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Money stress isn’t always loud or obvious. More often, it shows up as a constant, quiet hum in the background of our daily lives.

In this Financial Therapy Month episode of Academics and Their Money, hosts Neeka Miremadi and Inga Timmerman sit down with returning guest Oliver Schnusenberg to unpack what money stress actually looks like, and why even financially stable, responsible people still feel anxious about money.

Oliver breaks down three common “money stress profiles”:
• the avoider
• the over-controller
• the people-pleaser

Each represents a learned, protective response rooted in past experiences, not a lack of discipline or knowledge.

The conversation explores the neuroscience behind these behaviors, explaining how our nervous system often overrides logic when money feels tied to survival, control, or belonging.

Through a candid, real-time coaching moment with Neeka, the episode brings these concepts to life, highlighting how over-control and scarcity thinking can show up even when you’re objectively “doing everything right.”

The key takeaway: knowing what to do with money isn’t the same as being able to do it.

Listeners will walk away with practical tools to reduce reactivity, including grounding techniques, small-step exposure strategies, and a powerful reframe:
Instead of asking, “What should I do with my money?”, ask, “What do I want this money to support about the kind of person I want to be?”

This episode is a must-listen for anyone who’s ever felt behind, anxious, or stuck in their financial habits, even when the numbers say they’re doing just fine.

Episode referenced by Inga and Neeka:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/less-hustle-more-intention/id1824876017?i=1000747695500

Oliver’s website:
https://www.equilibriaevolution.com

If you’ve got questions, suggestions for future topics, or just want to say ‘hello,’ you can reach us at  https://attainablewealthfp.com/schedule-a-call/.

Any product or financial recommendations provided by Academics and Their Money, Inga, or Neeka are made solely in the author’s opinion and do not constitute professional financial or legal advice. All content is for educational purposes only.

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“Shame is the enemy of change. We can’t shame ourselves into better financial behavior.”
— Nate Astle

In this episode of Academics and Their Money, Neeka Miremadi and Inga Timmerman talk with financial therapist Nate Astle about the emotional side of personal finance and why our financial habits are often shaped long before adulthood.

Nate explains how childhood experiences, family dynamics, and cultural influences shape the way we think about spending, saving, and financial security. The conversation focuses especially on relationships, where many financial conflicts are actually about deeper issues like autonomy, respect, and feeling heard.

They also discuss the powerful role shame plays in financial decision making, and why replacing judgment with curiosity can help people make healthier financial choices.

Finally, Nate shares practical tools couples can use to communicate about money, reduce conflict, and build a more collaborative approach to managing finances.

If you’ve got questions, suggestions for future topics, or just want to say ‘hello,’ you can reach us at  https://attainablewealthfp.com/schedule-a-call/.

Any product or financial recommendations provided by Academics and Their Money, Inga, or Neeka are made solely in the author’s opinion and do not constitute professional financial or legal advice. All content is for educational purposes only.

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“You do not go for a PhD unless they pay you for it.”

In this solo episode of Academics and Their Money, Inga Timmerman shares a comprehensive decision framework for choosing a PhD program, emphasizing that applicants are not just choosing a school, but a long term mentorship, lifestyle, and career trajectory.

She outlines four core pillars every prospective PhD student should evaluate:

1. Advisor relationship (your day to day experience and career positioning)
2. Department culture (supportive environment vs survival mentality)
3. Funding model (guaranteed, transparent financial support)
4. Labor market outcomes (actual job placement after graduation)

Before evaluating programs, she urges listeners to clarify their primary goal for pursuing a PhD, whether that is becoming a research professor, gaining deep industry expertise, or pursuing personal fulfillment. Misalignment between goals and program choice is a major source of regret.

The episode walks through practical ways to assess advisor fit, identify red flags in program culture, evaluate training quality, and analyze real placement data instead of relying on rankings. Timmerman also explains how expectations differ across major types of PhD programs, including lab based sciences, writing heavy humanities, quantitative fields, and professionally oriented doctorates.

