We often assume older adults are the primary victims of fraud, scams, and financial manipulation. But the data tells a different story: nearly 84% of victims in relationship and confidence scams are middle-aged or younger.

In this episode, Olivia breaks down the sociopathology behind financial predators—how they identify vulnerabilities, build trust, and ultimately exploit their prey. Drawing from the FBI, the Federal Trade Commission, and research published in the Journal of Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, she offers a second glance at who is at risk… and why.

If this episode leaves you wanting more, join us at the 4th Annual Financial Symposium on April 7th. You’ll hear directly from Tom Manganello, Senior Counsel in the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission’s Office of Investor Education and Assistance. With a decade spent investigating cases for the SEC’s Division of Enforcement, Tom will break down today’s most dangerous investment scams—imposter scams, Ponzi and pyramid schemes, military-targeted fraud, and the surge in relationship-based investment scams—and give you practical tools to build immunity using free resources from Investor.gov.

You can attend in-person at Redstone Arsenal’s Bob Jones Auditorium or join virtually. Registration required: https://forms.osi.apps.mil/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=D9fm-kuVEUiStgUw1vhMQxiSj6kdb7VFuypvxD6aMJlUN…

Alongside the SEC session, the symposium features a powerful lineup:

Chronic Financial Pain: Managing Long-Term Financial Ailments Join Olivia Pierce, LPC and Accredited Financial Counselor®, host of the award-winning P$yFi podcast, as she explores hidden symptoms of long-term financial strain and provides evidence-informed strategies to strengthen your financial mobility.

Estate Planning Rounds A rapid-fire series of consults led by distinguished estate planning attorneys: • Emily L. Baggett, Attorney Advisor, AMCOM • Christine S. K. West, Chief of Client Services, Redstone Arsenal OSJA

Topics include: • Till Debt Do Us Part • Passing, Property, and Payouts—A Mortgage Post-Mortem • Grave Consequences

Whether you’re easing chronic financial pain, preparing your estate, or protecting yourself from fraud, this symposium delivers practical, high-impact guidance you can use immediately.

This episode shifts the focus from financial deficits to personal strengths, using positive psychology to turn overwhelming pain into a manageable state of "halfway happy." A central analogy compares rebuilding your financial life to refinishing a porch swing, a process that requires psychological "grit" and perseverance. It begins with the most painful step—using abrasive, 80-grit sandpaper to confront the scary, "moldy" realities of your financial situation. The next phase uses a finer, 220-grit paper to represent the daily refinement of habits through small, productive goals. The ultimate aim is to move from merely surviving to truly flourishing, which can be achieved by finding a "psychological flow" where managing finances becomes an intrinsically rewarding activity. This focus releases feel-good neurochemicals that act as a "natural financial performance enhancer," boosting motivation and skill. The final step, applying a protective sealant, represents creating lasting security through concrete actions like estate planning and building a trusted support system.

Join us for the 4th Annual Hybrid Financial Symposium, "Addressing Hazards to Your Wealth," on April 7 from 7:30 AM to 12:00 PM. A major highlight is a special briefing on fraud pathology from Tom Manganello, a senior counsel and former investigator with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). He will teach you how to identify and build immunity against today's most dangerous investment scams, from Ponzi schemes to military/civilian-targeted fraud. The event also features expert sessions on managing chronic financial pain and navigating complex estate planning issues with an Accredited Financial Counselor® and award-winning attorneys. Register now to attend this event in-full or for individual sessions and safeguard your financial health: https://forms.osi.apps.mil/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=D9fm-kuVEUiStgUw1vhMQxiSj6kdb7VFuypvxD6aMJlUNUpGQ09IVTg1NzVVQ1dIR1BYT1NDNTFSVC4u

This episode explores the personal barriers that prevent us from following a financial plan, going beyond a simple lack of knowledge. It explains how forgetfulness, emotional factors like anxiety, and a lack of "financial health literacy" can create significant roadblocks to progress. Sometimes, the financial action plan itself can feel like a barrier due to its complexity, high costs, and the discouraging lack of immediate benefits. The episode also discusses "condition-related" barriers, such as asymptomatic financial problems where you don't feel the negative effects of overspending until it's too late. To overcome these obstacles, the discussion introduces motivational interviewing as a tool to understand the natural stages of change and address feelings of ambivalence. The key to success lies insimplifying the plan, using reminders, and embracing care coordination to stay on track. Ultimately, the episode emphasizes that setbacks are normal learning opportunities on the path to financial well-being.

