Money Files: Money Mindset & Personal Finance

Keina Newell - Personal Finance & Money Mindset Expert
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Is money (or lack thereof) keeping you from fully enjoying your life? Are the stories you tell yourself preventing you from improving your money mindset and having a better relationship with your finances? Join Keina Newell of Wealth Over Now on Money Files: your financial toolkit and a place to start working on your money mindset, learn new financial concepts, and hear candid conversations from her clients who have been right where you are and are on the other side. If you are ready to start your financial journey, head to www.wealthovernow.com and subscribe for new episodes each week.

  1. 1d ago

    252 | You Have $60,000 to Pay Off Debt. Should You Use It All?

    You have $30,000 in credit card debt, and then you get a bonus, a tax refund, or some unexpected money that could help you pay it off. Your first thought might be to put every dollar toward your credit cards so you can finally see those balances go down. And I understand why. You've been carrying this debt for a while, you're tired of making payments, and you want to feel like you're finally getting ahead. But what happens when you pay off your credit cards and then three months later you're using them again because you need new tires, you're traveling for the holidays, or you have an expense you didn't plan for? This is why I don't believe paying off debt with a lump sum of money should automatically be your first move. Because if you haven't addressed the spending and savings habits that contributed to your debt in the first place, you might find yourself right back in the same cycle. Recently, I had a coaching conversation with a couple who have over $100,000 in debt and had access to $60,000 that they wanted to use to pay off two of their debts. Their plan made sense on paper. Paying off those two debts could free up more than $1,000 a month in cash flow. But before we made that decision, I wanted us to look at what else their money needed to do. In today's episode, I'm taking you inside that coaching conversation to show you why I believe you should save money and pay off debt at the same time, how unplanned expenses can keep you in the debt cycle even when you're earning six figures, and what you need to consider before using a lump sum of money to pay off your credit cards. I'm also walking you through how we looked at their holiday spending, birthdays, anniversaries, emergency savings, and everyday expenses to make sure that paying off debt would actually create the financial progress they wanted instead of another opportunity to rely on credit cards. In this episode you'll learn... [00:02:00] Why using a bonus, tax refund, or other lump sum of money to pay off credit card debt doesn't automatically mean you'll stay out of debt, and why I believe building savings while paying down debt is an important part of breaking the debt cycle. [00:06:00] How I coached a couple with over $100,000 in debt who wanted to use $60,000 to pay off two debts and free up more than $1,000 in monthly cash flow, and why we needed to look beyond their debt balances before making that decision. [00:11:00] Why expenses like holiday travel, Christmas gifts, birthdays, anniversaries, and family celebrations can keep you relying on credit cards when you haven't accounted for what those expenses actually cost. [00:16:00] How thinking about your money only from paycheck to paycheck can create financial blind spots even when you earn six figures, and why looking ahead at the next 90 days of spending helps you make better decisions about debt and savings. [00:21:00] Why you need to review your emergency fund and everyday spending before deciding how much money to put toward debt, including how to determine whether the cash flow you're freeing up will actually be available for savings. [00:26:00] What it looks like to build a sustainable debt payoff strategy with a financial coach, including how reviewing your actual numbers, identifying spending patterns, and planning for future expenses can help you pay off debt without repeatedly falling back into the same cycle. Tune in to this episode of Money Files to understand why paying off debt isn't just about getting your balances to zero, and learn how to create a debt payoff strategy that allows you to save money, prepare for expenses, and build the financial habits that help you stay out of debt. Get full show notes and the episode transcript: https://wealthovernow.com/you-have-60000-to-pay-off-debt-should-you-use-it-all/   Links mentioned in this episode… Set up a call | Financial Coach Washington, DC | Wealth Over Now Download my FREE spending plan

