Awareness

How to plan for a windfall

From an inheritance to vested stock options, you have to have a plan for what to do with a windfall of money before you get it in your hands. A while back, I wrote a post about what to do … Read MoreRead More

Want to get an allowance? Make a budget.

Many think that making a budget is a restriction, but it’s actually the opposite: an allowance to spend money. I remember when I was a kid, I got an allowance from my parents. I loved it. Who wouldn’t love an … Read MoreRead More

How to manage pistotikophobia: Fear of your credit score

Many have an unhelpful and unnecessary fear surrounding their credit score, known as pistotikophobia; here is what it is and how to treat it. Phobias are common. Fear of heights, fear of the dark, fear of flying. But there is … Read MoreRead More

What if your partner isn’t on board with making financial changes?

You may be excited to work on your financial wellness, but your partner might be resistant. Here’s how to reduce conflict and get more aligned. Financial wellness is a journey, and usually a bumpy one. Often, the journey has a … Read MoreRead More

Are you really earning rewards from your credit cards?

I discuss the reasons why people say they put everyday spending on credit cards, and ask whether the rewards are really worth it. My biggest professional challenge, by far, is how to convince people not to put their everyday spending … Read MoreRead More

What’s your Money Attachment Style?

I apply Attachment Theory to financial wellness, and show that people have their own Money Attachment Style. You can find out yours, too. Attachment Theory is fascinating. If you’re not familiar with it, it is the study of how humans … Read MoreRead More

Who needs coaching more: those with higher or lower income?

A discussion on how your income level and assets can affect your specific needs for coaching and financial wellness. Money coaching isn’t exactly a new field, but it’s unfamiliar to enough people that I find myself having to define it … Read MoreRead More

Why I don’t have to lie anymore

One surprising benefit of being able to help people through their own money struggles is that I don’t need to lie anymore in my work. I was recently in a meeting for financial coaches in private practice, and one those … Read MoreRead More

Developers and tech workers: What are you doing with your money?

I spent over a decade working in software startups in the tech industry. Now I help those working there manage their money more effectively. I worked in the tech startup industry for a dozen years. That’s an eternity in tech … Read MoreRead More

You say “Socialism” like it’s a bad thing: Epithets and critical thinking

Using speeches from Harry Truman and Ronald Reagan, I show that the word “socialism” has long been used to shut down critical thought. Words have power. You can use words to build an argument and make people feel good, or … Read MoreRead More