, our relationships with money is…complicated. While it sometimes feels like we are the only ones struggling to create new financial habits and overcome unhelpful money-related thinking patterns, we are not alone. Instead of succumbing to money mindset malaise, we recommend picking a good book to help expand your thinking and recognize new possibilities. Here are some of our recommendations.

Atomic Habits: This book gives you strategies and tools that you can implement to help with forming (and keeping!) good habits, which is a great skill to have when managing your money.

Credit scores are important. They can be our ticket to getting a good rate on a mortgage, a car loan, or refinancing your home. Your credit score also can make or break a rental application, or prevent you from accessing affordable housing programs. And while I do think that a lot of people tend to freak out a little too much about their credit scores, having a healthy one is a reasonable concern.

So what can you do if you want to raise your credit score? First, you’ll need to to find your credit score, which you can do by using a site like Credit Karma. Then, you’ll want to know a little more about how they work.

Everyone is worried about their credit score, but credit scores are calculated using the information on your credit reports. So, if you want to work on improving your score, your credit reports are a great place to start.

The three credit reporting agencies—Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion—gather information from creditors and create your reports, which they then sell when an inquiry is made. There are two types of inquiries: hard and soft. A hard inquiry is typically made by a lender when you apply for a line of credit. The institution is checking your history to help them make a decision on whether to lend, how much, and your interest rate.

Cell phones: we all need them, but how much do we really have to pay for them? Depending on the number of lines and extras, the bill can easily cost between $150-$300 per month. That’s a solid chunk of change, especially if you are trying to find more room in your budget to save or pay down debt. Luckily, there are a number of ways to reduce your cell phone bill.

Cell phone providers change their offerings all of the time. If it’s been a while since you’ve looked into your provider’s current plans, take the time to review them online or speak to a customer service representative. You might be able to save on your monthly bill and keep your current level of service.

At long last, the federal student loan debt relief application is open! The application is still in beta (testing) mode and it will be available off and on until the official launch later this month, so if it’s not available when you first check, try again later.

The application requires basic information including your name, social security number, date of birth, phone number, and email address. It also requires you to certify that you are within the income limits required to receive the debt relief. To qualify, your adjusted gross income (AGI) must be less than $125,000 if you are a single tax filer or married filing separately.

For the past two and a half years, most borrowers with federal student loans have not needed to make any payments. And a lot has changed over that time: people have moved across the country, started families, bought houses, and changed careers. Resuming payments in January 2022 will be an unwelcome headache, especially for those who have not reserved space in their budgets for a student loan payment.

There is a good chance that at least some of your employees will be affected by this: about 20% of Americans have student loans.

A common refrain we trainers are hearing right now as we work with our clients on their financial goals is that the reopening of the world is expensive. With so many things off limits for so long, having the freedom to get out and resume something like a normal life has created a rupture in a lot of people’s financial plans and savings rates. We’re often asked for advice on how not to spend money, or how to stick to a budget when there is so much going on that just a few weeks ago seemed impossible.

The Roth IRA began in 1998 as a way to encourage middle-class Americans to save for retirement without reducing revenue (i.e.taxes) to the federal government in the short term. Although Roth IRAs have income limits aimed at excluding higher-income people, major loopholes still allow just about anyone to stash cash now that they can withdraw tax-free in retirement. One of those loopholes is known as the “backdoor” Roth IRA contribution. Here are four signs that a backdoor Roth might be for you.