Financial Wellness: How to Build Confidence and Control Over Your Money
Presented by Lake Michigan Credit Union’s Wallet Wisdom Podcast
With Host Brett Christiansen and Guest Savannah, Girmscheid, LMCU Financial Wellness Manager
Financial wellness isn’t just about numbers—it’s about confidence, control, and creating a future you feel good about. In this episode of Wallet Wisdom*, in honor of National Financial Awareness Day, we sat down with Savannah, LMCU’s Financial Wellness Manager, to explore what financial wellness really means and how anyone—regardless of where they’re starting—can take steps toward a healthier financial life.
What Is Financial Wellness?
Just like physical or emotional wellness, financial wellness is a key part of your overall well-being. It’s not just about knowing how to manage money—it’s about:
- Understanding your financial mindset
- Having access to the right tools and education
- Taking consistent action toward your goals
Savannah explains, “It’s not just about knowing what to do—it’s about doing it. Financial wellness is about feeling good about your finances and having the numbers to back that up.”
Common Money Myths—And How to Overcome Them
One of the most common misconceptions? “I’m just not good with money.”
Savannah challenges that mindset: “Being good with money is a skill—one that anyone can learn. It takes time, intentionality, and the right support.”
She compares the journey to running: you don’t start with a marathon. You start with a single step, build endurance, and grow over time. The same goes for budgeting, saving, building an emergency fund and building credit.
Tools to Help You Take Action
Lake Michigan Credit Union offers a variety of free financial wellness tools to help members and non-members alike:
- Financial Wellness Center: Courses, calculators, and quizzes to assess your financial health
- Budgeting Tools: Track spending, set goals, and monitor progress
- Credit Score Resources: Learn how to improve your score and understand what impacts it
One standout tool is the Financial Health Check Assessment which helps you evaluate your emergency savings, goal-setting habits, find what you value most and more.
Building Healthy Money Habits
Here are a few practical habits discussed in the episode:
- Track your spending: Know where your money is going and align it with your values.
- Set small, achievable goals: Start with saving $5 a week or paying down one credit card.
- Keep credit utilization low: Aim to use less than 30% of your available credit.
- Make on-time payments: This is one of the biggest factors in your credit score.
- Create margin: Build an emergency fund so unexpected expenses become inconveniences—not crises.
Take our 5-minute Financial Health Check to get a baseline and see which areas you are doing well in to celebrate and areas where you could use an extra boost along with micro learnings and content suggestions to help you get there. This is also a great tool to check in and do again in 6 months to see the progress you’ve made.
It’s Not About Perfection When it Comes to Managing Money—It’s About Progress
Financial wellness is a journey, not a destination. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to fine-tune your finances, the key is to stay consistent, stay curious, and give yourself grace.
As Savannah puts it, “Approach your finances with a growth mindset. You’re not born good or bad with money—it’s something you can learn and improve.”
Ready to Take the Next Step with your Financial Wellness?
Explore LMCU’s Financial Wellness Center for free tools, resources, and expert guidance. And don’t forget to subscribe to the Wallet Wisdom podcast for more tips, stories, and strategies to help you achieve your financial goals.
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*The information provided in this podcast by Lake Michigan Credit Union is general education or marketing in nature and is not intended to be accounting, legal, tax, investment financial or other advice. Statements of individuals are their own and not LMCU’s. All topics discussed are information of a general nature and do not address the circumstances of any particular individual or entity. Consult an appropriate professional concerning your specific situation. As of the date of publishing or any future date this podcast is broadcast, all rates, fees, payments or other specific figures discussed are subject to change and are dependent upon your specific financial situation. All loan products discussed are subject to credit and collateral approval. You alone assume the sole responsibility of evaluating the merits and risks associated with the use of any information or other content in the podcast before making any decisions based on such information or other content. In exchange for listening to the podcast you agree not to hold LMCU, its affiliates, or any third-party service providers liable for any possible claim for damages arising from any decisions you make based on information made available to you or other content made available to you through the podcast. For more information on any of the content discussed in this podcast please visit LMCU.org.
