Financial Therapy: Minding Your Money

The Affordability Crisis: On Borrowed Time

Hey, everyone. Welcome back for Season 2 of Financial Therapy: Minding Your Money! I'm Lena Banks--a Certified Financial Planning professional and small business coach based in Austin, TX.
We're kicking off this season talking again about a subject that affects nearly every household in America: the affordability crisis. Whether you earn $50,000 or $250,000 a year, it seems we're all having to confront a new normal when it comes to making ends meet. If you've been rethinking your spending or saving decisions (by necessity or by choice), and/or you're noticing the dollars you earn have to stretch quite a bit farther these days, you're in good company.
So today we're talking about four examples where old ways of increasing our everyday cash flow have shifted towards new tools... and about the opportunity costs of what's actually happening underneath the surface of those changes, especially over time. The goal here is to give us all ways to be more secure and confident in our financial decision-making, and to have a greater sense of well-being overall.
Call or text to submit your feedback and questions for the show: 1-844-4FINPOD (1-844-434-6763)
#financialtherapy #budgetsareboundaries #personalfinance

Best-of Replay: Financial Infidelity

Hey everyone! Welcome to your Financial Therapy for the week. Today I'm bringing back an uncomfortable--but necessary--topic for discussion: financial infidelity. Financial infidelity occurs when a partner in a committed relationship intentionally lies to or keeps financial secrets from the other partner. This can take many forms, including hiding debts, secret bank accounts or credit cards, making large purchases without consulting the partner, or lying about income or expenses.
When you’re not including your partner fully as a member of the financial management team, that’s a problem. But it can be hard to recognize when behaviors are actually verging into infidelity. So let's talk about it!
Learn more about financial infidelity here: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/financial-infidelity.asp
Call or text to submit your feedback and questions for the show: 1-844-4FINPOD (1-844-434-6763)
Originally aired: August 26, 2025
#budgetsareboundaries #financialtherapy #personalfinance

Best-of Replay: Traditional vs. Behavioral Finance - Part 1: Our Biases

Today on Financial Therapy, we're replaying what was by far our most popular episode in Season 1--and it just so happens, it's also a fundamental episode for this show.
In his book, The Subconscious Mind of The Consumer (and How To Reach It), Harvard Business school professor Gerald Zaltzman says that 95% of purchasing decisions happen in the subconscious mind and are driven by emotions. The Financial Therapy: Minding Your Money podcast seeks to help us understand and manage the many emotional biases that can creep into our financial decision-making, so we can build our confidence and comfort around making money moves, and navigating into our financial future.
Don't miss out...or listen again, and be sure to call/text to submit your feedback and questions for the show: 1-844-4FINPOD (1-844-434-6763).
Originally aired: August 5, 2025
#budgetsareboundaries #financialtherapy #personalfinance

Season 1 - That’s a Wrap!

Hey everyone, I'm Lena Banks – a Certified Financial Planning professional and small business coach based in Austin, TX. Welcome to Financial Therapy! The goal here is to give us all ways to be more secure and confident in our financial decision-making, and to have a greater sense of well-being overall.
In Season One, we talked about a lot of different personal financial management topics, and reached people literally across the globe--the final tally was 32 states and 27 countries!! Before we get started with a new season, now's your chance to check out some of our fundamental episodes--I guarantee there's something for everyone. Thanks for listening!
Call or text to submit your feedback and questions for the show: 1-844-4FINPOD (1-844-434-6763)
#budgetsareboundaries #financialtherapy #personalfinance

Combating the 4 Horsemen with Gratitude

Hey everyone, I'm Lena Banks – a Certified Financial Planning professional and small business coach based in Austin, TX. Welcome to Financial Therapy!
This episode, we'll talk more about the "4 Horsemen" affecting our financial behaviors: obligation, fear/denial, guilt/shame, and pride--and discuss how using gratitude in how we confront them can help us make more thoughtful financial moves in the future. The goal here is to give us all ways to be more secure and confident in our financial decision-making, and to have a greater sense of well-being overall.
Call or text to submit your feedback and questions for the show: 1-844-4FINPOD (1-844-434-6763)
#budgetsareboundaries #financialtherapy #personalfinance

To Comingle or Not to Comingle?

