The Financially Free Blog

Genar Mendez, A Certified Financial Trainer Genar Mendez, A Certified Financial Trainer

Gratitude: A Recipe For Abundance

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, it’s the perfect time to explore how you can use gratitude and the power of your mind to transform your financial reality and bring more abundance into your life.

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Shannon McLay, Founder and CEO Shannon McLay, Founder and CEO

Message from the CEO - We're Ready to Bloom!

Ten years ago, I had a crazy idea to create a company focused exclusively on working with a population of people that I knew the financial services industry was not serving properly. When I was a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch, I was instructed to not even meet with a prospective client unless I knew for certain that they had over $250,000 in investable assets, otherwise they wouldn’t even count as a new client. This advice never sat well with me, especially as I met people who were looking for guidance and didn’t want to have to figure it out on their own.

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Kylie Lipinski, A Certified Financial Trainer Kylie Lipinski, A Certified Financial Trainer

5 Tips to Get the Most Out of Black Friday Shopping on a Budget

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are still the most popular times of year to shop. Whether you’re buying for others or just for yourself, the lure of a great deal is hard to resist. While there is nothing wrong with snagging some buys at a discount, those purchases can easily add up to more than you were expecting. Here are some tips to make the most out of the deals without getting carried away.

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Kylie Lipinski Kylie Lipinski

4 Ways to Afford Last-Minute Holiday Travel

The holidays are the busiest—and often most expensive—time of year to travel. The top tip for scoring affordable holiday travel is to book it early, but if you’ve missed that boat, you’re not completely out of luck. Here are four tips to make it home for the holidays, even if you’re on a budget.

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Savings, High Yield Savings Kylie Lipinski, A Certified Financial Trainer Savings, High Yield Savings Kylie Lipinski, A Certified Financial Trainer

Where Should I Keep My Money?

Putting your money to work for you is a common financial goal. We get it—you work hard for your money so it’s only fair that your money works hard for you too! But optimizing your finances doesn’t always mean shooting for the highest return on every dollar. In fact, that’s a good way to destabilize your finances because a higher potential reward also means higher risk. Instead, think about what level of return is reasonable for the purpose of your money. 

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Kylie Lipinski, A Certified Financial Trainer Kylie Lipinski, A Certified Financial Trainer

5 Tips for Confidently Giving to Causes You Care About

Whenever people are suffering, it’s natural to want to help. Donating money is one of the most popular and effective ways to provide assistance, especially for a cause that’s not geographically close to home. But the opportunity to help also comes with challenges including analysis paralysis, scammers, and budget constraints. Here are five tips to confidently give to causes you care about.

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Retirement Kylie Lipinski, A Certified Financial Trainer Retirement Kylie Lipinski, A Certified Financial Trainer

What is an Employer Match? And How to Get The Most Out of It

We all love free money. And while an employer match on your 401(k) isn’t exactly free money—it’s actually compensation for your hard work—it sometimes feels that way. To make sure that you are getting the most out of your employer match, you do need to know a thing or two about it.

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Kylie Lipinski, A Certified Financial Trainer Kylie Lipinski, A Certified Financial Trainer

What Should I Do If I Can't Afford My Student Loan Payments?

This month, millions of borrowers are making their first federal student loan payment in three and a half years. During this time, you may have moved, bought a house, purchased a car, had kids, adopted a pet, paid off debt, taken on new debt, lost a job, and gotten a new job. Even without any of these big changes in your life, your financial landscape probably looks a lot different than it did in March 2020. If you find that your student loan payment is stretching your budget, it’s time to consider other options.

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Budgeting Kylie Lipinski, A Certified Financial Trainer Budgeting Kylie Lipinski, A Certified Financial Trainer

5 Budgeting Apps To Get You On Track

When you need help keeping track of your finances, your first instinct might be to try a budgeting app—and for good reason! These apps can display your whole financial picture in one place, help you understand your cash flow, and illuminate your spending trends. There are many great options out there so we reviewed a handful of the most popular tools to help you choose.

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Credit Cards Kylie Lipinski, A Certified Financial Trainer Credit Cards Kylie Lipinski, A Certified Financial Trainer

Does Your Credit Card Need Some Self-Care?

Between travel, get-togethers, and other social events, summer is hard on our credit cards. While we kick back and relax, they work overtime to pay for our fun. If you worked your credit cards a little too hard this summer, fall is the perfect time to give them a break with these five tips.

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Mindset Kylie Lipinski, A Certified Financial Trainer Mindset Kylie Lipinski, A Certified Financial Trainer

4 Ways to Get Motivated With Your Money

Most financial journeys are not linear—they have ups and downs. As such, your motivation will ebb and flow too, and that’s ok! When you are ready to get back on track, try these tips to boost your motivation.

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Kylie Lipinski, A Certified Financial Trainer Kylie Lipinski, A Certified Financial Trainer

3 Student Loan Initiatives You Should Know About

If you’re confused about where you stand with student loans, you’re not alone. Over the past year, so many programs have been announced that it can be hard to keep track of them all, never mind understanding whether they apply to you. Here’s a roundup of three federal student loan initiatives that you should know about:

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Genar Mendez, A Certified Financial Trainer Genar Mendez, A Certified Financial Trainer

10 Tips For Digital Nomads & Extended Sabbaticals

Have you ever dreamt about traveling the world for six months, a year, or indefinitely? Whether you’re a digital nomad or someone wanting to travel for an extended period of time, making the best use of your money can add months of time to your trip and save you countless headaches along the way.

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Budgeting Kylie Lipinski, A Certified Financial Trainer Budgeting Kylie Lipinski, A Certified Financial Trainer

6 Ways to Save on Back-to-School Shopping

Summer is coming to an end and that back-to-school feeling is in the air. For parents with school-aged children, that means it’s time for back-to-school shopping. Between purchasing new school supplies and clothes for your children, this can be a financially stressful time. Here are six ways to save money while making sure your kids have everything they need to start the school year off right.

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The Financial Gym Team The Financial Gym Team

Top 3 Exercises to Get Financially Fit

Getting financially fit doesn’t happen overnight but with these three financial exercises, you can start to change your financial thoughts and habits.

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Kylie Lipinski, A Certified Financial Trainer Kylie Lipinski, A Certified Financial Trainer

5 Ways to Stretch Your Summer Travel Budget

Summer is one of the most popular times to travel—about 85% of Americans plan to take a trip this season. And while summer can be a great time to get away, it can also impact your wallet. Here are five tips to get the most out of your summer vacation without breaking the bank.

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Kylie Lipinski, A Certified Financial Trainer Kylie Lipinski, A Certified Financial Trainer

How to (Successfully) Start Your Own Business

Starting your own business can be an effective way to build long-term wealth—or it can really set you back financially. Increase your chances of success by following these five tips: understand your why, build a strong foundation, develop a marketing plan, prepare for taxes, and watch your expenses.

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Kylie Lipinski, A Certified Financial Trainer Kylie Lipinski, A Certified Financial Trainer

Top 5 Ways to Get Ready for Student Loan Payments

Federal student loan payments will restart in October. Read about the top five steps to take to get ready to make your student loan payments again and avoid last-minute stress.

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