What a Decade of Advising Taught Me About People and Money

Personal finance is a journey, and we’ve spent years guiding clients through its twists and turns. Now, we’re sharing the top 10 lessons we’ve learned — insights that can help you tackle student loans, achieve financial goals, and navigate the emotional side of money. Learn how simplicity can transform your financial plan, why celebrating small wins keeps you on track, and how to stop lifestyle creep before it derails your progress. We’ll also cover the smartest way to automate your finances, strategies for handling life’s curveballs, and the power of saying no when it really counts. Key moments: (05:23) Money isn’t just numbers, financial success is balancing math with behavior (11:11) Building an emergency fund isn’t glamorous, but it’s essential (18:10) Why financial planners ask so many questions (24:48) Automating your finances lightens the mental load and leads to big results (29:55) Learn to say no to purchases, bad investments, or family requests — even when it’s uncomfortable Links mentioned:   Monarch Money Like the show? There are several ways you can help! Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Amazon Music Leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts  Subscribe to the newsletter Feeling helpless when it comes to your student loans? Try our free student loan calculator Check out our refinancing bonuses we negotiated Book your custom student loan plan Get profession-specific financial planning Do you have a question about student loans? Leave us a voicemail here or email us at [email protected] and we might feature it in an upcoming show!