Have a resource to add to the list? Email info [at] glam-money [dot] com to share it and I'll add it here. If it's a resource you are familiar with, please share a little information about how it was informative or helpful. This will help me post it faster.
If you meet with a certified financial planner (CFP), always ask about their fiduciary responsibilities. A fiduciary is a financial professional who is legally and ethically obligated to act in your best interest, not theirs. For instance, they are not allowed to encourage you to buy or invest in a product and then benefit financially from that action. Their costs are fee-only, no matter your income or the total of your current investments.* They can help with creating debt payoff plans, managing your money, and advising you on financial decisions. Some may have fiduciary responsibility when it comes to advising and managing your money but they could also sell insurance or some other product as part of their business from which they do receive a commission. For the following organizations, use the "Find an Advisor" tool on their website.
Certified Financial Planning (CFP) Board - Official CFP Board website. Not everyone listed is fee-only.
The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) - Professional association of fee-only financial advisors.
*Many of the money management companies that advertise heavily will charge a percentage fee of "assets under management," and the minimum is usually somewhere in the millions of dollars because they want to make money off your money.
There are several credit counseling services around the US, some only available by state. Search the Department of Justice's website for approved agencies. The nonprofit credit counseling agencies listed below were recommended by beta readers for Issue #1 of the zine. Both offer credit counseling, debt consolidation, financial education, and more:
Take Charge America active since 1987
American Consumer Credit Counseling active since 1991
A note: There are also debt settlement and debt consolidation for-profit companies (they may say they offer "debt relief" or "debt adjusting"). Working with a for-profit company comes with many risks so be very careful when considering this option. These companies often charge expensive fees and there is a high risk of incurring late fees and penalty fees from your original creditors. If any company "guarantees" to settle everything, run away. Fast. No one can guarantee this.
Medical debt assistance varies from hospital to hospital. By law, all nonprofit hospitals provide something called "charity care" which are programs that reduce or eliminate hospital bills. For-profit hospitals usually offer financial assistance as well. Most people aren't aware of these services since many hospitals make the information hard to find in their systems. Some cities and states may also offer medical debt assistance. Search for services online.
Dollar For, a nonprofit company, is a free service that helps people navigate and apply for charity care programs.
Because sometimes we all need a little extra help. The mutual aid resources are changing frequently, but I'll try to keep this list as up to date as possible.
The Culture Keeper Mutual Aid Fund is a community-powered initiative providing direct financial relief to cultural workers—artists, educators, scholars, librarians, and others—facing economic hardship. The initiative is organized by Higher Ground Society. As public funding for the arts and humanities continues to be slashed, most recently with deep federal cuts to the NEA, NEH, and IMLS in 2025, cultural workers are increasingly left without a safety net. The Fund exists to help close that gap. Rooted in the principles of mutual aid, the Fund supports those who sustain our cultural life through small, need-based disbursements for essential expenses. From rent and groceries to work-related transportation and childcare, the Fund helps cultural workers navigate times of instability with dignity and support.
Please note: eligibility to receive support depends on your status as a contributor to the fund. Visit the website for more information.
**The mutual aid fund noted above is one of the few currently active ones serving the GLAM fields as of fall 2025. During COVID-19, librarians, archivists, museum workers, and related fields organized mutual aid resources for colleagues in their respective fields who were laid off or experiencing financial hardship. Many of those resources have been sunsetted and discontinued at this time, but some grassroots mutual aid resources still remain. Search online for your region, state, city, neighborhood, etc. for active mutual aid opportunities if you need assistance. If you have the financial resources to donate to these efforts, please consider doing so.**
This Week in Experimental is a weekly newsletter by filmmaker and educator Gabby Follett which shares links to Emergency Funding and Mutual Aid resources for artists and other creators. Many are international, but some are community or affinity based.
Historic Preservation & Cultural Resources Mutual Aid Network is mutual aid network for historic preservation and cultural resources workers—a community-driven response built on care, solidarity, and collective support. Their network is intended for people working in historic preservation, including roles such as architectural historians, archeologists, public historians, and preservation planners. There are currently no plans to expand this network in terms of providing aid, but they are accepting volunteers from any professional background.
Black Trowel Collective is a collective of archaeologists committed to the active support of archaeology students from working-class and historically looted communities who are both regularly excluded by traditional scholarship and academic programs, or who require more economic support than those resources cover.
OpenCounseling is a resource helping people find low-cost or free counseling where they live.
USA.gov provides information on government programs that may help you pay for food, housing, health care, and other basic living expenses.
