I grew up in Jamaica, where one of the seasons is fondly referred to as the “rainy season,” which seemed like most of the year. Hurricanes, flash floods, earthquakes, and tropical storms are prevalent in the Caribbean. As a young child, I remember the adjustments my dad would make to our house. He would buy construction materials to batten down the windows and protect his workshop. I also can picture my mum securing essential documents such as our birth certificates, bank account information,...

What do you consider a major purchase? When do you think it is the right time to buy a big-ticket item? Responses to these questions may vary based on our interpretations. However, in difficult financial times, our approach may be different. While we are still making money decisions during this economic downturn, we also may be cautious and conscious about how we spend our dollars. A central goal of our podcast is to find ways to address feuds that arise. In our most recent episode of Family...

Tomorrow is the last day of our social media campaign, Financial Wellness Checkup! Over the past five weeks, we have covered several of your favorite personal finance topics, credit management, estate planning, back-to-school planning, and financial exploitation. We are closing out with a focus on ways to grow your savings. We understand that this is a hard topic during an economic downturn, and encourage you to consider some small ways you can still build or rebuild your savings. ...

Anyone can become a victim of fraud. Losing money or property through scams and frauds can have a lasting and devastating effect on your financial well-being (CFPB).  This week’s theme is financial exploitation, and throughout the week, we will be exploring multiple topics that focus on protecting personally identifiable information.    Protect your financial information online from identity thieves Do you shop, pay bills, buy tickets, or transfer money online? Effective...

Over the past few months, the economic climate has shifted dramatically with high unemployment rates and other levels of financial instability. The consumer economics team launches a new 5-week social media campaign, Financial Wellness Checkup. The goal of this social media campaign is to promote positive financial behaviors. It also aims to provide practical tips and resources for consumers as they work to manage their finances and improve their overall wellbeing. The campaign will be Live...

In this podcast episode, Camaya Wallace Bechard, Kathy Sweedler, and Sasha Grabenstetter discuss ways to identify financial stress. They also provided research on coping strategies and resources and shared information on to access federal, state, and community resources. To learn more, listen on Soundcloud.

My family had been waiting to see the movie, Onward since we saw the first trailer in 2019. One of the local theaters is about a mile from our house, and we love to walk (when the weather permits) or take a short drive to see some of our favorite new movies. Since we couldn’t go to the theater when it was released, we were happy it was available to stream. Each year, we go through the motions of subscribing to or canceling streaming services based on changes to the service or the time...

Many of us like checking things off our lists, it gives us a sense of accomplishment, but sometimes lists can feel overwhelming during stressful times. Our latest podcast explores financial to-do lists, the paradox of choice, and finding ways to overcome the barriers we face to completing important financial tasks.  To hear this and other discussions on different personal financial topics, find us on SoundCloud.

We all interpret and react differently to changes. In my extended family, some people have “what to do in a disaster plan,” and others prefer to take steps one day at a time. Whatever your approach to the new challenges that we are currently facing, the financial strains that may emerge could cause distress within us. We also know that money is a hard topic to discuss, therefore, finding ways to reduce anxiety about money conversations or accessing resources during this time is essential and...

In this episode of Family Financial Feuds, Kathy, Sasha, and Camaya share some of their favorite children’s books that explore essential money concepts. Listen on SoundCloud!

In August 2019, I wrote about transferring money to loved ones safely domestically and internationally through banks and financial companies on my Fearless Financial Future blog. I received a reader’s request to write about some of the other ways consumers are repaying each other or transferring money using mobile devices. In this article, I explore the relationship...

The beginning of the year is typically a time for reflection and goal setting, and I started thinking more about what the concept of financial independence means to us.  This is one of my favorite topics because of what it means for financial well-being (the ability to meet all financial needs, today and over time; feel secure in the financial future; absorb a financial shock; and have the...