Have you ever wondered why holiday shopping feels so overwhelming?

Or how you can resist the pressure to overspend without sacrificing the joy of giving?

In this episode, financial advisors Jeff Green and Lauren Smith explore the emotional and psychological drivers behind holiday overspending and share actionable strategies to help you stay in control of your finances during the festive season. Together, they discuss:

• The psychological factors that can easily affect all of us when it comes to spending (and over-spending) around the holidays
• How marketing tactics and social pressures can trigger overspending—and how to recognize them
• Simple tips to create a realistic holiday budget that aligns with your financial goals
• Practical ways to manage expectations with family and friends around gift-giving
• The benefits of focusing on experiences and meaningful gestures over material items
• Strategies to avoid the post-holiday debt hangover and start the new year on a strong financial footing
• Reminders to prioritize self-care and reflect on what truly matters during the holidays
• And more!

Tune in to gain insights that will help you approach holiday spending with intention and confidence.

Connect With Green Financial Group:

• jeff@greenfinancialgrp.com
• (713) 244-3030
• Schedule A Call With Jeff or Lauren
• Green Financial Group
• LinkedIn: Jeff Green
• LinkedIn: Lauren Smith

Have you ever wondered how your giving can have a lasting impact?

Or are you thinking about how to make sure your charitable contributions align with your values and life goals?



In this episode, financial advisors Jeff Green and Lauren Smith cover effective ways to approach charitable giving during the holiday season, discussing strategies to maximize personal impact and tax benefits. They guide listeners through essential considerations for end-of-year philanthropy, including:

• Tips for selecting causes that resonate with your personal values
• The importance of researching how donations are used by organizations to ensure contributions have the intended effect
• How to use Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs), potentially avoiding taxable income on required minimum distributions
• An overview of donor-advised funds for potential tax benefits and flexibility to direct contributions over time to chosen charities
• Why you might consider giving long-term appreciated assets, like stocks, to bypass capital gains tax while receiving a charitable deduction for full market value
• Reminders for how we can all avoid common charitable giving pitfalls
• And more!

Connect With Green Financial Group:

• jeff@greenfinancialgrp.com
• (713) 244-3030
• Schedule A Call With Jeff or Lauren
• Green Financial Group
• LinkedIn: Jeff Green
• LinkedIn: Lauren Smith

Have you ever considered how vulnerable your personal information is in today’s digital world?

Do you feel like you’re doing everything you can to protect yourself online?

In this episode of The Green Zone Podcast, Lauren Smith is joined by Green Financial Group Director of Marketing, Claire Holmes, to explore the critical importance of cybersecurity. Drawing from Claire’s personal experience with an identity theft and social media hacking incident, they delve into simple, practical steps everyone can take to feel more protected in their digital lives. Together they discuss:

• Why using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) on public Wi-Fi is essential for protecting your data
• Ways to spot sophisticated phishing attacks via email and text to protect yourself from identity theft or other cyberthreats
• How enabling MFA (multi-factor authorization) on any online account you can is one of the best ways you can safeguard information online (yes, even if it requires a little bit of extra time on your part!)
• Ideas for how to incorporate stronger, more complex passwords into your digital lives
• Insights into the company’s strong cybersecurity practices, including phishing tests and employee training from Raymond James
• And more!

Connect With Green Financial Group:

• jeff@greenfinancialgrp.com
• (713) 244-3030
• Schedule A Call With Jeff or Lauren
• Green Financial Group
• LinkedIn: Jeff Green
• LinkedIn: Lauren Smith