This weeks newsletter was inspired by a question from the latest episode of the Catered Financials Podcast. At first glance, it sounds like a questions about student loans. In reality, it's about what happens when love, guilt, hope, and money all end up in the same room.

Spoiler alert: money usually gets voted off the island first.

The question asked is one I suspect keeps more parents awake than they’re willing to admit:

“How do I coach my kid when it comes to taking out student loans? And if I know I probably couldn’t help pay them back, is it smart to cosign?”

Answering this question may be through the lens of college debt, but honestly, it's about every expensive decision we'll ever make.

Houses. Cars. Businesses. Weddings. Everything.

We tend to fall in love first and figure out the math second.

The truth is:

We rarely make expensive decisions with a calculator. We make them with our hearts...

and ask the calculator to justify them afterward.

That’s what makes these decisions so difficult. By the time the numbers show up, we’ve usually already imagined the future.

One of the biggest mindset shifts I’ve had over the last decade is realizing that most money problems aren’t math problems, they’re psychology problems.

That's something we spend quite a bit of time unpacking in my Your Money, Your Emotions class. Because once you understand the why behind your financial decisions, the "how" gets a whole lot easier.

College is a perfect example.

Whether your child is leaving for college next month, starting high school this Fall, or currently learning how to eat crayons, this conversation is coming sooner than you think.

Most parents think the student loan conversation starts when the financial aid package arrives. I think it starts years before that.

By the time your child is opening acceptance letters, nobody is making a purely financial decision anymore. Your child is imagining roommates, football games, late-night pizza, and the version of themselves they’ve pictured for years.

You’re imagining watching them move into their dorm and feeling incredibly proud.

Nobody wants to interrupt that moment by saying, “Hang on...let’s talk about monthly payments.” That’s why coaching your child isn’t really about teaching them how loans work. It’s about teaching them how to think before emotions take the driver’s seat.

Student loans don’t stay on campus.

Here’s the part I wish every teenager understood. A student loan isn’t just tuition. It’s a monthly bill that graduates right alongside you.

It follows you into your first apartment. Your first full-time job. Your first car.

Think of it as the world’s least exciting subscription service. Unlike Netflix, canceling isn’t really an option.

That doesn’t mean student loans are always a bad decision. For many families, they’re part of making higher education possible.

But every dollar you borrow today quietly shapes the choices available to you tomorrow.

Sometimes your first job isn’t the one you’re most excited about. It’s the one that covers the payment. That’s not meant to be scary. It’s just the part that rarely makes it into the college brochures.

So how do you coach your child?

Ironically, it has very little to do with explaining loans. Instead of teaching them what an interest rate is, teach them to ask better questions:

• “What will this monthly payment look like after I graduate?”

• “Will this degree realistically support that payment?”

• “What kind of life do I hope to have in my twenties?”

• “Will this debt support that life...or limit it?”

• “Is there another path that gets me to the same career with less debt?”

Those are the questions that change decisions. Not because they eliminate emotion, but because they make room for reality.

Then there’s the cosigning question.

This is where money and love start wrestling.

Wanting to help your child is one thing. Legally agreeing to repay their loan if they can’t is another. Before signing anything, ask yourself one honest question:

“If my child couldn’t make these payments for a year, could I comfortably absorb them without sacrificing my own financial stability?”

If the answer is no, that doesn’t make you a bad parent. It means you’re being honest about your financial boundaries.

And honestly?

Modeling healthy financial boundaries may be one of the greatest gifts you give your child. Because one day they’ll have to set their own.

Before you go...

If this resonated with you, the 15 min episode goes deeper.

🎙️ You can listen to it here:

And if someone popped into your head while reading this (a parent, grandparent, cousin, friend, or someone who hopes to have kids someday) please forward this to them.

Because the best financial conversations usually happen long before you get the paperwork.

-Marla

One minute you’re contributing to your Roth IRA feeling responsible and evolved…
The next minute you’re wondering if you’re going to end up eating canned soup at 74.

And honestly, a lot of the anxiety comes from feeling like you’re supposed to magically know how all of these moving pieces fit together.

So in this podcast episode, I tackled three questions from one listener that I think a lot of people wonder about:

• What accounts complement a Roth IRA?

• How should Social Security factor into retirement planning?

• Where should money go if you’ll need it in 5–10 years?

So grab your drink of choice, get comfortable, and let’s get into it.