  2. Oct 27

    251 | Learn How To Enjoy The Process Of Reaching Your Financial Goals

    You set a financial goal. Maybe you want to pay off $20,000 in credit card debt, save more money, or finally feel like you're making progress toward retirement. You know what you want, and you start making changes to get there. But then a few months go by, and you're frustrated because you aren't seeing the results as quickly as you'd like. Maybe you've paid off some debt, but there's still a balance. Maybe you've been consistently saving, but your account isn't growing as fast as you expected. Or maybe you were doing really well with your money, got off track, and now you're telling yourself that you're right back where you started. But are you actually starting over? I've been thinking about this question a lot lately as I've been getting back into the gym after completing my HYROX competition in September. After taking several weeks off, the weights that used to feel manageable suddenly felt heavy again. And while I was working out, I had a thought that I really didn't want to hear: I need to learn to enjoy the process. Because sometimes I don't want the process. I just want the result. And I started thinking about how often we do the exact same thing with our finances. We become so focused on paying off the debt, reaching a savings goal, or getting to a certain number in our retirement account that we overlook the progress we're making and the skills we're developing along the way. In today's episode, I'm talking about what it actually means to enjoy the process of reaching your financial goals, why getting off track doesn't mean you've lost all your progress, and how what I call fantasy math can keep you feeling financially behind even when you're making progress. I'm also sharing how to make financial decisions that support the results you want, recognize the smaller wins along the way, and become someone who knows how to create and maintain those results instead of only focusing on reaching the finish line. In this episode you'll learn... [00:03:30] Why getting off track with your finances doesn't mean you're starting over from zero, and how the skills you developed while paying off debt or building savings still matter even when your circumstances change. [00:09:00] What I call fantasy math, and how calculating all the money you could have saved, invested, or used to pay off debt if you'd made different decisions in the past can keep you comparing your actual financial life to one that never existed. [00:14:30] Why wanting a financial result isn't the same as committing to the process required to achieve it, including how someone spending $12,000 a year on travel might decide whether redirecting $6,000 toward credit card debt is a trade-off they're willing to make. [00:20:30] Why paying off debt quickly doesn't automatically change your financial habits, and how learning to plan your spending, make intentional decisions, and follow through on those decisions helps you create results you can maintain. [00:25:30] How to recognize and celebrate financial progress before you reach your final goal, whether that's following your budget for a month or taking a vacation without adding credit card debt. [00:30:00] How to decide what winning looks like with your money today, rather than waiting months or years to feel successful, and why becoming someone who knows how to manage money through different seasons of life matters just as much as the financial goal itself. Tune in to this episode of Money Files to learn how to enjoy the process of reaching your financial goals, stop discounting the progress you've already made, and build the financial habits and decision-making skills that will help you create and maintain the results you want. Get full show notes and the episode transcript: https://wealthovernow.com/learn-how-to-enjoy-the-process-of-reaching-your-financial-goals/   Links mentioned in this episode… Set up a call | Financial Coach Washington, DC | Wealth Over Now Download my FREE spending plan

  3. Oct 20

    250 | 3 Reasons You Keep Going Back Into Credit Card Debt (Even After Paying It Off)

    You paid off your credit card debt. Maybe you used a bonus, a tax refund, or a lump sum of money to finally get your balance down to zero. You promised yourself that this time would be different. You were going to stay on top of your spending, pay your credit card off every month, and make better financial decisions. But a few months later, you're looking at another $6,000, $10,000, or even $12,000 in credit card debt, wondering how you ended up right back where you started. If you've been stuck in the cycle of paying off credit cards only to accumulate more debt, this episode of Money Files is for you. One of the things I've learned from coaching hundreds of six-figure earners is that you can be really good at paying off debt and still struggle with staying out of it. Those are two completely different skills, and understanding the difference is essential if you want to stop repeating the same financial patterns. In this episode, I'm walking you through three reasons your credit card debt keeps coming back, including why paying off your debt without a plan for what happens next leaves you vulnerable to accumulating new balances, how your credit card can quietly become a second bank account, and why good intentions aren't enough without a repeatable money management practice. In this episode you'll learn... [00:04:30] Why paying off your credit card without creating a plan for what happens next is one of the biggest reasons your debt keeps coming back, and how to build a plan for staying out of debt alongside your debt payoff plan. [00:09:45] How your credit card can become a second bank account without you realizing it, including a real client story about a meal prep subscription that was charging both her checking account and credit card for months without her noticing. [00:16:20] Why relying on good intentions instead of a repeatable money management practice keeps you stuck in the credit card debt cycle, even when you know exactly what you should be doing with your money. [00:21:10] Why making spending decisions based on your bank account balance instead of your budget can lead you back into credit card debt, even when you're earning six figures and believe you have enough money to cover your purchases. [00:25:40] One practical step you can take this week if you've been avoiding your credit card statement, including how to identify recurring charges and make one intentional spending decision without overhauling your entire financial life. Tune in to this episode of Money Files to learn why you keep going back into credit card debt after paying it off and what needs to change so you can stop repeating the cycle, build better money management habits, and finally stay out of debt. Get full show notes and the episode transcript: https://wealthovernow.com/3-reasons-you-keep-going-back-into-credit-card-debt-even-after-paying-it-off/   Links mentioned in this episode… Set up a call | Financial Coach Washington, DC | Wealth Over Now Download my FREE spending plan