This episode tackles why sticking to a financial action plan is so challenging. It explores how initial motivation often fades over time, leading to non-adherence and feelings of failure. The goal is to validate this common struggle and help listeners understand their financial suffering in order to start healing. Several key behaviors that sabotage financial progress are identified, mirroring those seen in physical chronic pain management clinics. These include skipping appointments, inaccurate or non-existent tracking, and failing to follow up on referrals to specialists. These actions are often driven by avoidance and canlead to a destructive "restrict-and-binge" spending cycle. The episode argues that a major barrier to progress is a simple lack of knowledge, or financial illiteracy. The key to overcoming this is pursuing financial education to understand core concepts like debt and responsible borrowing. Building financial literacy empowers you to ask the right questions, gain confidence, and finally adhere to a plan that leads to long-term financial well-being.

Addressing Chronic Financial Pain, Part 3

Continuing our series, this episode adapts powerful, evidence-based tools from chronic physical pain management to chronic financial pain management. First, we explore mindfulness-based stress reduction, teaching you how to observe your financial pain without judgment, distinguish it from self-inflicted suffering, and use techniques like "urge surfing" to master impulsive habits. To combat the paralyzing "boom-and-bust" cycle of financial fatigue, we introduce activity pacing, a method for breaking down overwhelming tasks into manageable steps to prevent burnout. For those stuck in complete inaction, discover behavioral activation, a strategy that uses impossibly small, concrete actions—like transferring $1—to build momentum and break the cycle of avoidance. Tune in for a practical toolkit that will help you move from a state of being overwhelmed to one of empowered, gentle action on your path to financial wellness.

Links to previous episodes:

Financial Skill-Building: Mindfulness

Financial Skill-Building: Distress Tolerance

Financial Skill-Building: Emotion Regulation

Financial Skill-Building: Interpersonal Effectiveness

Welcome back to the Chronic Financial Pain Management Clinic, where Olivia introduces powerful psychological tools like cognitive restructuring and cognitive defusion to challenge the beliefs that intensify your suffering. Discover the surprising parallel between a physical therapy patient's fear that movement will cause more harm and the paralyzing financial thought that taking action will only make things worse. Olivia explores how deep-rooted mental "schemas" create distorted thoughts, such as "all-or-nothing thinking" and "personalization," which turn manageable financial pains into debilitating struggles. Olivia offers practical cognitive defusion techniques from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to change your relationship with negative thoughts and unhook from toxic identities like "I am broke." Tune in for creative, actionable strategies that will help you create distance from your thoughts, reduce their emotional grip, and finally move toward your financial goals.

Links to previous episodes:

Are thinking errors holding you back? Financial Cognitive Distortions, Part 1

Are thinking errors holding you back? Financial Cognitive Distortions, Part 2

Are thinking errors holding you back? Financial Cognitive Distortions, Part 3

Financial Skill-Building: Mindfulness

Is your financial situation causing you a persistent, nagging pain that impacts every corner of your life? In this episode, Olivia draws a powerful and validating parallel between chronic physical pain and chronic financial pain, revealing how they share shockingly similar symptoms of distress. Discover the three key financial behaviors that can lead to chronic financial pain and trap you in a vicious cycle of anxiety and avoidance. Olivia further explores how this financial distress manifests physically, emotionally, and socially, often leading to isolation and a diminished quality of life. Tune in to learn how to break free from suffering and take the first steps toward managing your financial pain, building a healthier financial future.

Links to previous episodes:

Are thinking errors holding you back? Financial Cognitive Distortions, Part 1

Are thinking errors holding you back? Financial Cognitive Distortions, Part 2

Are thinking errors holding you back? Financial Cognitive Distortions, Part 3

Money conversations aren’t easy, but they’re essential. In this 3‑part series, Olivia shares insights from two financial surveys on couples. The stats alone will spark dinner‑table conversations the kids won’t even want to miss. Learn how financial intimacy builds trust, deepens relationships, and lays the foundation for a healthier partnership.