Frequently Asked Questions
About
1.) What is The Financial Gym?
The Financial Gym is a personal financial services company that takes a fitness-inspired approach to our clients’ finances.
Like a regular gym, you pay a monthly membership fee; but unlike a regular gym, your monthly fee includes a dedicated financial trainer, we call it your “B.F.F.” (Best. Financial. Friend.) who works with you one-on-one to help you set financial goals, create a plan for accomplishing them, and supports you along the way to achieving these goals. Our financial training program is based on over 7 years of working with clients of all financial shapes and sizes and we have a 90% success rate over this time of our clients achieving their financial goals.
2.) Where is The Financial Gym located?
We are an NYC-based company with a national reach! We have gym locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Washington DC, and Los Angeles. We do work with clients all over the US, from California to Indiana, and Florida to Nashville; In short, everywhere! Even if you’re miles away you’ll feel like you have your financial trainer right by your side.
Membership
1.) I want to sign up for The Gym! How do I get started?
It’s easy to get started on your journey to financial fitness. Either schedule a free 20 minute consult at a time that works for you (we call it a “workout warmup call”) here, or you can give us a call if you’d like to speak with someone now.
On the call we will ask you some basic questions to understand your needs and get to know you so that we can pair you with the right trainer based on your unique financial situation.
2.) What do I get for my Financial Gym membership? What’s included in the pricing?
You get paired with a financial trainer who is trained in all areas of personal finance including budgeting, credit management, investing, student loans, retirement planning and behavioral finance.
The process starts with what we call our Financially Naked Session where you lay all your cards out on the table without any judgment so we can really understand your current financial situation. We always say, we don’t care how you got here, we only care about where you want to go and this session gives us a great idea for both where you are financially and where you want to go.
A week or two later you come back and get a financial plan and we agree upon the goals and tasks to get you started. From there, you have a formal review every quarter with touch bases in between. For these touch bases, your trainer will check in with you monthly to see if you want to connect for a quick call or video chat. You have access to your trainer at any time via email and your trainer will always reply to you within 24 hours -- that’s our policy.
At the end of the day you get a person to help you drive your financial plan, and they make it fun so you feel supported. Our clients refer to their trainer in so many different ways: your ride or die buddy, your backseat driver, your financial life coach, even your B.F.F. (Best. Financial. Friend.)
In addition to the trainer relationship, our clients who are located where we have a physical gym location also have free access to The Gym and its resources like the bar or library any time The Gym is open; and free admittance to all events that we host, whether it’s a Wine and Learn Wednesday, celebrity appearance or book club. Our clients located where we have a physical gym are also assigned to one of two Money Tribes based on the specific financial challenges and goals they have. The Money Tribe is your bigger support network beyond just your trainer.
Our clients who work with us virtually have access to our weekly events via Facebook Live as well as our regular educational webinars. We have 6 local meetup groups we call “Money Tribes” located throughout the U.S. where we sponsor a monthly meetup for members to get together and support each other on their financial journeys. Our mission, both in New York and across the country, is to create a community of people passionate about financial health and breaking the stigma and taboo around money conversations.
Get to know what our clients think about our trainers and meet our team to see who you think could be a good fit for you.
3.) What types of goals does The Financial Gym help clients tackle?
Trainers field questions and offer coaching on a range of topics such as:
Improving and managing credit scores
Salary negotiation
Navigating credit card issues
Managing student loan debt
Recommending stage-appropriate saving and investing options
Retirement planning analysis and 401k guidance
Building emergency funds
Identifying critical financial and life goals and creating road maps to achieve them
4.) How long do I have to keep my membership or stay on as a client?
Although we work on a month-to-month membership, we do suggest all clients stay with us for at least 6 months to really see your hard work come to fruition. Your first three months consist of preliminary steps in your financial training plan which lead to your first quarterly review. Once that is complete, we see our clients really hit the ground running in their second quarter! 90% of our clients see success after six months with us. We believe so strongly in our training process that we offer a money back guarantee after six months of training with us.
5.) What are your Money Back Guarantee terms?
Have you ever heard of a financial services company that will guarantee your money? What kind of financial planner says: don’t worry, if you don’t hit your targets, we’ll refund your investment? We will!
The terms around the Money Back Guarantee are simple: if your net worth does not increase by greater than what you pay to us for our training services in your first 6 months, we will give you your money back! To be eligible, you need to have attended the 4 coaching sessions during the guarantee period and do at least half of the tasks your trainer assigns you. This is about us both having skin in the game: you do your part and we’ll do ours, and we’re confident you’ll see a positive result, which is why we back it up with the guarantee.
6.) Are you going to try to sell me products or manage my money?
Unlike other financial advisors, we don’t have any products to sell you (think: bank accounts, investment services, credit cards, and the like). We don’t sell investment products and we don’t manage your money. What we will do is educate and empower you to help you do it yourself.
7.) I know I could do more to become financially healthy but I’m scared you’re going to put me on a diet and this will be a miserable process. Am I right to be scared?
Take it from our clients and decide for yourself if they’re miserable. But seriously, this is a no judgment space where our workout equipment is famously known as wine and kleenex. We know that talking about money can be tough. Rest assured, we’ve seen it all—the good, the bad, and the deeply in debt—and nothing phases us. Your trainer will help you overcome your biggest hurdles with confidence. Just like a personal trainer at your gym, your financial trainer gives you expert guidance, cheers you on, and holds you accountable in ways that no app or tech product can. You’ll be working hard, but you’ll never be alone and we promise to always make it fun.
