🙌🏼 The Only Vitamins Worth Taking

How many partially-full bottles of vitamins and supplements do you have rattling around in your bathroom cabinets right now? Be honest. (And while you’re at it, check your kitchen cabinets and your car console, too.) Perhaps you saw them touted on social media or Amazon for weeks, and they all promised some combination of glowing skin, better sleep, higher energy levels, or a dozen other things you didn’t even know were possible… Yet, when you finally got them home, the only thing they yielded was clutter, questionable benefits, and possibly a stomach ache or two, just for good measure. We get it. Figuring out the right health supplements can seem like an overwhelming (and budget-blowing) prospect. But this week, we did all the research for you — we chatted with nutritionists for a rundown on the five inexpensive vitamins and supplements that are actually worth taking. In other words, they really can do as promised and help you feel better. Our experts give you a rundown of the most essential ones for women that are proven to feed your body, and spare those harmful side effects to your budget.

Fair Pay + Earning More

Pay parity. Pay transparency. Pay equity… It’s the elephant in the room (or office) that more often than not, no one wants to talk about. Yet it’s the conversation that so desperately needs to be had. So when it’s time to have those discussions with your boss, where do you start, and what do you say? According to Payscale’s 2022 Compensation Best Practices Survey, 50% of companies say they’re adjusting their pay strategy or structures for this year, and 66% of organizations say pay equity analysis is a planned initiative in 2022 — a 20% increase over last year. Which is great news for job seekers and anyone looking for more pay transparency in the workplace. We all want to make sure we’re getting a piece of that pie, but how, exactly, do we do that?

Ruth Thomas, Chief Product Evangelist at Payscale and a global leader in pay equity breaks it all down for us on this week’s HerMoney Podcast.* Ruth and Jean walk us through some of the conversations you’re likely to have with your manager when you go in to ask for a raise. (Yes, we offer actual scripts!) And we also go over exactly how to respond if your request is denied. You got this.

Making A Difference For Moms

Motherhood can unite women across all spectrums, because if there’s one thing all moms know, it’s that motherhood is damn hard work. And that work can be even more challenging when mothers are in a place of financial or emotional hardship. Countless moms suffer from a lack of opportunities and support, which can make the work of child-rearing nearly impossible. Thankfully, there are organizations out there that specifically serve mothers, and this week we’re shining a spotlight on some of our favorites (all of which are highly rated by Charity Navigator) and the good work they are doing. Learn more about how you can help make mothers’ lives — and the lives of their children — better every day.

Credit Utilization Rate FAQ: Clearing Up The Confusion

Does any of this sound familiar? You have a $5,000 limit on your credit card, and you’re carrying more than $1,500 in charges from month to month. In addition to this not being a good idea to begin with, it will also likely cause your credit score to drop, and that’s even if you pay on time every time. More bad news: Not only will you have to pay interest on the charges that were carried over, the ground you lost on your credit score as a result will take a while to bounce back… Your credit utilization ratio is the amount of credit you’ve used compared with the amount of credit you have available, and it’s important to understand all the details. Yes, it can be complicated as to exactly how all this works, but we explain it all here with the help of our credit card experts. (You’ll be lowering your credit utilization rate and boosting your credit score in no time!)

Discounts For Veterans and Military

We are so thankful for our veterans and their service. We know that we can never truly repay them and their families for their sacrifice, but countless companies are going the extra mile to make veterans feel appreciated with a little financial help. (And as inflation soars and prices on everyday items increase, every little bit of saving helps!) This week, we rounded up a list of the top companies giving discounts to veterans, active military, reserve and their families. Take a look at our list, and let us know if there’s anything we missed!

What Dads Are Telling Their Daughters About Money

Dads do so much for us. They are the fixers, the doers, and the best advice-givers. They’re also empowering their daughters with their money, every day. As we head towards Father’s Day on June 19th (don’t forget to get your cards in the mail!) we checked in with three amazing girl dads to get their best advice for how we can ensure the young women in our lives get off on the right financial foot. They’re helping their daughters gain perspective on everything from the financial realities of living on your own, to how to invest and tackle the gender wage gap.

And if you find yourself needing a little extra support in talking to your daughters about financial basics, our new book, “How To Money,” is designed to help spark those conversations :)

Asking for a raise can be anxiety-inducing, even in the best of times — including today’s environment when more employees than ever are in the driver’s seat. But even if you know you deserve a pay raise, asking for one can still conjure up feelings of dread… After all, what if your ask is greeted with a hard no? In other words, how do you get past this and boldly request what you deserve? We break down how to do your research, the best ways (and the right timing) for approaching your boss, and how to navigate if your request is met with a resounding no. (Hint: A ‘no’ doesn’t mean an end to the conversation.)

We’re also teaming up with a fellow equal-pay enthusiast, Payscale, to equip you with the information, tools and words to use for navigating these types of fair-pay conversations. The Let’s Talk Fair Pay Workshop will be a one-time, virtual event on Tuesday, June 21st, from 1:00-2:00PM EST. Reserve your spot to this free workshop today. You’ll have the opportunity to ask your questions and even role play with Jean and a Payscale negotiation expert. RSVP here.**

Have a great week!

The HerMoney Team