1. A Roth IRA Is Great. It’s Also Not Meant to Do All the Heavy Lifting.

A Roth IRA is one of the best tools available because qualified withdrawals in retirement are generally tax-free. That’s powerful.

But sometimes people treat their Roth IRA like the financial equivalent of buying one salad and expecting to become a completely different person overnight.

A Roth IRA is a piece of the plan. Not the whole plan.

Depending on your situation, some accounts that may complement it can include:

• Employer retirement plans like a 401(k)

• Brokerage accounts

• HSAs if eligible

Why multiple buckets matter:

Different accounts have different tax treatments, contribution limits, and withdrawal flexibility. Having a mix can create more options later instead of locking your future self into one lane.

Think of it less like “Which account is best?” and more like building a financially functional group chat.

You want:

• one friend who’s organized

• one friend who’s flexible

• and one friend who keeps everyone from making bad decisions at 2 AM

That’s diversification. Emotionally and financially.

2. Should You Count on Social Security?

Short answer: probably as part of the plan, but ideally not as the entire plan.

Social Security was designed to supplement retirement income, not fully replace it for most people.

A mistake I see often is people swinging to extremes:

• either assuming it’ll completely disappear

• or assuming it’ll fully carry retirement

Both create unnecessary anxiety.

A more balanced approach is to treat Social Security as one future income stream among several.

For many people, retirement planning becomes less stressful when they stop asking:
“How do I perfectly predict the future?”

…and start asking:
“How do I build flexibility no matter what happens?”

That mindset shift matters.

Because financially secure people are not usually the ones who predicted every outcome perfectly.

They’re the ones who built a buffer.

3. Where Should You Put Money You Need in 5–10 Years?

This is where people accidentally become aggressive investors against their own will.

If money has a shorter timeline, the question changes.

It’s no longer:
“How do I maximize growth at all costs?”

It becomes:
“How do I balance growth with not emotionally combusting during market volatility?”

Because needing money in seven years feels very different from needing money in thirty.

Generally speaking:

• shorter timelines often prioritize stability and liquidity (accessibility) more heavily

• longer timelines can typically tolerate more market fluctuation

This is why your retirement investments and your “I may want a house / business / life change in 6 years” investments usually should not look identical.

Different goals deserve different strategies.

Financial planning is not about maximizing every dollar.

It’s about aligning money with real life.

And real life includes:

• uncertainty

• career pivots

• burnout

• kids

• aging parents

• random Tuesdays where you suddenly decide you want chickens and a garden

That last one may just be me.

Final Thought

A lot of people think financial confidence comes from knowing everything.

It usually doesn’t.

It comes from understanding your next step clearly enough that money stops feeling like a constant background threat.

That’s the real goal.

Not perfection.
Not optimization.
Not becoming someone who actually enjoys spreadsheets recreationally.

Just clarity, direction, and a plan that helps you sleep better.

If you want to take a listen, here is Episode 5:

-Marla

This newsletter is for educational purposes only and isn’t individualized financial, tax, or investment advice.

You can make good income…
and still feel anxious every time you open your bank account.

You can understand budgeting, investing, debt payoff, and long-term planning…
and still sabotage yourself financially.

Why?

Because money is rarely just math.

It’s emotion.
It’s nervous system conditioning.
It’s fear.
It’s shame.
It’s avoidance.
It’s identity.
It’s the stories you absorbed long before you ever had a debit card.

Most people have never actually been taught how to understand the emotional side of their financial behavior. And when you don’t understand your emotional patterns, they quietly run your life in the background.

This is exactly why Dr. Travis Elliott and I created this class.

Your Money, Your Emotions is a self-paced psychological and emotional experience designed to help you understand why you respond to money the way you do.

A little bit about Travis…

Dr. Travis Elliott is a naturopathic physician who works with plant medicine, intuition, and nervous system health to support overall well-being. His understanding of the human body and emotional regulation pairs naturally with the psychological and systematic approach I bring through financial coaching.

After personally working with Travis through some challenging years navigating Lyme disease, I feel incredibly honored to blend our perspectives together in this educational and experiential offering.

Your Money, Your Emotions is designed to help people become more aware of themselves in a real, honest, and grounded way. Because once you understand yourself deeply, you can stop fighting against your own patterns and finally start changing them.

This class is about slowing down, reflecting without judgment, and building self-awareness that creates change.

Most importantly, it’s about realizing you’re not the only person who feels this way.