You can think of us like WeightWatchers -- we know you want to eat pizza and drink wine. This is not about going on a restriction diet. It’s about making smart choices that add up over time and helping you figure out that saying no to some things means saying yes to what you truly value and brings you joy in life.
Qualifications
1.) What does the Certified Financial Trainer program entail?
Before joining the team, our financial trainers go through an extensive 8 week apprenticeship program where they shadow a current Financial Trainer to learn more about the process and to determine if The Gym it is the right fit. Once both parties decide if the Financial Trainer position is right for them, they go through a proprietary 4 week Certified Financial Training program based on our founder’s financial advising experience at Merrill Lynch.
2.) What qualifications do Financial Gym trainers have?
Trainers go through our Certified Financial Training program which is a proprietary curriculum based on our founder’s 7 years as a financial planner and former financial advisor at Merrill Lynch. The program covers many of the topics most financial advisors and CFPs receive, like how to plan for life goals, investing and investing products, types of insurance, etc. with less emphasis on investing and more emphasis on topics not covered by the CFP coursework like budgeting, expense management, credit management, student loan debt, salary negotiation, behavioral finance and more. We do not manage our clients' money; we empower them to manage it and make smart money choices that add up over time.
3.) Are your Financial Trainers licensed Certified Financial Planners? Have they taken the series 7 or series 65 exams?
The CFP accreditation is one determination for finding a financial planner but not the only one. Most securities exams like the Series 7 or Series 65 need to be taken to sell investment products think stocks, bonds, ETFs, mutual funds, etc) or directly managing client assets; and this is not something we do. We provide investment education for our clients; we’re not selling products or managing assets.
Who we work with & how
1.) What if I don’t live in a city with a Gym? Can I still train with The Financial Gym?
Absolutely! About 50% of our clients come in to The Gym to train and the other 50% train virtually. We work with people across the country, in all time zones and it’s no problem to accommodate your schedule and give you full service. Everything included in a membership is included for virtual members, and some people even like it better because they don’t have to leave the comfort of their own home. And for full disclosure, trainers love it as well because they get to “meet” your fur babies, your real babies and see more of what it is you’re working for!
2.) Do you only work with females? Is this only for a certain age bracket? Or people with a certain level of wealth?
Absolutely not. People of all genders, ages and income brackets deserve access to the knowledge and training that will help them take charge of their financial situation! We believe that financial health should be for the masses and without discrimination. We work with clients of all gender identifications and employ all genders. We are happy to accommodate if you have a female or male Financial Trainer preference. And depending on the simplicity or complexity of your financial situation, will make sure you are paired with the right trainer for you.
3.) How do you pair me with the right Financial Trainer?
We pair based off personality compatibility and financial needs. Some trainers have more experience working with clients who have businesses or investing and are taking it to the next level. And some are more focused on budgeting and expense management. The conversation on the warm up call helps us determine where you’re at so we can pair you with the right person.
When we hire, the first things we look for in a new trainer are: compassion, empathy and a love of helping people -- you can’t teach that. And of course, all of our trainers have a passion for personal finance. Our goal is to pair you with your new B.F.F. (Best. Financial. Friend.), someone who you’d want to be friends with, and who will of course continue to give you amazing financial advice that focuses on helping you accomplish goals you truly value in a timeline you never thought possible.
4.) Can I switch Financial Trainers if it is not a compatible match?
Of course. That is no problem at all and switching Financial Trainers is easy. Simply email our Client Experience Lead, Rebekkah, at support@fingyms.com and she will be happy to help you!
5.) Do you work with couples?
Definitely. Some people call it the best threesome they’ve ever had ;) Others refer to it as a better investment than couples therapy. No matter what you call it, our focus is on working through your goals as a team so that you’re both on the same page as far as your goals and you’re working as a team to accomplish them together. Pricing for couples is different than for individuals, but less than paying for two individual memberships.
6.) Do you work with people who are already financially fit and who are looking to become financially athletic?
Yes! Other than 1% of the population, everyone can be doing more to enhance their finances. For financially fit clients who come in, we help them invest more aggressively, credit hack, save more, negotiate for more money etc. We’re that person for them to keep checking in with and stay on track. And frankly, even a financially fit client will fall off the wagon sometimes and need someone to help get things back in order. Or life happens and a new goal pops up and they want an adviser to reassess the plan and incorporate that new goal. That’s why, when people ask us if clients ever “graduate” from The Gym, it varies from person to person: just like with physical training, some people just want to learn the tips and train themselves, while others see value in having someone by your side for the long haul.
7.) I love The Financial Gym! How can I bring it to my company for colleagues to enjoy?
We offer a fabulous menu of corporate programs:
Trainer on Demand virtual unlimited training access
Lunch and Learns
On-Site Trainer Hours
Webinars and more
Email enterprise@fingyms.com to set up a call with our Corporate team to learn more.
8.) Can I bring my child or fur baby to The Gym?
Children and fur babies are always welcome. We do just ask that you supervise them at all times while they are in The Gym.
9.) Who do I contact to cancel my membership?
If you would like to cancel your membership, simply email our Client Experience Lead, Rebekkah, at support@fingyms.com. You’ll want to do so 30 days prior to your next charge date. All details can be found here in our Terms.
