It’s that time again — the leaves are falling, pumpkin spice is attacking everything, and your money might be feeling a little… crispy around the edges.

So here’s your 5-step Fall Money Fire Drill to go from Hot Mess Express to Game Day Ready:

1️⃣ Cash-Flow Reset – Give your money a job. Bills. Buffer. Goals. (No freeloaders allowed.)
2️⃣ Subscription Sweep – Those “free trials” that grew into $14.99 zombies? Time to cancel ’em.
3️⃣ Debt & Rate Reality Check – Anything over 7% interest is your enemy. Choose your weapon: Avalanche or Snowball.
4️⃣ Safety Nets You’ll Actually Use – Beneficiaries, insurance, credit freeze, digital vault. Do it before Netflix asks if you’re still watching.
5️⃣ Tax Moves Now, Not December – 401(k) match, HSA, Roth check, and maybe a DAF play if you’re feeling generous and strategic.

💥 Run this checklist and your finances go from chaos to calm — no New Year’s resolutions required.

👇 Comment “CHECKLIST” and I’ll send you the full Un-Eff Your Finances: Fall Money Fire Drill guide.

💼 Open Enrollment: The Annual Game of “Guess What These Benefits Actually Mean”

Every fall, HR drops that mysterious email: “It’s time for open enrollment!” And suddenly, you’re scrolling through options that sound like they were written by a committee of lawyers and robots.

☠️ “High-Deductible Health Plan” sounds scary. 💰 “Health Savings Account” sounds like a trap. 💡 And “Flexible Spending Account”? Not flexible enough when you forget to use it by December. That’s where planning actually pays off. In this week’s video, I break down how to make smart benefit elections that fit your financial plan, not just your employer’s brochure. Because open enrollment shouldn’t feel like a pop quiz you didn’t study for.

The Parent 529 Playbook: How to Pull Money the Right Way (and What to Do with Leftovers)

If you’re paying college bills with a 529, this is your 4-minute, no-nonsense guide. You’ll learn exactly when to take distributions, what actually qualifies, how to keep an audit-proof paper trail, and smart moves for leftover funds (yes, including the Roth IRA path). No fluff. No “my kid needed the laptop for Netflix.”

What you’ll learn

• Timing rules: Match the 529 distribution to the expense in the same calendar year

• Qualified expenses: Tuition, required fees, on-campus room & board, school-billed meal plans, required books/software

• Off-campus housing: Eligible up to the school’s published allowance

• Two clean payment paths: 529 → school (simplest) or reimburse yourself (with prompt, documented receipts)

• Paper trail that won’t crack under audit: Bills, confirmations, housing docs, receipts, 1098-T, and a simple spreadsheet log

• Leftovers: Change beneficiaries, use for grad/trade programs, scholarship exception, and the 529 → Roth IRA strategy (within rules)

• Pro tip: Coordinate grandparent-owned 529s to avoid financial-aid landmines