What to expect from Your Money, Your Emotions

This is a self-paced online experience. You can move through it at your own pace, pause, come back whenever you need, and revisit the material anytime. Once you purchase the class, it’s yours to keep forever.

The full course takes about 1.5–2 hours. In that time, you’ll begin to see what’s actually driving your money decisions, recognize the emotional patterns underneath them, and learn how to pause in the moment so you can respond with more clarity and control.

This is not just information. It’s a reset for how you think, feel, and act with money.

Here’s what’s included:

- A series of self-paced video conversations between myself and Dr. Travis Elliot that explore the psychology, emotions, and nervous system responses connected to money behaviors

- A guided workbook that walks alongside the videos and helps you process the material through reflection, awareness exercises, and personal application

- Practical money tips and mindset shifts to help you apply what you learn in real life

- Education around nervous system regulation and how stress responses impact spending, avoidance, fear, scarcity, and financial decision-making

- Guided meditations you can revisit anytime to help calm your nervous system and build greater emotional awareness around money

- An optional follow-up group class where participants can connect, share experiences, ask questions, and continue the conversation together

If you’re ready for something deeper…
If you want an experience instead of another lecture…
If you’re ready to better understand yourself emotionally, mentally, and behaviorally…

We’d love to have you experience Your Money, Your Emotions

Sign up here

Travis and I are offering an early bird discount of $25 for anyone who signs up by May 24th, bringing the price down from $125 to $100.

If you have questions about the experience or want to know whether it’s a good fit for you, please reach out. I would love to connect.

-Marla

Most people don’t struggle with investing because they lack information. They struggle because their brain is doing exactly what it was designed to do… keep them safe, avoid loss, and procrastinate anything that feels uncertain.

Which is great if you’re being chased by a bear.

Less helpful when you’re trying to retire at some point before you’re medically required to eat dinner at 4:30 PM.

So let’s talk about it.

The question you pretend you’re not Googling:

“When should I start investing?”

And the honest answer is: when you’re financially ready.

But, that does not mean: when you feel 100% ready.

Your brain does not believe in 100% ready. It believes in:

• “What if I mess this up?”

• “Maybe I should wait until I learn more”

• “Let me just watch one more video first”

This is called analysis paralysis. It’s where more information doesn’t lead to action, it leads to delay. Your brain thinks it’s being responsible. In reality, it’s just stalling while compound interest quietly leaves the chat.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth:

There is no magical “green light” moment where investing suddenly feels calm, obvious, and emotionally neutral.

If you’re waiting to feel nothing about risk before you invest, you’re basically waiting to feel nothing before you cross a busy intersection. That feeling isn’t coming, and if it is, you’ve got bigger problems.

Instead, most people start investing in one of two states:

1. Slight uncertainty, but stable finances

2. Slight chaos, and they’re hoping investing fixes it

Only one of those tends to end well.

So what actually matters?

Not perfection. Not confidence. Not timing the market.

What matters is structure.

From a financial coaching standpoint, here’s the “you’re probably ready enough” checklist:

• You’re not relying on that money in the next 5-10 years

• You have a basic emergency buffer (so life doesn’t immediately derail you)

• High-interest debt isn’t actively eating your paycheck like a subscription service you forgot to cancel

• Your cash flow isn’t a monthly episode of “Where Did My Money Go?”

That’s it. That’s the bar. Not glamorous, but very effective.

Now let’s talk about your brain for a second.

Psychologically, investing triggers something called loss aversion. Studies show losses feel about twice as painful as gains feel good. Which explains why a $500 market dip feels like, “Financial disaster, sell everything, become a farmer.”

Even though nothing fundamental has changed.

Your brain is not bad at math. It’s just emotionally biased toward avoiding discomfort. Which is why most people don’t need more information. They need a system that removes emotion from the decision loop.

A grounded reframe:

Investing isn’t about predicting the future. It’s about deciding: “I am okay with short-term uncertainty in exchange for long-term growth.”

That’s it. That’s the trade. Sounds easy, right?

And here’s the part most people miss:

Waiting feels safe. But it has a cost.

Every year you delay investing is a silent decision to let time work against you instead of for you. Compound interest is one part of adulthood that actually rewards patience… but only if you start early enough for patience to matter.

So when should you start investing?

Not when you feel fearless.
Not when you feel perfectly educated.
Not when the market feels “stable” (it won’t).

You start when your financial foundation is strong enough that you can stay invested without constantly needing to undo your own progress.