  4. Oct 13

    249 | The Aligned Money Type: How to Get Your Money and Financial Goals Moving in the Same Direction

    You have financial goals. You want to pay off debt, build your savings, invest for retirement, and still have money to enjoy your life right now. And you might think that being good with money means eventually getting to a place where you have the perfect budget, never overspend, and always know exactly what to do with your money. But real life doesn't work like that. Your car needs repairs. Your friend invites you on a trip you weren't planning for. You get a raise, your rent increases, or something comes up that requires you to change the plan you made just a few weeks ago. And when those things happen, how do you make your next financial decision? That is what I call the aligned money pattern, and it's the final money pattern in my Four A's of Money Alignment series. Being aligned doesn't mean everything goes according to plan. It means you know how to make decisions when it doesn't. You can look at your actual numbers, understand your options, and make choices that support what you say you want without feeling like every unexpected expense means you're starting over. In today's episode, I'm breaking down what aligned money management actually looks like, how to close the gap between your financial goals and your everyday spending decisions, and why being intentional with your money doesn't mean you have to fund every goal at the same time. I'm also sharing a three-question exercise you can use to make a financial decision you've been going back and forth about, so you can start building the habits and financial identity of someone who knows how to manage their money. In this episode you'll learn... [00:02:00] Why being aligned with your money doesn't mean having a perfect budget, never overspending, or always knowing exactly what to do, and how learning to make decisions when life doesn't go according to plan is what actually builds financial confidence. [00:06:30] How to close the Say-Do Gap between your financial goals and your actual spending decisions, including how someone earning $175,000 a year can create a plan to pay off credit card debt, build savings, travel, and enjoy everyday spending without trying to accomplish everything at once. [00:13:00] Why being financially aligned means understanding which goals to prioritize first and what trade-offs you're willing to make, including how paying off a $600 monthly car payment could create opportunities to accelerate your other financial goals. [00:19:30] How to handle unexpected expenses without abandoning your entire budget, including what to do when a $1,200 car repair interrupts your debt payoff and savings plan, and why getting new financial information doesn't mean your original plan failed. [00:24:00] What financial alignment looks like in your everyday habits, from knowing what your paycheck needs to do before it arrives to checking your numbers before making a purchase, adjusting after overspending, and using your budget as an ongoing tool for making decisions. [00:30:30] The three questions to ask yourself before making an important financial decision, so you can identify what you actually want, understand what your numbers are telling you, and decide which trade-offs you're willing to make instead of spending weeks going back and forth. Tune in to this episode of Money Files to understand what it really means to be aligned with your money and how to build a financial life where your goals, spending decisions, and everyday habits work together, even when things don't go according to plan. Get full show notes and the episode transcript: https://wealthovernow.com/the-aligned-money-type-how-to-get-your-money-and-financial-goals-moving-in-the-same-direction/ Links mentioned in this episode… Set up a call | Financial Coach Washington, DC | Wealth Over Now Download my FREE spending plan

