The popularity of celebrating Halloween is on the rise. Consumers are expected to spend a total of $11.6 billion on Halloween this year including costumes, decorations, candy, and greeting cards. That’s a lot of money! Here are four ideas to participate in the fun of spooky season without draining your bank account.

Whether you grew up in a financially transparent household or talking about money was considered taboo, navigating a conversation about your aging parents’ finances can feel hard. In fact, according to a GOBankingRates survey, 73% of Americans haven’t spoken to their parents about money in-depth, and 17% of respondents said they were afraid to bring up the topic.

Although the thought of asking your elderly parents about their future financial security can feel uncomfortable, you’ll inevitably need to know these details. For example, this is especially true if they need to go into eldercare later on or if you’re tasked with managing their estate after they die. 

If you want to get the conversation started, here are a few ways to get it going in a productive and encouraging direction. 

Saving feels great. Lots of my clients are surprised to find that, while they thought that the process of saving money was going to be a lot of drudgery and deprivation, once they start to see their balances climb, seeing those numbers can have an addictive effect. The same goes for debt payoff: once clients see those numbers going in the right direction, they feel motivated to keep the progress going, and often get inspired to delay gratification in other ways so they can reach their big goals faster.

It’s that time again: open enrollment season. It’s the one time of year when you can choose to change your health insurance coverage through your employer or the state/federal marketplace. Between all of the terminology and plan options, choosing a health insurance plan can be confusing and stressful. Here’s what to know to make the decision easier.

If you’re trying to set financial goals, one of the most immediate decisions you’ll probably be confronted with is deciding between savings vs. investing. There’s a lot of conflicting advice out there when it comes to how to prioritize your money. The truth is, you can do both saving and investing at the same time, but you’ll want to do so strategically so that you have your money available when you need it.

Here are some scenarios to help you get an idea about whether to put your money in a savings or investment account.

Even though the holidays happen at the same time every year, they have a way of sneaking up on us. Imagine waking up on Christmas morning knowing that all the gifts under the tree and food in the fridge have already been paid for. That’s possible if you start planning now! Here are four steps to make that happen.

Another day, another data breach in the news. With each new revelation of data exposure, our expectations for privacy get lower and lower. While there is little you can do to keep your data from being exposed through a third party, you can still take action to protect yourself against the worst-case scenarios. When it comes to protecting yourself financially, freezing your credit should be at the top of your list.

Many of us were never taught how to manage credit cards or how they even work. Let’s start off with some basics before jumping into how to pay down your debt faster.

Avoiding your federal student loans isn’t really a problem until one day it is—your credit score drops, your paycheck gets garnished, or your tax refund is withheld. For more than four years, federal student loan borrowers have been largely shielded from the consequences of missed payments and default, but that’s about to change. September 30th marks the end of two initiatives that have been helping borrowers: the “on-ramp” and the Fresh Start program.

When your car is on its last leg and it’s time to start looking for another vehicle, you may wonder which is better: leasing or buying? The answer: it depends. Leasing a car has many short-term benefits but long-term drawbacks. Here’s what you need to know to decide if it’s a good move for you right now.

We have a lot of clients who freelance or have side hustles that aren’t W2 jobs. While we all know that there are processes we should have in place to keep our lives simple come tax time, life is busy. We often don’t keep up with paperwork and tracking and expenses the way we should, and then have to slog through hundreds of transactions to figure out which transactions were business expenses and which were personal. It can be hard to figure out how much you’ve earned through your independent work when you just deposit into your personal bank account and it gets mixed in with other income.

While many people focus on making life changes at the start of a new year, the fall has a certain back-to-school energy making it a perfect time to focus on new habits and routines. Even as adults, something about this season makes us want to pull out our planners, sharpen our pencils, and get down to business. If you are ready to transform your finances, here are four financial habits that will help get you there.

We are in the full swing of summer! At the Gym, we know this is the peak season for all things outdoors. It's usually the case that we all let off the gas on our financial road trip. Purchases are happening, trips are being planned and enjoyed, weddings are back on schedule, so it’s easy to get lost in the midst of all these events happening to bank accounts and credit cards.

Negotiation is a nuanced term. To negotiate means to obtain or bring about by discussion. The art of negotiation isn't taught and it is not innate. It is a process of calculation, evaluation, confidence, and effective communication. It is more important than ever that you learn and hone the art of negotiating so you can advocate for yourself, own your power and understand your value.

Road trips are the epitome of freedom and adventure. With the open road ahead and countless possibilities, it's no wonder so many people dream of hitting the highway. But how do you plan a road trip that won't break the bank? Here’s your guide to making it happen.

When emergencies happen, your whole life can be put on hold. You have a death in the family, your car gets totaled or you find out quite unexpectedly you’re getting let go. These are considered emergencies because they must be dealt with right now and the severity can consume all of your attention. Not only that, it can also cost you a lot of money too. That’s why you need an emergency fund.

Savings bonds—once the “responsible” go-to gift for baby showers, birthdays, and graduations—have fallen out of fashion. Still, as a millennial or Gen Xer, it’s entirely possible to stumble across a long-forgotten pile of paper savings bonds and wonder what to do with them.

Although summer is coming to a close, the next big travel season is kicking back up again thanks to the holidays. It might feel too early to think about holiday travel, but let’s be honest, those Halloween decorations are already creeping onto store shelves.

According to Skyscanner, August is the best month to book flights domestically while September is ideal when booking international travel. If you’re looking for ways to save money on your next vacation, there are other travel hacks to keep in mind aside from good timing.

Have you ever felt bad about your spending and then spent even more money to make yourself feel better? If so, you, my friend, have experienced a spending shame spiral.

While it may seem counterintuitive, spending shame spirals are common because of the way that shame affects our behavior. Shame is an extremely powerful (and unhelpful) emotion. Rather than motivating us to make decisions to reduce our shame, it leads us to take actions that replicate it again and again. Fortunately, there is a way out of the shame spiral.

I don’t know about you, but I love the Olympic season, both winter and spring. To me, there is nothing like the drama, joy and exhilaration the Olympic games makes you feel. Every night I watch the coverage on NBC in awe of the athleticism, nervous for the athletes and parents, filled with pride for Team USA and most of all, I’m inspired by the stories of athletes who are there for a comeback journey and shot at redemption.