Because investing isn’t about timing your emotions. It’s about building a system that outlasts them. And if your brain is still hesitant? That’s normal. It’s just doing its job a little too well. The goal isn’t to silence it. It’s to stop letting it drive the car.

If you’ve moved on to Spring where you live, congratulations. In Keeseville, we definitely have not. I would say that in the North Country, Spring is more…. a suggestion. Lucky us! Jokes aside, even though I do love it here, mud season is still very real and very confusing.

The last couple of months I’ve been deep in the Catered Financials trenches. It’s been a time filled with refining services, collaborating, building a brand, and figuring out how to turn something in my head into something real. I’ll be honest, it’s a very different game this time around.

When I started Northern Feast Catering & Food Truck 11 years ago, I had a 20-foot moving billboard. For the most part, I parked it in popular areas and people knew I existed. Now? No truck. No billboard. Just me, the internet, and the uncomfortable task of saying: “Hey, I’m a financial coach. You can trust me with your money.”

Not vulnerable at all.

This version of building something has required a whole new set of skills: public speaking, recording podcasts, creating classes, writing newsletters, etc. It’s been equal parts exciting and “what am I getting myself into?” Yet, I love it.

Even on the days where it feels like I have 10,000 things to do and everything takes forever, I still feel pulled toward this work. Helping people understand their money, reduce stress, and actually feel in control is the part that’s easy to care about. I guess that’s what passion looks like… slightly chaotic, but totally worth it.

So genuinely, thank you. For reading, supporting, replying, liking, sharing… all of it. It truly matters more than you think.

🎧 New Podcast Episodes

Episodes 2 & 3 are live!

They’re short (under 20 minutes), practical, and designed to fit in to your commute, walk, or “I don’t feel like thinking but I should probably learn something” time.

Take a listen, and if something clicks, let me know. That feedback helps shape everything I’m building.

🧠 Your Money : Your Emotions

The psychology of money webinar is almost ready! Travis Elliot, a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine, and I have been building a self paced webinar designed to go deep into the real driver behind your financial decisions - your emotions. This is the kind of work that actually changes behavior. Stay tuned!

⏰ Quick Money Reminder

The IRA contribution deadline for 2025 is April 15th.

• You can contribute up to $7,000 for 2025

• That increases to $7,500 for 2026

• Applies to both Traditional & Roth IRAs. If you aren’t sure you’re eligible to make these contributions, I dive in to some of those details in Episode 2 of The Catered Financials Podcast.

That’s all for now. Thanks for your support through this journey!

For weekly financial strategy, practical breakdowns, and real-time insights, don’t forget to follow Catered Financials!

Instagram: cateredfinancials

Facebook: Catered Financials

Podcast: Catered Financials Podcast

Email: cateredfinancials@gmail.com

Marla Gilman

Hi there,

Since officially launching Catered Financials in April 2025, the mission has been simple: help people organize their money, understand their options, and build long-term financial stability. I’m reaching out now from my official Catered Financials inbox as I begin sharing occasional updates, education, and news from the business.

So, here’s what’s new:

🎙 A podcast on a local radio station
I’ve partnered with Wheatpaste Radio, WAVG, on a podcast focused on real, practical money conversations. We’ll be talking about budgeting, investing, habits, and how to feel more confident navigating financial decisions. This podcast is built around real questions from real people. So send your money questions in! You can do so via email, DM’s, or the link below and I’ll answer them on air in a clear, practical way.

Submit A Question Here

The Catered Financials Podcast is available on Spotify. To follow us and hear episodes, click “here”. The first episode just went live!

What’s coming soon:

🧠 A webinar focused on the psychology of money.
If money feels heavier or more stressful than it “should,” you’re not alone. I’m collaborating with ND and naturopath, Travis Elliot from Vermont, to explore the psychology behind financial decision making. We dive in to why money can feel so hard, how stress shows up in financial decisions, where your emotions around money stem from, and how to work with your emotions instead of against them.

If you are someone who wants to build awareness, clarity, and a more intentional relationship with money, this class is for you. I’ll be sure reach out again when the webinar is available for purchase.

That’s all for now. Thanks for your support through this journey!

For weekly financial strategy, practical breakdowns, and real-time insights, don’t forget to follow Catered Financials!

Instagram: cateredfinancials

Facebook: Catered Financials

Podcast: Catered Financials Podcast

Email: cateredfinancials@gmail.com

Marla Gilman