Hey everyone, I'm Lena Banks – a Certified Financial Planning professional and small business coach based in Austin, TX. Welcome back to Financial Therapy, and Happy 2026! Today we're talking about a subject that affects nearly every household in America: the affordability and debt crisis. When you're constantly chasing the next level of income, or spending just to flex, debt can pile up quickly. But now, just spending on the basics can drive you into debt, because the affordability game has changed. Let's talk about where we're all at, and how we can be more conscious about what we spend, and how it adds to the debt tab. 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)

Happy Holidays, everyone! Today on Financial Therapy, we're replaying one of our most popular episodes--don't miss it, and be sure to call or text to submit your feedback and questions for the show: 1-844-4FINPOD (1-844-434-6763). If you've ever wondered why it's so difficult to sit down, get focused, and make a budget, this episode is for you. Budgets help us set healthy boundaries--listen in for four hard truths about why many people don't have one. Let's talk about why budgets are important in setting boundaries with ourselves and others, as well as for our mental wellness. Originally aired: October 14, 2025

Happy Holidays, everyone! Today on Financial Therapy, we're replaying one of our most popular episodes--don't miss it, and be sure to call or text to submit your feedback and questions for the show: 1-844-4FINPOD (1-844-434-6763). Are you a minimizer or maximizer? A saver or investor? A responder or director? Lena and friend of the Financial Therapy podcast, Andi Cobb, cover Six Money Mindsets, and chat a bit about how they influence how we make financial decisions. 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.

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 three things the average money manager won't necessarily tell you up front. Listen in, before you make your personal finance new year's resolutions in 2026. As always, the goal here is to help us all 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)

Hey everyone! Welcome to your Financial Therapy for the week. Data from an August 2025 Logica Future of Money Study indicates that 54% of Americans' outlook on their personal finances was optimistic, even as 50% believed the national economy was worse than a year prior. Why the disconnect? How stable is your financial future? Do you have a sound foundation for your financial decision-making, or can you sometimes be overconfident? Today we'll talk about three questions to ask to spot-check your feelings of pride around money. The goal here in Financial Therapy 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)

Hey everyone! Welcome to your Financial Therapy for the week. Have you ever felt guilt or shame about your finances? Do you want to make, spend, or give away your money with more confidence? Today we'll talk about three questions to ask to spot-check your feelings of guilt and shame around money. The goal here in Financial Therapy 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)

For 49% of us, just looking at our bank accounts can trigger negative feelings. Fear can be defined as an unpleasant, often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger; it goes hand in hand with denial--a defense mechanism where someone avoids a difficult truth by denying its existence. Have you ever wondered why you avoid or sidestep even looking at your finances? Do you want to make, spend, or give away your money with more confidence? How can you distinguish between 'real' financial concerns, and what's really just anxiety at work in your financial life? Today we'll talk about three questions to ask to spot-check your feelings of fear and denial around money. The goal here in Financial Therapy 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)

Obligation is the condition of being morally or legally bound to do something; it can also be a debt of gratitude for a service or favor. Have you ever wondered why you feel so financially obligated to make, spend, or give away your money? Is it really your values at play, or are you captive to others' needs? How can you distinguish between obligations you need to follow through on vs. those you need to set boundaries to address? Today we'll talk about three questions to ask yourself to check your feelings of obligation. The goal here in Financial Therapy 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)

Hey everyone, I'm Lena Banks – a Certified Financial Planning professional and small business coach based in Austin, TX. Today we're talking about current events that are affecting our finances...and therefore our overall mental and emotional well-being. From a record spike in auto repossessions, to the highest number of October layoffs in 20+ years, to the longest federal government shutdown in history--with SNAP benefits and health insurance access on the line--Financial Therapy is here to help us put words to the financial uncertainty and mounting hardships many of us are facing, so we can be more secure and confident in our financial decision-making, and ultimately, 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)

Today we'll ask our guest: What's your financial origin story? Were you taught financial literacy? Or did your caregivers rarely discuss money growing up? More often than not, we get our money mindsets passed down to us from our parents, or whoever was most responsible for making the financial decisions.Whether you were scraping by, or had an abundance of wealth (or whether either is the case right now), those early influences affect how you now view money, how you choose to earn and spend it, and ultimately, your financial health and wellness.Call or text to submit your feedback and questions for the show: 1-844-4FINPOD (1-844-434-6763)

Hey everyone--welcome to Financial Therapy! Last episode, we talked about three steps to take when creating your budget, so that you set it up as an effective boundary. Today, we're talking about how to communicate that boundary to others (and/or even back to yourself). Let's get more secure and confident in our financial decision-making, and enjoy 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)