A major theme throughout the episode is financial realism. Listeners are guided through how to evaluate compensation packages, cost of living, funding reliability, and opportunity cost, along with the long term return on investment of a PhD. She also challenges the common assumption that prestige should drive decision making, arguing that program fit and funding often matter far more for long term success and wellbeing.

The episode closes with clear red flags and green flags to help applicants identify programs where they are most likely to thrive, finish on time, and achieve the career outcomes they actually want.

If you’ve got questions, suggestions for future topics, or just want to say ‘hello,’ you can reach us at  https://attainablewealthfp.com/schedule-a-call/.

Any product or financial recommendations provided by Academics and Their Money, Inga, or Neeka are made solely in the author’s opinion and do not constitute professional financial or legal advice. All content is for educational purposes only.

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In this episode of Academics and Their Money, Neeka flips the script and interviews co-host Inga about her journey from Eastern Europe to academia, financial planning, and entrepreneurship.

Inga shares how growing up in a financially stressful household shaped her lifelong relationship with money, pushing her toward control, structure, and eventually a career helping others manage their finances. She walks through her unconventional academic path, from triple major undergrad to corporate finance, teaching, and a highly strategic approach to earning a PhD in finance during the financial crisis.

The conversation explores the realities of academia versus real world finance, how financial mindset evolves over time, and what it actually takes to build financial peace, not just wealth. Inga reflects on major life decisions, including paying off a house for emotional reasons rather than pure optimization, learning to spend without guilt, and finding balance between saving and living.

They also discuss practical advice for early career academics, why financial organization matters long before you feel “rich enough,” and how getting professional guidance early can dramatically shape long term outcomes.

This episode is part career story, part money mindset evolution, and part practical guide to building financial confidence at every stage of life.

If you’ve got questions, suggestions for future topics, or just want to say ‘hello,’ you can reach us at  https://attainablewealthfp.com/schedule-a-call/.

Any product or financial recommendations provided by Academics and Their Money, Inga, or Neeka are made solely in the author’s opinion and do not constitute professional financial or legal advice. All content is for educational purposes only.

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In this episode of Academics and Their Money, Neeka Miremadi and Inga Timmerman sit down with Izidin El Kalak, associate professor of finance at Al Faisal University in Riyadh, for a deeply insightful conversation about money, academia, and global career mobility.

Izidin shares his non linear journey into academia, from growing up between Bulgaria and Syria, to working in Qatar to fund graduate school, to completing a PhD in the UK and eventually relocating to Saudi Arabia. Along the way, he reflects on how his relationship with money evolved from necessity, to stability, and ultimately to optionality and freedom.

The conversation explores practical money lessons learned early in life, including budgeting as a child, the missed opportunity of investing sooner, and the power of compounding. Izidin also offers candid insight into academic pay structures, the financial realities of the UK system post Brexit, and how compensation and benefits work differently in the Middle East.

The episode dives into important but often overlooked topics in academia, including salary negotiation, pension planning for expats, misconceptions around prestige and pay, and why moving to a seemingly lower ranked institution can actually be a smart financial decision.

Izidin closes by reflecting on why he would still choose academia even with unlimited financial security, emphasizing the value of research freedom, intellectual curiosity, and mentorship, along with a lighthearted discussion of recent purchases, including a VR headset win and the universal regret of buying slime.

This episode is a must listen for PhDs, academics, and anyone considering an international move or rethinking how money fits into a meaningful career.

If you’ve got questions, suggestions for future topics, or just want to say ‘hello,’ you can reach us at  https://attainablewealthfp.com/schedule-a-call/.

Any product or financial recommendations provided by Academics and Their Money, Inga, or Neeka are made solely in the author’s opinion and do not constitute professional financial or legal advice. All content is for educational purposes only.

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In this episode of Academics and Their Money, hosts Neeka Miremadi and Inga Timmerman sit down with Oliver Schnusenberg, Professor of Finance at the University of North Florida, to explore a career path that has taken more turns than most academic CVs could handle.

