P$yFi | Psychological Finance

Olivia explores both problem gambling and gambling disorder using insights from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She breaks down the staggering 45% increase in gambling helpline calls, the hidden dangers of youth-targeted "loot boxes," and the devastating cycle of debt stress. Listeners will learn the clinical warning signs of gambling disorder and how it structurally mirrors substan...

Olivia describes how “savoring” can boost your financial well-being. By turning our attention to what we already have rather than what we lack, we can decrease anxiety, improve our cognitive functioning, and boost feel-good neurochemicals like serotonin and dopamine. Learn how to apply the "Three A's" of savoring—Attend, Amplify, and Absorb—to appreciate your current wardrobe, vehicle, home, and e...

Olivia continues her conversation with attorney Emily Baggett to demystify what happens to debt after someone dies. They explain the legal hierarchy of claims—beginning with administration and funeral costs, then taxes, followed by secured debts, and finally unsecured debts—illustrating how insolvent estates must prioritize payments by law rather than preference. Emily clarifies the creditor claim...

Olivia and attorney Emily Baggett unpack common myths about spousal debt and what really happens when a partner passes away. They clarify the differences between joint accounts, authorized user status, and individual accounts—and how each determines whether a surviving spouse is legally responsible for remaining balances. The conversation explores how grief can create vulnerability, making people...

Epictetus had it half right — gratitude isn't just wisdom, it's neurochemistry. In this Financial Pain Management Clinic checkup, Olivia maps the brain regions that gratitude activates, why complaint quietly drives debt and avoidance, and the two-week prescription that builds new neural pathways. Olivia explores how shifting from a scarcity mindset to one of gratitude transforms the way we make fi...

This episode explores how neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to rewire and reshape itself—directly influences our financial habits and long-term money behaviors. Drawing from neuroscience and psychology, we discuss why breaking old financial patterns feels uncomfortable at first and why repeated practice is the key to lasting change. Using examples like tracking spending and building a $2,000 eme...

We often assume older adults are the primary victims of fraud, scams, and financial manipulation. But the data tells a different story: nearly 84% of victims in relationship and confidence scams are middle-aged or younger . In this episode, Olivia breaks down the sociopathology behind financial predators—how they identify vulnerabilities, build trust, and ultimately exploit their prey. Drawing fro...

This episode shifts the focus from financial deficits to personal strengths, using positive psychology to turn overwhelming pain into a manageable state of "halfway happy." A central analogy compares rebuilding your financial life to refinishing a porch swing, a process that requires psychological "grit" and perseverance. It begins with the most painful step—using abrasive, 80-grit sandpaper to co...

This episode explores the personal barriers that prevent us from following a financial plan, going beyond a simple lack of knowledge. It explains how forgetfulness, emotional factors like anxiety, and a lack of "financial health literacy" can create significant roadblocks to progress. Sometimes, the financial action plan itself can feel like a barrier due to its complexity, high costs, and the dis...

This episode tackles why sticking to a financial action plan is so challenging. It explores how initial motivation often fades over time, leading to non-adherence and feelings of failure. The goal is to validate this common struggle and help listeners understand their financial suffering in order to start healing. Several key behaviors that sabotage financial progress are identified, mirroring tho...

Addressing Chronic Financial Pain, Part 3 Continuing our series, this episode adapts powerful, evidence-based tools from chronic physical pain management to chronic financial pain management. First, we explore mindfulness-based stress reduction, teaching you how to observe your financial pain without judgment, distinguish it from self-inflicted suffering, and use techniques like "urge surfing" to...

Welcome back to the Chronic Financial Pain Management Clinic, where Olivia introduces powerful psychological tools like cognitive restructuring and cognitive defusion to challenge the beliefs that intensify your suffering. Discover the surprising parallel between a physical therapy patient's fear that movement will cause more harm and the paralyzing financial thought that taking action will only m...