  5. Oct 6

    248 | The Accidental Money Pattern: When Your Finances Look Fine on Paper

    You have money in savings. You contribute to your 401(k). Your bills are on autopay, and your credit card gets paid off every month. From the outside, and honestly from the inside too, things look pretty good. But if someone sat down with you and asked what your savings is actually for, whether you are on track for retirement, or what you would do if you needed to rebuild your emergency fund from scratch, you might not have a clear answer. That is what I call the accidental money pattern. And it is one of the more interesting ones to talk about because it does not feel like a problem. There is no crisis, no overdraft, no credit card balance spiraling out of control. But there is a difference between your money accidentally ending up in the right places and your money being directed there on purpose. And that difference matters more than most people realize, especially as your income grows and there are fewer immediate consequences for the financial decisions you are not actually making. In this episode, I am walking you through what accidental money alignment actually looks like, why it is so common for high earners who have automated their finances and never come back to revisit those decisions, and the four things I want you to do to start moving from accidental to aligned so that every dollar you have has a job and you actually know what that job is. In this episode you'll learn... [00:05:20] What the accidental money pattern actually looks like and why you can be saving, contributing to retirement, and paying your bills on time while still having no real clarity on whether any of it is working toward something specific. [00:10:45] Why accidental money alignment is especially common as income grows, and how automating your finances without revisiting those decisions means your old choices are still making your money decisions today. [00:16:30] How to give every dollar in your savings account a specific job, and why separating your emergency fund from your travel fund and your car fund creates more peace of mind and less shame around spending money you have saved. [00:21:15] What to look at when you review your retirement account beyond just the balance, including the questions to ask about contributions, growth, and how much you actually want to spend in retirement. [00:26:40] How to audit your recurring spending and automatic transfers to make sure the money leaving your account every month is intentional and still reflects the life you are living right now, not a decision you made three years ago. Tune in to this episode of Money Files to understand the accidental money pattern and learn the four things you can do to move from accidentally saving money to intentionally building a financial life that reflects where you are now and where you want to go. Get full show notes and the episode transcript: https://wealthovernow.com/the-accidental-money-pattern-when-your-finances-look-fine-on-paper/ Links mentioned in this episode… Set up a call | Financial Coach Washington, DC | Wealth Over Now Download my FREE spending plan

  6. Sep 29

    247 | The Aspirational Money Pattern: What Lifestyle Creep Actually Looks Like at Six Figures

    This may feel familiar. You have financial goals, you can talk about them, you’ve written them down somewhere. You’ve explored building your emergency fund, retiring early, buying a home, paying off your debt. Your list has all of the “right” moves you think someone responsible should do with their money.  But if you’re being honest with yourself, there’s still a gap in between what you say you want and what you actually do with your money.   In today’s episode, I’m talking about what I call aspirational money patterns. This money pattern is common for six figure and multiple six figure earners. You make decisions based on what you can afford instead of asking what that money could actually create for you.  I am breaking down what the aspirational money pattern actually looks like for a high earner, why your relationship with money tends to shift as your income grows, and how to start making opportunity-based decisions instead of affordability-based ones. I also share three things to do this week to start closing the gap between the financial life you keep describing and the one your money is actually building. In this episode you'll learn... [00:05:15] What the aspirational money pattern actually looks like and why you can have a 401(k), a savings account, and real financial goals while still having a significant gap between what you say you want and what your money is doing. [00:10:30] Why your relationship with money tends to loosen as your income grows, and how the precision you had when you were making less money can quietly disappear when you start making more and give yourself permission to say yes to more things. [00:16:45] Why the question isn't simply whether you can afford something and what to ask instead, including how thinking about opportunity rather than affordability changes the way you make spending decisions. [00:21:20] How lifestyle creep shows up in the small, unintentional purchases, subscriptions, social media impulse buys, and car upgrades—and why none of it feels like a problem until you look back and realize your goals haven't moved in years. [00:26:40] The three things to do this week to start shifting out of the aspirational pattern, including how to identify what your spending has been delaying and how moving even $100 toward one goal before your next round of discretionary spending changes what you are able to see about yourself. Tune in to this episode of Money Files to understand the aspirational money pattern and how shifting from asking what you can afford to asking what your money could create can help you close the gap between the financial life you keep talking about and the one you are actually building. Get full show notes and the episode transcript: https://wealthovernow.com/the-aspirational-money-pattern-what-lifestyle-creep-actually-looks-like-at-six-figures/ Links mentioned in this episode… Set up a call | Financial Coach Washington, DC | Wealth Over Now Download my FREE spending plan