Call 211. 211 is the number for information on local, community-based health, social and government services (US only).
#-1-1 numbers are numbers assigned by the Federal Communications Commission. Call 911 for emergencies, 411 for directory assistance, and 311 for non-emergency issues and city services (like trash pickup).
I personally prefer to track my money and spending in my own spreadsheets, but I'm a budget-conscious control freak. If a service would help you get started, here are ones I feel somewhat comfortable recommending. I believe all are paid services, but Monarch Money offers a free trial and I think Rocket Money and YNAB may have limited free options (premium features for a fee).
Monarch Money - "Monarch will change the way you organize your financial life. Track, budget, plan, and do more with your money - together."
Rocket Money - Personal finance app. It's most promoted feature is that it will help you identify and cancel subscriptions you may have forgotten about.
You Need A Budget (YNAB) - A money management app built on the premise that every dollar has a job.
Many books are new-ish (or recently updated) because approaches to personal finance advice have evolved over time. In my opinion, contemporary advocates of financial literacy recognize the social and economic barriers many women, LGBTQ+, people of color, and other marginalized groups encounter. Most of these writers treat the topic of money with greater compassion than some older publications. (All links below go to Goodreads, not affiliate links. In other words, I don't make money if you click on a link so click your heart out.)
Not sure where to start? If you think reading about financial literacy will be helpful for you, just pick a book that sounds interesting. This is your journey and you can always choose another book.
Get Good with Money: Ten Simple Steps to Becoming Financially Whole, Tiffany Aliche ♥ Aliche focuses on the fundamentals financial wholeness, creating a plan for different areas of your life, including insurance and improving your credit.
Project 333: The Minimalist Fashion Challenge That Proves Less Really Is So Much More, Courtney Carver ♥ Stuff. We all have so much stuff. This book encourages you to rethink how much you need, focusing on clothing but it can apply to other spending categories. It's not really about money, but it is because every material thing we own costs money and takes up space. How much do we really need?
The Simple Path to Wealth: Your Road Map to Financial Independence and a Rich, Free Life, JL Collins ♥ You'll read it and then think, “wait, that’s it?” Yup, that’s it. Very pro-capitalism so take it a with a few grains of values-salt. I almost considered not including it, but the foundational information about investing is incredibly important.
Financial Feminist: Overcome the Patriarchy's Bullsh*t to Master Your Money and Build a Life You Love, Tori Dunlap ♥ Dunlap makes a great case: f*ck the patriarchy (upon which American capitalism is built) and create your money life.
Unraveling Your Relationship with Money: Ditch Your Money Trauma So You Can Live an Abundant Life, Shannah Game ♥ Game focuses her work on developing behavioral finance skills and helping people sort through trauma and emotions around money.
Cultura and Cash: Lessons from the First Gen Mentor for Managing Finances and Cultural Expectations, Giovanna González ♥ Written for the Latina community and excellent for anyone who is a first gen minority and/or prioritizes supporting family as a value and money goal.
The Psychology of Money, Morgan Housel ♥ Also on behavioral finance, looking at the emotions behind financial decisions. It would be interesting to pair this with a book on cognitive biases.
Girls That Invest: Your Guide to Financial Independence through Shares and Stocks, Simran Kaur ♥ A great guide to getting started with investing. Kaur breaks down the myths and misconceptions of the topic.
Broke Millennial: Stop Scraping By and Get Your Financial Life Together, Erin Lowery ♥ Not just for Millennials!
Broke Millennial Takes on Investing, Erin Lowery ♥ Excellent book that really breaks down what investing is and how it works.
The Spender’s Guide to Debt-Free Living, Anna Newell Jones ♥ If you're in debt, start here. Really. Start here.
Your Money or Your Life, Vicki Robbins and Joe Dominguez ♥ Dense, but well regarded for its influence on financial independence (which is when someone has enough money that work is optional). Focuses on the relationship between your life hours and the money you earn and spend.
I Will Teach You to be Rich, Ramit Sethi ♥ This can be kind of intense, but that's okay. Sometimes intense is the wake up call you didn't know you needed.
Quit Like a Millionaire, Kristy Shen and Brice Leung ♥ For anyone interested in financial independence.
You Are a Badass at Making Money, Jen Sincero ♥ And being GLAMorous.
Buy What You Love Without Going Broke, Jen Smith and Jill Sirianni ♥ A strong focus on value-based money organizing.
Rich AF: The Winning Money Mindset That Will Change Your Life, Vivian Tu ♥ Tu takes the rules that rich people use to get and stay rich and shows how almost anyone can follow them and build wealth.