Hey everyone, I'm Lena Banks – a Certified Financial Planning professional and small business coach based in Austin, TX. Welcome to Financial Therapy! Last episode, we talked about how budgets help us set healthy boundaries--and the four hard truths about why many people don't have one. Today, we're talking about three steps to take to set your budget up as an effective boundary. 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)

Hey everyone, I'm Lena Banks – a Certified Financial Planning professional and small business coach based in Austin, TX. Welcome to Financial Therapy! Have you ever wondered why it's so difficult to sit down, get focused, and make a budget? Today we’re talking about how budgets help us set healthy boundaries--and the four hard truths about why many people don't have one. Let's change that by talking about why budgets are important in setting boundaries with ourselves and others, as well as for our mental wellness.Call or text to submit your feedback and questions for the show: 1-844-4FINPOD (1-844-434-6763)

Hey everyone, I'm Lena Banks – a Certified Financial Planning professional and small business coach based in Austin, TX. Welcome to Financial Therapy! In this follow-up to the Cost of Connection Episode, Andi and Lena discuss the pressure to spend for friends.Call or text to submit your feedback and questions for the show: 1-844-4FINPOD (1-844-434-6763)

Today we'll ask our guest: What's your financial origin story? Were you taught financial literacy? Or did your caregivers rarely discuss money growing up? More often than not, we get our money mindsets passed down to us from our parents, or whoever was most responsible for making the financial decisions.Whether you were scraping by, or had an abundance of wealth (or whether either is the case right now), those early influences affect how you now view money, how you choose to earn and spend it, and ultimately, your financial health and wellness.Call or text to submit your feedback and questions for the show: 1-844-4FINPOD (1-844-434-6763)

Hey everyone, welcome to Financial Therapy! Today we’re talking about money dysmorphia, and we’ve got a great guest, Crystal Zuzek, back with us to have the conversation. Money dysmorphia is a term for having a distorted perception of one's financial situation--a view which doesn't match reality. It's characterized by feelings of financial insecurity or anxiety, even when objectively one's finances are stable or healthy--and/or denial about the limitations of your finances or the consequences of your spending. It can manifest as overspending, excessive worrying about money, or avoiding spending altogether--all because you feel wealthier or poorer than you actually are. Crystal first heard about this concept via an episode from the Glamorous Trash podcast, which discussed how social media is fueling financial anxiety, and asked the question: who’s really broke vs. just unnecessarily worried about being so? This phenomenon affects many of us, so let's talk about it! Don't forget to call or text to submit your feedback and questions for the show: 1-844-4FINPOD (1-844-434-6763).

Hey everyone, I'm Lena Banks – a Certified Financial Planning professional and small business coach based in Austin, TX. Welcome to your Financial Therapy for the week! No matter your income level, basic interactions with money might make you anxious or get you down. Let's talk about some of them, as well as possible ways to adjust your mindset for the future.Call or text to submit your feedback and questions for the show: 1-844-4FINPOD (1-844-434-6763)

What's your financial origin story? Were you taught financial literacy? Or did your caregivers rarely discuss money growing up? More often than not, we get our money mindsets passed down to us from our parents, or whoever was most responsible for making the financial decisions.Whether you were scraping by, or had an abundance of wealth (or whether either is the case right now), those early influences affect how you now view money, how you choose to earn and spend it, and ultimately, your financial health and wellness.Call or text to submit your feedback and questions for the show: 1-844-4FINPOD (1-844-434-6763)

Hi everyone--welcome to your Financial Therapy for the week! Today we're talking about financial abuse, which is a common tactic used by abusers to gain power and control in a relationship. The forms of financial abuse may be subtle or overt but in general, include tactics to conceal information, limit the victim's access to assets, or reduce accessibility to the family finances. Again, any time that 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 problematic. So let's talk about it! Learn more about financial/economic domestic abuse here:National Domestic Abuse Hotline: https://www.thehotline.org/resources/financialabuse/ Grace vs. Abuse: 7 Questions to Define the Line: https://www.thehotline.org/resources/grace-vs-abuse-7-questions-to-define-the-line/ Surviving Economic Abuse: https://survivingeconomicabuse.org/Call or text to submit your feedback and questions for the show: 1-844-4FINPOD (1-844-434-6763)

Welcome to your Financial Therapy for the week! Today we're talking about financial infidelity, which 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. Any time that 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 problematic. So let's talk about it! Learn more about financial infidelity here: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/financial-infidelity.aspCall or text to submit your feedback and questions for the show: 1-844-4FINPOD (1-844-434-6763)