One of the things you have to watch out for is letting fear rule your financial decisions.

“Fear, in and of itself, is not harmful,” says Pandora MacLean-Hoover, LICSW, a psychotherapist in private practice in Cambridge, MA. “Judging oneself for feeling fear may be detrimental. If a person believes they are weak for feeling afraid about spending too much money, so much so they ignore the fear, they may decide to over-spend just to counteract this judgment.”

MacLean-Hoover believes that it’s possible to overcome fear in your finances, and harness that fear so that you better direct your efforts toward financial improvement. She suggests 4 TIPS to help you face your financial fears:

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With so much uncertainty in the world right now, especially in terms of the economic situation, many people are looking for guidance with their finances. While many consumers are turning to financial planners and advisers for suggestions, there are those who are also seeking supplementary guidance.

“Though most fortune tellers are not qualified to give financial advice, a reading can be a good complementary service to those of a financial planner or accountant,” Alexandra Chauran says. Chauran is a certified counselor and a fortune teller, and the owner of EarthShod.com. “Often, a reading can help one discover additional sources of income or reasons to be cautious, or can confirm financial choices.”

Since the recession following the financial crisis, Chauran has seen an increase in business. “I have seen an increase in clientele in these uncertain economic times. Most of my clients are usually working at good jobs, and first visit a fortune teller when things go awry. Once they first visit a fortune teller, they are more likely to be open-minded about using for more regular advice.”

Chauran points out that a little extra guidance can help consumers feel their way forward, whether they are looking to sell a home or change careers: “One can discover potential financial losses or windfalls before they occur and confirm major financial decisions after making them with a qualified financial adviser. A fortune teller can help people feel empowered to create their own financial destiny.”

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One of the rites of passage for those emerging into adulthood is choosing health insurance. Making this decision isn’t always easy, but it’s important.

If you go long periods without health care coverage, you might not be able to get on the plan that you want in the future. While some aspects of the recent health care reform law have changed the way coverage is provided, you are still better off with continuous coverage when possible.

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Late in 2011, according to estimates by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, total student loan debt in the United States passed the $1 trillion mark.

That’s a lot of student debt.

Many graduates struggle to find jobs, or work in low-paying jobs that don’t come close to allowing them to afford their student loan payments. It’s a lot of work to pay for college, and many students keep paying for years following graduation.

However, there are options. And you don’t have to just rely on forbearance or deferment. The federal government offers a Income-Based Repayment (IBR) plans for those who have a high amount of debt relative to income.

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The way Millennials view money is something that has been the subject of much interest lately, since money habits are changing as a result.

From marriage to the way they accomplish internships, to gap years and whether or not college is the right decision, Millennials seem to be doing things a little differently from past generations. And that even includes the way they get into debt — and the way that debt is viewed.

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Many young families starting out need a little help finding affordable housing. One of the options out there is Section 8 housing.

Section 8 housing gets its name from the Housing Act of 1937, in which a program to provide rental housing assistance was started. There are a number of programs related to section 8 housing, and Housing and Urban Development oversees them. One of the most popular programs is the Housing Choice Voucher Program. With this program, tenants can choose qualified housing from participating landlords.

With section 8 housing, the government subsidizes a portion of your monthly rent payment by making payments to the landlord on your behalf.

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Last week, we did an entire series centered on women and money. It was inspired by one of the books generating a great deal of buzz right now, Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In. Lean In is meant as encouragement to women to “sit at the table” and take charge of their careers.

The book is interesting, and includes some great advice that anyone — woman or man — can use to further their careers. While the tips in the book won’t work for everyone, it is nevertheless an interesting read.

Gender Roles and Careers

Sandberg makes it a point to include the information from a number of research studies. Much of the information she presents about gender roles isn’t particularly new, even though it is interesting to read. Many of us already know that, even in two-income households, women still do more housework than men. One of the points Sandberg makes in Lean In is that, “As women must be more empowered at work, men must be more empowered at home.”

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Many women choose to take a hiatus from their careers in order to stay home and raise their children. After five to 15 years, though, many of them decide that they are ready to get back into the workforce.

Forget about Sheryl Sandberg and the “Lean In” option; there are a number of women who just need to make sure that they remain competitive after being outside the workforce for a few years. In fact, a recent study from UC Berkeley indicates that one of the reasons that women might not be leading in the workplace is due to the fact that they are taking care of business at home, and that interferes with career advancement.

So, what happens when you take time off to raise a family? What are your options? How can you remain competitive during maternity leave and beyond?

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