Hey everyone, I'm Lena Banks – a Certified Financial Planning professional and small business coach based in Austin, TX. Welcome to Financial Therapy!
Today we're talking about a tricky subject: comingling your finances with a financial partner. If you're in a relationship with someone you love and care about, how do you determine how (or whether) to put your finances together--combining your spending and investment power, and intertwining your financial fates?
With personal finance, 1+1 can equal 3...or it can be a disaster for one or both parties involved. No matter how you plan to manage your finances together, or what baggage you're bringing to the table in the form of debt or other obligations, today we're talking about 4 "big-picture" questions to ask yourself--and to talk through with your partner--before you take the plunge to comingle.
Call or text to submit your feedback and questions for the show: 1-844-4FINPOD (1-844-434-6763)
#budgetsareboundaries #financialtherapy #personalfinance

Feeling Stuck? 5 Money Moves to Make Right Now

Hey everyone, I'm Lena Banks – a Certified Financial Planning professional and small business coach based in Austin, TX. Welcome to Financial Therapy!
Today's episode is all about practical ways we can move our minds forward when it comes to managing our finances. I'll give you 5 things to do--starting right now--that can make a difference in shaking you out of your rut, and changing your financial future.
Call or text to submit your feedback and questions for the show: 1-844-4FINPOD (1-844-434-6763)
#personalfinance #budgetsareboundaries #financialtherapy

The Affordability Crisis: What American Dream?

Hey everyone, I'm Lena Banks – a Certified Financial Planning professional and small business coach based in Austin, TX. Welcome back to Financial Therapy!
Today we're talking again about a subject that affects nearly every household in America: the affordability crisis. Whether you make $50,000 or $250,000 a year, it seems that we're all having to confront a new normal when it comes to the American Dream--whatever that means to you. Now, just spending on the basics is becoming more out of reach, because the affordability game has changed.
Let's talk about where we're all at, and what's happening right here in my home state of Texas. The goal here is to give us all ways to be more secure and confident in our financial decision-making, and to have a greater sense of well-being overall.
Call or text to submit your feedback and questions for the show: 1-844-4FINPOD (1-844-434-6763)
#financialtherapy #budgetsareboundaries

Are You Gambling With Your Mental Health?

Hey everyone, I'm Lena Banks – a Certified Financial Planning professional and small business coach based in Austin, TX. Welcome to Financial Therapy!
Today we're talking about a growing public health concern: gambling. Gambling addiction and problem gambling are rapidly increasing in the U.S., with around 2.5 million adults facing severe (and 5 to 8 million facing mild/moderate) gambling problems. Nearly 10% of young U.S. men (aged 18-30) now show signs of gambling problems, and addiction rates are surging among young people overall.
If you or someone you know is struggling with this concern, help is available. Reach out to these organizations for confidential, 24/7 support:
- National Council on Problem Gambling: 1-800-MY-RESET; text: 800GAM; or chat online: https://www.ncpgambling.org/help-treatment/
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
- National Problem Gambling Helpline: 1-800-GAMBLER
Don't wait. The goal here is to give us all ways to be more secure and confident in our financial decision-making, and to have a greater sense of well-being overall.
Call or text to submit your feedback and questions for the show: 1-844-4FINPOD (1-844-434-6763)

More Money, More Problems

Hey everyone, welcome back to your Financial Therapy for the week! The goal here is to give us all ways to be more secure and confident in our financial decision-making, and to have a greater sense of well-being overall.
A lot of us would love to ease our financial woes by winning the lottery—or more realistically, by having enough cash flow to not ever have to worry about making ends meet. But because so many of our financial decisions are emotional (and not necessarily rational) in nature, more money can often just lead to more problems.
So in today’s short episode, we’ll talk about three of the ways having more money can actually make us feel less free; and how it may be best to adjust how we think about money—being more mindful about how we earn and spend our dollars—in order to reduce our financial stress, instead.
Call or text to submit your feedback and questions for the show: 1-844-4FINPOD (1-844-434-6763)
#financialtherapy #budgetsareboundaries #personalfinance