The holiday season is fast approaching, and the pressure of last-minute shopping and gift-giving can be overwhelming. In this episode, we share a simple, one-week plan to help you tackle the holidays without stress. From thoughtful gift ideas to staying on budget, we provide tips for finding the perfect presents, managing your finances, and even getting a head start on next year’s holiday prep.

We cover practical ideas for Secret Santa gifts, teacher and colleague presents, and hostess gifts, all while keeping your budget in mind. We also offer quick shopping strategies to help you avoid overspending, plus tips for easy wrapping and organizing your gift list. Finally, we’ll share how to maintain your financial health during the holidays and start planning for a more stress-free holiday season in the future.

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See You in the New Year! 

We’ll be back in 2025 with more practical financial advice to kickstart your year.

Happy Holidays from the Tandia team!

'Tis the season of twinkling lights, holiday cheer—and sneaky scammers trying to steal your joy (and your money). This episode covers the top fraud schemes to watch out for this festive season, from fake online shops to phishing emails disguised as delivery notices. Whether it’s spotting a phantom sale or shutting down a fake charity plea, we’re here to help you stay one step ahead of the Grinches lurking in cyberspace.

Bonus Gift: Learn how to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your holiday spirit from fraudsters working overtime.

Ready to sleigh the scams? Hit play now, and don’t forget to visit Tandia’s Fraud Page for even more tips and tools to keep your finances safe this season. Stay sharp, stay safe, and enjoy a scam-free holiday!

This week on Tandia Talks Money, we dive into the timeless debate: Can money really buy happiness? With holiday spending in full swing, we break down how thoughtful financial choices—like investing in experiences, giving back, and planning ahead—can bring more joy and less stress to your life.

 Takeaways:

Tune in now! Subscribe to Tandia Talks Money wherever you get your podcasts for actionable, relatable financial advice every Monday.

Want more? Visit us at www.tandia.com for tools and tips to help you align your finances with your goals.

In this episode, we unpack the popular “Latte Factor”—the idea that cutting out your daily $5 coffee can lead to long-term wealth. While the math seems straightforward, is it really that simple? Could skipping your daily latte truly make you a millionaire, or is this just another financial myth that oversimplifies the path to success?

We explore why this concept has gained so much attention, the real impact of small expenses, and whether focusing on minor indulgences distracts from the big decisions—like managing debt, growing income, and investing wisely—that shape your financial future.

More importantly, we challenge the notion that financial success means sacrificing life’s small joys. For many, a daily coffee isn’t just a drink; it’s a ritual, a moment of happiness, or a motivation boost. Can you enjoy that latte and still build wealth?

Join us as we uncover the truth about the “Latte Lie” and share practical strategies to achieve your goals while keeping the things that bring you joy.

At Tandia, we’re here to help you make smarter, easier financial choices. If you liked this episode, hit subscribe and follow us every Monday for more tips to get your money working for you. www.tandia.com

Welcome to your Financial Health Era! Inspired by Taylor Swift’s ability to define her journey through unique “eras,” this episode dives into how you can apply the same mindset to your financial journey. It’s time to reflect, re-evaluate, and take control of your finances with confidence and purpose.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to:

At Tandia, we make finances feel less intimidating and a whole lot more relatable. Thanks for listening, and here’s to living well in your Financial Health Era!

You work hard for your money, but there are sneaky little habits that quietly drain your bank account without you even noticing. From forgotten subscriptions to impulse buys and unused memberships, these small costs can add up fast. In this episode, we’ll show you the everyday money leaks that are harder to spot than a missing sock and how to plug them before they cost you more.

In this episode, we cover:

At Tandia, we’re here to help you make smarter, easier financial choices. If you liked this episode, hit subscribe and follow us every Monday for more tips to get your money working for you. www.tandia.com

This week, we’re busting through the “money talk” barrier! Ever wonder why it feels so awkward to discuss finances, even though we’ll chat about almost anything else? In this episode, we explore why money is such a taboo topic and offer easy ways to break the silence. From normalizing small conversations about budgeting to creating non-judgmental spaces for sharing tips and tricks, this episode is packed with actionable steps to help you get comfortable talking money with friends, family, and colleagues.

Why Listen? This episode is a call to make money talk a regular conversation. By breaking down the taboo, we can all make smarter financial decisions together.

Please make sure to rate, review, and follow us for more financial tips, tricks, and tactics. Tandia Financial Credit Union is here to help. Got Feedback? Want to learn more? Head to tandia.com for an experience as unique as you are.

Thinking of selling your home? In this episode, we're focusing on the importance of sprucing up your home for better curb appeal, which is crucial in today’s competitive sales market! Carla offers several useful ideas to catch a few more eyeballs when you put your property up for sale, starting with the least expensive and moving up to bigger budget options. Everything from a fresh coat of paint to simple upgrades like new countertops or fixtures to bigger upgrades like a new deck or landscaping can have a big impact. Oh, and don’t forget to declutter! Perhaps the simplest reno of all—taking things out of a space—has the surprising result of making it feel new again and hardly costs anything to do. Of course, you may be thinking, 'These ideas all sound great, but how do I finance them?’ Don’t worry, Carla’s got you! She lays out 5 options for financing your renovations (big or small), which can include home equity loans, home equity lines of credit, or even refinancing your mortgage. As always, for any financing decision, it’s best to consult professional advice, and thankfully, this is where Tandia can help! 

Please make sure to rate, review, and follow us for more financial tips, tricks, and tactics. Tandia Financial Credit Union is here to help. Got Feedback? Want to learn more? Head to tandia.com for an experience as unique as you are.

This week’s episode is PACKED with useful info, so grab that pen and paper! Does it sometimes feel like you need a dictionary to keep track of all the mortgage terms out there? Not to worry, because Carla’s got your back. She explains the most common terms you’ll hear when you’re shopping for a mortgage and breaks down how they are used and what to look out for. Carla also adds in some additional steps for first-time home buyers to help you feel more prepared, including helpful tips like saving for a larger down payment to mitigate or lessen your mortgage insurance amount and staying on top of your credit score (and taking steps to improve it if needed) so you can access the best available mortgage rates. As usual, Carla wants to empower you to make more informed decisions about your finances and reminds us that, just like any life goal, a little bit of planning can make all the difference! 

Please make sure to rate, review, and follow us for more financial tips, tricks, and tactics. Tandia Financial Credit Union is here to help. Got Feedback? Want to learn more? Head to tandia.com for an experience as unique as you are.

We’re turning up the heat in here with the spiciest topic yet: interest rates! Ok, maybe not THAT spicy, but still spicy enough that they sometimes keep us up at night. Luckily, Carla is here to guide us through this journey to make sure our taste buds and bank accounts don’t get burned. Think of a mortgage interest rate as the cost of borrowing money to buy a house. Our banking BFF guides us through the two types of interest rates available on mortgages and discusses the various pros and cons of each. Carla also answers some commonly asked questions about them and breaks down some key tips for navigating the market and how to make sure you’re getting the very best rate for yourself (tip: credit unions can help!). Whether it’s your first mortgage or your tenth, Carla is here to keep you informed and empowered in your home buying journey! Let's do this!

Please make sure to rate, review, and follow us for more financial tips, tricks, and tactics. Tandia Financial Credit Union is here to help. Got Feedback? Want to learn more? Head to tandia.com for an experience as unique as you are.