Oliver shares how a German upbringing, an early interest in hospitality, and a family full of accountants somehow led him to a PhD in finance, a pioneering course in behavioral finance, and eventually a second act studying neuroscience and mental health. What began as curiosity about why people make irrational financial decisions has evolved into a passion for financial therapy and helping people untangle the emotions behind their money choices.

The conversation dives into the realities of academic life, including how disconnected research can feel from the “outside world,” the slow creep of lifestyle inflation, and why professors often struggle to implement their own financial advice. Oliver explains the three pillars of financial therapy, how attachment styles show up in money conversations, and why CFPs may need more psychology than spreadsheets.

He also reflects candidly on his own financial mindset, his discomfort with debt, and what it means to define “enough” after decades in academia. From hating a car purchase to questioning the purpose of academic research, Oliver brings humor, humility, and a refreshingly honest perspective on what it means to build a meaningful life with money instead of for it.

A thoughtful, funny, and unexpectedly personal conversation for anyone who has ever wondered whether the numbers tell the whole story.

If you’ve got questions, suggestions for future topics, or just want to say ‘hello,’ you can reach us at  https://attainablewealthfp.com/schedule-a-call/.

Any product or financial recommendations provided by Academics and Their Money, Inga, or Neeka are made solely in the author’s opinion and do not constitute professional financial or legal advice. All content is for educational purposes only.

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In this episode of Academics and Their Money, Neeka Miremadi and Inga Timmerman sit down with Roxy Pebdani to explore what it really looks like to build an academic career across borders, systems, and life stages, while keeping money, equity, and values in view.

Roxy shares her personal and professional journey as the child of Iranian immigrants, growing up as a third culture kid, studying and working across the US, and ultimately relocating her family to Sydney, Australia, with two very young children. She reflects on the realities of academic mobility, the financial and emotional tradeoffs of living in one of the most expensive cities in the world, and why some decisions that are not financially optimal can still be deeply right for quality of life and family well being.

The conversation dives into budgeting habits, long term thinking around money, and how Roxy’s relationship with spending evolved over time, particularly around sustainability, durability, and value versus simply choosing the cheapest option. She also compares the US and Australian academic systems in detail, explaining differences in promotion structures, leadership roles, union protections, salary norms, and negotiation practices.

Roxy offers an inside look at Australia’s superannuation retirement system and contrasts it with US retirement saving challenges, highlighting how structural differences can dramatically change long term financial outcomes for academics. She also discusses gender equity in academia, imposter syndrome, career progression, and the importance of mentorship, especially for women and underrepresented groups.

Finally, Roxy reflects on why she would still choose academia even with unlimited financial means, emphasizing her passion for leadership, equity work, and creating systems where academics feel supported, celebrated, and able to thrive. The episode closes with practical advice for academics applying for jobs internationally, stressing the importance of tailoring application materials to country specific expectations.

If you’ve got questions, suggestions for future topics, or just want to say ‘hello,’ you can reach us at  https://attainablewealthfp.com/schedule-a-call/.

Any product or financial recommendations provided by Academics and Their Money, Inga, or Neeka are made solely in the author’s opinion and do not constitute professional financial or legal advice. All content is for educational purposes only.

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In this international edition of Academics and Their Money, Inga Timmerman and Neeka Miremadi sit down with Elena Hoffer, a German scientist living in Sweden who completed her PhD in immunology at the Karolinska Institute. Elena shares her journey from academic research to entrepreneurship and explains why she ultimately stepped away from the professor track.

Elena opens up about her early discomfort around money, why academics often undervalue themselves, and how she rebuilt her mindset by recognizing the real outcomes her work creates. She now co runs a job accelerator program helping PhDs, postdocs, and professors transition into industry roles. Their model centers on an initiation fee plus a success fee, and she talks candidly about why charging for expertise felt strange at first and how she grew into it once she saw the impact.