Is your financial situation causing you a persistent, nagging pain that impacts every corner of your life? In this episode, Olivia draws a powerful and validating parallel between chronic physical pain and chronic financial pain, revealing how they share shockingly similar symptoms of distress. Discover the three key financial behaviors that can lead to chronic financial pain and trap you in a vic...

Money conversations aren’t easy, but they’re essential. In this 3‑part series, Olivia shares insights from two financial surveys on couples. The stats alone will spark dinner‑table conversations the kids won’t even want to miss. Learn how financial intimacy builds trust, deepens relationships, and lays the foundation for a healthier partnership.

Money conversations aren’t easy, but they’re essential. In this 3‑part series, Olivia shares insights from 2 financial surveys on couples. The stats alone will spark dinner‑table conversations the kids won’t even want to miss. Learn how financial intimacy builds trust, deepens relationships, and lays the foundation for a healthier partnership.

Money conversations aren’t easy, but they’re essential. In this 3‑part series, Olivia shares insights from 2 financial surveys on couples. The stats alone will spark dinner‑table conversations the kids won’t even want to miss. Learn how financial intimacy builds trust, deepens relationships, and lays the foundation for a healthier partnership.

Olivia delivers essential financial wisdom designed to withstand any crisis…coincidentally recorded during a real-time upheaval (Government Shutdown). This episode explores what to avoid, what to pursue, and how to stay grounded when everything feels uncertain. But this conversation goes beyond dollars and cents. We’re joined by a very special guest—Army Chaplain LTC Kirby Vidrine—who offers profo...

Olivia is joined by Breanna Burgess, Domestic Abuse Victim Advocate, to explore how financial sabotage erodes opportunity. The episode also sheds light on elder abuse, including how financial harm uniquely affects individuals aged 60 and older. Plus, we’ll tackle the concept of financial self-harm: the ways we may unknowingly sabotage our own financial well-being. As always, we’ll share tools and...

Olivia and Timothy Rolfe return to continue the conversation on economic abuse, diving deeper into its subtypes and the complex dynamics of divorce-related financial harm. This episode pulls back the curtain on how abuse can persist during and after separation, often unnoticed. You'll also hear about practical buffers and resources that can support healing and empowerment. National Domestic Violen...

Olivia and Timothy Rolfe, a Family Advocacy and Domestic Violence expert, unpack the often invisible form of domestic violence: financial abuse. This episode explores the three subtypes — economic control, financial exploitation, and employment sabotage — and reveals how the damage goes far beyond unpaid bills. Learn how financial manipulation operates in relationships and how recognizing the sign...

Olivia continues the vital conversation on the hidden cost of financial distress. In this episode, she expounds on the suicide statistics from both military and civilian populations, highlighting how financial instability can fuel suicidal ideation and deepen mental health struggles. While the topic is heavy, it’s approached with compassion and clarity, offering listeners a deeper understanding of...

Olivia explores the emotional toll of financial stress and what happens when it escalates into full-blown financial distress. From depression and anxiety to isolation, the consequences run deep. With rising credit card debt, car loans, and student loans, young adults are facing mounting pressure. And without adequate financial education, mental health concerns are steadily on the rise. This episod...

Olivia speaks with attorney Emily Baggett regarding digital assets and estate planning. Olivia and Emily help you sort through your digital affairs by identifying what digital assets include: monetary accounts, points accounts, creative content, monetized social media accounts, and store accounts. Digital estate planning helps you decide if you want to transfer, distribute, preserve, destruct, or...

Olivia speaks with attorney Emily Baggett regarding digital assets and estate planning. Olivia and Emily help you sort through your digital affairs by identifying what digital assets include: monetary accounts, points accounts, creative content, monetized social media accounts, and store accounts. Digital estate planning helps you decide if you want to transfer, distribute, preserve, destruct, or...

Olivia speaks with attorney Emily Baggett regarding digital assets and estate planning. Olivia and Emily help you sort through your digital affairs by identifying what digital assets include: monetary accounts, points accounts, creative content, monetized social media accounts, and store accounts. Digital estate planning helps you decide if you want to transfer, distribute, preserve, destruct, or...