Financial Bliss with Kelley Long

It is human nature to compare ourselves to others, particularly when we are wondering whether or not we measure up. And for the most part, these types of comparisons cause us to feel like we are falling short in some way.

In this episode, Kelley Long, financial coach and money mindset advocate, shares a research-backed way that we can use comparison to actually boost the way we feel about ourselves and our lives that can ultimately lead to better financial behaviors that are in support of your own personal life goals and values.

It's true that comparison is the thief of joy. Except in this one instance. Give it a listen to learn more!

This episode is all about self-exploration to uncover the root cause of financial anxieties. When we have a better understanding of our own origin stories and how they are showing up for us today, we can really accelerate any changes we’d like to make to our mindset and our behaviors, around money: how we earn it, how we spend it, how we save it, how we avoid it, etc.

Grab a pen and a journal, and settle in for an exercise that will have you re-thinking your assumptions about money "truths" based on who you are today, versus who you were when the beliefs were formed. Enjoy!

Get a breakdown of ALL the options you might want to explore before deciding what to do with your old 401k plan.

This episode explores the pros and cons of each of the 4 options available while also touching on related retirement and tax rules at play, including:

- The rule of 55

- Net-unrealized appreciation rules for company stock

- Why a rollover IRA might be a choice you regret

- Where to go for more help making this decision

Resources to support the topics discussed:

Ever try a new budgeting tool and experience initial success, but then quickly slip back into old habits after a month or two? 

The reason so many of us struggle with changing our financial habits and situations, even when we end up making more money, is partly because there’s not a simple, one-size-fits-all solution. After all, if it were easy you’d already be doing it! 

To change a financial cycle or habit for good, you need to first change your mindset. Once you’ve changed your mindset, the changes in your daily practices flow with greater ease. 

Famed psychologist and one of the founders of neuro-linguistic programming philosophy (NLP), Robert Dilts, identifies six steps that can lead to achieving change: environment, behaviors, capabilities, values and beliefs, identity, and purpose. 

By applying insights from Dilts’ Six Logical Levels of Change to your financial practices, you can develop new learned behaviors and achieve your money goals — not just temporarily, but for the long haul, too. 

Listen to this episode to learn:

Shame has an impressive ability to rear its ugly head when it comes to money. Many of us experience money shame for a myriad of reasons: budgeting pitfalls, too much debt, not enough savings, or a failure to attain certain markers that are viewed as evidence of success, like buying a home or starting a family. 

But shame has the power to keep us in a cycle of wildly unhelpful self-talk. 

Many people aspire to develop healthier money habits but struggle to change their behaviors. Instead, they hit a shame-engulfed wall. Breaking through requires the removal of shame and self-judgment.  

By asking the right questions and exploring our deeper, underlying values and opinions about money and its role in our lives, we’re able to push past our psychological barriers and start making real change toward finding financial bliss. 

Listen to this episode to learn: 

• The difference between guilt and shame and how both can feed your relationship with money
• The importance of asking yourself ‘why’ you value certain money habits over others
• The first step you can take to remove shame from your relationship with money

What does the Serenity Prayer have to do with achieving financial bliss? For Kelley C. Long, CPA/PFS, CFP®, quite a lot.  

If you’ve ever experienced financial hardship that wasn’t your fault, you’re not alone. Even the most careful and diligent individuals can become victims of their circumstances, enduring things in life that put pressure on their pocketbooks. The end of a romantic relationship, a flooded basement, the loss of a job — regardless of causality, it’s your responsibility to decide how to pick up the pieces and move forward. 

No matter how much you plan and save and invest your finances, things happen that will be out of your control. It’s what you do in the aftermath that dictates whether you flounder or thrive. 

Listen to this episode to learn: 

Why taking responsibility is the path forward (regardless of causality) 

Why procrastination compounds your financial hardships 

How anger can inform future financial decision making

How overreliance on preventative strategies hinders you from living your best life

You pay all your bills on time, you've either paid off your debt or have a plan in place to do so and you are looking at what's next, but there are so many options. How do you know which to tackle first?

Putting money away for retirement can seem like a serious commitment, which it typically is due to rules around early withdrawal penalties and other abilities to tap your savings before your age 59 1/2.

In this episode, Kelley C. Long offers 4 reasons that one particular type of retirement savings account offers more flexibility than you might think when contributing your hard-earned money. Check it out to learn the often-misunderstood rules so you can make the best decisions for your finances without the fear of losing access until you're almost 60.

Resources to support the information presented in this episode:

How much do you know about your 401k plan? In this episode, Kelley C. Long, CPA/PFS, CFP® shares five things that she's found are most surprising to people about their 401ks, which she learned during her time as an unbiased financial coach working for a workplace retirement wellness provider.

Resources to support further learning on the topics presented in this episode:

In her work with over 2,500 individuals from all walks of life as a money coach, Kelley C. Long, CPA/PFS, CFP® has pretty much seen it all. But if there is one thing she could tell EVERYONE, it's that there are very few money mistakes that you can't overcome. In this episode, you'll hear 5 common mishaps she's encountered in her work as an unbiased financial wellness coach along with practical financial planning tips to make the most of your finances. There's something for everyone in this one, even if you're lucky enough to feel like you've done pretty great with money so far!

Resources to support the topics presented:

When Kelley asked several smart, responsible women who felt like they didn't have what it takes to optimize their money, she found a really interesting recurring theme. This episode digs into that one thing, what it really stems from, and how anyone, regardless of money in the bank, can move beyond it.

Resources mentioned:

In this introductory episode, host Kelley C. Long, CPA/PFS, CFP® shares her frustration with how challenging it is for everyday people to access unbiased and reliable guidance and advice around their money decisions, along with how she has worked to find a way to solve that challenge throughout her career. You'll also learn a powerful exercise that Kelley uses to make important life decisions, including the decision to leave a great-paying and really fun job in order to go out on her own in the middle of a pandemic. 

Financial Bliss with Kelley Long was created to share insights, lessons, tips and stories around WHY we do the things we do with our money along with HOW to actually do them when we are ready to make financial planning moves. Focused on helping you find the root cause of your financial challenges, the goal is to help smart, responsible women find their own version of financial bliss.