  7. Sep 22

    246 | Why Changing Your Money Starts With Your Financial Identity

    You have been telling yourself the same story about money for a long time. Maybe it has been ten years, maybe twenty, maybe longer. And somewhere along the way, the experiences piled up—the overdrafts, the debt, the decisions you wish you could take back—and they started to feel like evidence that you are just who you are with money. That this is how it is always going to be. But here is what I want you to sit with today: that old financial identity has had decades to practice. It is familiar. You know how to operate from it. You know how to make decisions from inside it. And the new financial identity you are building—the one where you look at your bank account without dreading what you will find, where you make decisions with intention instead of reacting to whatever is in front of you—that identity might be a day old, a week old, over even a year old. And I think we forget that. In this episode, I want to offer you a completely different way to look at where you are in your financial journey, because the way you talk to yourself while you are building something new matters In this episode, you'll learn... [00:05:10] Why your financial identity has been building for decades and why expecting your new one to perform his hindering your progress  [00:10:30] What it actually looks like to treat your new financial identity with the same compassion you would give anyone who is still learning something new [00:15:45] How every decision you make in alignment with who you are becoming reinforces your new financial identity and weakens the old one [00:20:20] How to use reflection to see how far you have actually come, even when you keep moving the goalpost [00:25:40] What to do when new life circumstances show up that you could not have predicted and why the identity you are building right now prepares you for them Get full show notes and the episode transcript: https://wealthovernow.com/why-changing-your-money-starts-with-your-financial-identity/ Links mentioned in this episode… Set up a call | Financial Coach Washington, DC | Wealth Over Now Download my FREE spending plan

  8. Sep 15

    245 | Are You Avoiding Your Money? 4 Reasons High Earners Avoid Their Finances

    What if avoiding your money does not actually look like avoiding your bank account? You can make six figures, own a home, contribute to your 401k, take vacations, and still have parts of your financial life that you do not want to look at. Maybe you keep saying you will deal with the credit card balance next month. Maybe you move money between accounts to cover the same gap every single month. Maybe you know how much is in savings but have not actually decided how you are going to grow it. Or maybe spending has become a way to get temporary relief when you are stressed, overwhelmed, or just tired from the week. In this episode I am breaking down financial avoidance and why it can be especially sneaky for high earners, because avoidance is not always about ignoring your finances. Sometimes it is about avoiding the discomfort of making a decision. You will hear why making good money can actually allow financial avoidance to continue longer than it should, the four reasons you may be avoiding your finances right now, and how repeatedly handing decisions to your future self can slowly erode the trust you have in yourself. And most importantly, I am giving you three things to practice over the next one to two weeks so you can start changing the pattern without turning your finances into another source of restriction or shame. In this episode you'll learn... What financial avoidance actually looks like for someone making six figures or more Why avoidance is not always about ignoring your bank account How spending, moving money between accounts, and making minimum payments can sometimes become forms of avoidance Why spending money is not automatically a problem and the question to ask yourself instead The four reasons you may be avoiding your finances: discomfort, protecting your identity, not knowing what to do with the information, and having an income that allows you to recover Why a high income can create a cushion between your financial decisions and their consequences How to tell the difference between making good money and actually having a money management system that works Why repeatedly saying I will deal with it later can damage your trust in yourself How to use spending tracking to understand what is actually happening with your money How fake math can keep you from making financial decisions The one financial decision you should make this week instead of handing it to your future self Tune in to this episode of Money Files to understand what financial avoidance really looks like when you make good money, what it is costing you, and what to do this week to finally stop handing uncomfortable financial decisions to your future self. Get full show notes and the episode transcript: https://wealthovernow.com/are-you-avoiding-your-money-4-reasons-high-earners-avoid-their-finances/ Links mentioned in this episode… Set up a call | Financial Coach Washington, DC | Wealth Over Now Download my FREE spending plan

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Is money (or lack thereof) keeping you from fully enjoying your life? Are the stories you tell yourself preventing you from improving your money mindset and having a better relationship with your finances? Join Keina Newell of Wealth Over Now on Money Files: your financial toolkit and a place to start working on your money mindset, learn new financial concepts, and hear candid conversations from her clients who have been right where you are and are on the other side. If you are ready to start your financial journey, head to www.wealthovernow.com and subscribe for new episodes each week.

Information

  • Creator
    Keina Newell - Personal Finance & Money Mindset Expert
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    287
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Keina Newell - Personal Finance & Money Mindset Expert
  • Show Website
    Money Files: Money Mindset & Personal Finance

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