We talk about the enormous salary gap between what academics expect and what their skills are actually worth in industry. Elena explains how many clients end up earning roughly fifty percent more than they thought possible and why raising your income can be the most powerful financial strategy.

Elena also discusses money habits she wishes she had adopted earlier, especially investing small amounts consistently. Coming from a conservative financial culture, she had to overcome fears around ETFs and long term investing, and she encourages younger academics to start early to build the habit.

Finally, Elena walks us through what academic training and career placement look like across Europe and how social systems, salaries, and cost structures differ from the United States. She shares openly about the loneliness she felt in the lab, the limited stability she observed in postdoc paths, and the conscious choice she made to build a more fulfilling and financially stable career outside academia.

If you’ve got questions, suggestions for future topics, or just want to say ‘hello,’ you can reach us at  https://attainablewealthfp.com/schedule-a-call/.

Any product or financial recommendations provided by Academics and Their Money, Inga, or Neeka are made solely in the author’s opinion and do not constitute professional financial or legal advice. All content is for educational purposes only.

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In this episode of Academics and Their Money, hosts Neeka Miremadi and Inga Timmerman sit down with Philip Gibson professor of finance, associate dean at Winthrop University, and founder of ElationWealth LLC to explore money mindsets, academic career strategy, and teaching the next generation about finances.

Philip begins by sharing how his early experiences in Jamaica shaped a scarcity mindset that later evolved into intentional planning, education, and goal setting. He highlights the power of mentors, explaining how key guidance early on propelled him toward a PhD and a dual-path career in academia and financial planning.

The conversation covers:

• Why money should always be tied to purpose and quality of life.
• The emotional side of money, including fear, generosity, and stewardship.
• What he wishes he had done earlier (hint: it involves investing at 19).
• How academics can strategically navigate promotion, tenure, and deciding between research, teaching, and administration.
• Why time management and boundaries are critical to preventing burnout.
• The lessons he’s passing to his young children about saving, earning, confidence, and the joy of being “uncomfortable but resilient.”

Philip also walks through his path from assistant professor to associate, to full professor, and into administration, emphasizing the importance of reading your faculty manual, understanding institutional policies, and aligning your decisions with both your strengths and long-term happiness.

Practical, warm, and full of lived wisdom, this episode blends financial insight with real talk about academic life, career choices, and the realities of balancing work, family, and purpose.

If you’ve got questions, suggestions for future topics, or just want to say ‘hello,’ you can reach us at  https://attainablewealthfp.com/schedule-a-call/.

Any product or financial recommendations provided by Academics and Their Money, Inga, or Neeka are made solely in the author’s opinion and do not constitute professional financial or legal advice. All content is for educational purposes only.

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In this episode of Academics and Their Money, hosts Neeka Miremadi and Inga Timmerman sit down with Nik Volkov, Associate Professor of Finance at Mercer University, to trace his path into academia and the money lessons learned along the way.

Nik shares how a frugal upbringing shaped his financial discipline, the mindset shift that came from a single conversation about income versus expenses, and why he believes academics often underestimate their capacity to earn. The discussion dives deep into academic pay stagnation, side-income opportunities, and career strategy for young PhDs, including why loyalty in academia doesn’t pay and how to protect your financial growth without sacrificing purpose.

Nik also opens up about his thriving expert witness practice, the economics of academia, and his belief that professors are fairly compensated but often fail to fully capitalize on their freedom and flexibility. He closes with candid reflections on merit-based pay, financial independence, and the joy he still finds in the classroom.

A conversation packed with practical insights, humor, and hard-earned wisdom for anyone navigating the academic money maze.

If you’ve got questions, suggestions for future topics, or just want to say ‘hello,’ you can reach us at  https://attainablewealthfp.com/schedule-a-call/.

Any product or financial recommendations provided by Academics and Their Money, Inga, or Neeka are made solely in the author’s opinion and do not constitute professional financial or legal advice. All content is for educational purposes only.