Breaking Free: Healing Financial Trauma After Leaving High-Demand Groups and Controlling Relationships 

Breaking Free: Healing Financial Trauma After Leaving High-Demand Groups and Controlling Relationships Leaving a high-demand group or a coercive, controlling relationship is a courageous step toward reclaiming your autonomy. Yet, if you’ve taken that step, you may find the journey to financial independence is fraught with unseen challenges. Financial trauma—rooted in manipulation, control, and deprivation—can linger long after you leave the group or the relationship has ended, shaping your money habits and […]

Just Start: The First Step Toward Financial Clarity

Just Start: The First Step Toward Financial Clarity    We all have that one thing we keep putting off—the closet we don’t want to organize, the appointment we keep rescheduling, or the stack of paperwork we’ll “get to someday.” For many people, that “someday” pile includes their finances.  Maybe you’ve been meaning to get a […]

Managing Through a Government Shutdown and What Comes Next 

Managing Through a Government Shutdown…and What Comes Next    Here we go again. As of this writing, the federal government has been shut for 20 days with no end in sight. It’s a frustration for every American, but for federal workers (including contractors) it is so much more than that. During the 35-day shutdown in […]

How to Make Saving Decisions Like an Economist 

How to Make Saving Decisions Like an Economist   How do you decide how much you should be saving versus spending? Do you have a favorite rule of thumb, such as saving 10-15% of your income, or do you aim for a certain amount each month? Maybe you just save what’s left of each paycheck.  […]

Love Is a Battlefield: Is Your Money the Casualty of Divorce?

Love Is a Battlefield: Is Your Money the Casualty of Divorce?   Few things in life make you feel as emotionally distressed as a divorce. Managing your emotions is only the first step in navigating a psychological minefield that can cause you to regret your financial decisions more than the bad relationship you just left. […]

Home Ownership: What to Know, How to Prepare

Home Ownership: What to Know, How to Prepare   Purchasing a home is a life-changing and exciting event for individuals and families alike. Imagining what you’ll do with your new space, whether it’s the yard, the bedrooms, or the kitchen, adds to the excitement of homeownership. Once you’ve decided to buy your first home, it’s […]

Now is the Time to Secure College Financing for Fall 2025

Now is the Time to Secure College Financing for Fall 2025  Fall is right around the corner. If you or someone you know is sending a student to college, it is time to start planning to pay for the upcoming tuition bill. Most colleges and universities started sending the bills in July via their school […]

Working with an AFC®: How Financial Counseling Can Help You Reach Your Goals 

Working with an AFC®: How Financial Counseling Can Help You Reach Your Goals  When it comes to personal finance, many people feel overwhelmed, uncertain, or simply don’t know where to start. Whether it’s tackling debt, creating a budget, saving for a home, or planning for retirement, financial decisions can be complex and can feel a […]

Strategies to Build Credit and Reduce Debt

Strategies to Build Credit and Reduce Debt  Credit, the one financial product that allows consumers to live well beyond their means and achieve their dreams without having to wait until the income is earned. Is it any wonder why it is so often abused? American households now account for $1.21T in debt. Yet, while there […]