Relationships Talk

There are certain topics many of us would rather avoid discussing, like our weight, or perhaps our respective dating histories. But if there’s one item Americans are loath to chat about, it’s money. In a new study from Capital Group, U.S. adults say they’d be more apt to talk about marital conflicts, mental illness, drug addiction, politics, and religion before broaching the topic of money. In fact, only 35% of Americans talk about money with their friends and peers.

The problem, however, is that by not talking about money, we all risk making mistakes in managing it. In the aforementioned study, nearly 90% of respondents agreed that they needed to start doing a better job of saving and investing for the future. But by banning money-related discussions, we put ourselves in a position where we’re not privy to each other’s successes and struggles, and as such, can’t learn from them.

If you’ve been hush-hush about money thus far, it’s time to consider making it a topic of conversation. Here’s how to start.

1. Open up to family

Whether you’re struggling financially at present or have concerns that you’re going to fall short on targets like retirement or college down the line, you won’t end up doing yourself any favors by keeping those thoughts bottled up. On the other hand, if you come clean to loved ones about the money issues you’re grappling with, they might offer advice, or even step in and bail you out of an otherwise dire financial situation.

Imagine you’re struggling to keep up with your bills, and you confide in a sibling or parent that you’re at risk of racking up serious credit card debt. That family member might, in turn, offer you a temporary home so you can save money on rent and get back on your feet. But if you don’t loop your loved ones in, they won’t be in a position to help.

2. Compare notes with trusted friends and colleagues

Maybe you don’t want your friends and coworkers knowing how much you make or what your savings account balance looks like. But that doesn’t mean you can’t discuss money-related strategies and concerns. For example, if you have a college buddy or colleague whose kids are the same age as yours, you might ask what he or she is doing to amass some funds for tuition down the road. If you and a peer at work are both in the market for a new home, you might swap tactics for boosting your savings to swing your respective down payments. Talking about money doesn’t have to mean divulging your financial history; it can mean seeking and getting advice from others in a similar boat.

3. Seek advice from a trusted financial advisor

Maybe you’re not all that eager to talk money with your family members, colleagues, or friends. But if there’s one person you should be comfortable having those conversations with, it’s a professional who manages money for a living. If you’ve been winging it on your own, it may be time to enlist the help of a financial advisor. Doing so will give you an outsider’s perspective on how you’re doing financially, and from there, that person will be able to give you advice on how to better manage your cash flow and save for key goals. One of the best ways to find a trustworthy advisor is to seek out recommendations from satisfied clients, so to that end, reach out to people whose opinions you value and ask for names.

Given that Americans are generally willing to share their lives on social media, you’d think they’d have an easier time discussing something that impacts them on a daily basis — namely, money. There’s much to be gained by talking about financial matters, and the sooner you realize that, the sooner you’ll be in a good position to get valuable advice and help.

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Farrah Abraham is no stranger to the public eye. We remember her early days with MTV on 16 and Pregnant, and she made a true name for herself when she starred in Teen Mom OG over the years, too. She may no longer be affiliated with the Teen Mom franchise, but she’s proven she’s far from finished pursuing her business dreams. And after countless other money-making ventures, she’s recently announced her new therapy service, “Farrahpy.”

So, what exactly does Farrahpy offer — and how much is she charging? Here’s what we know.

Farrah announced her Farrahpy service via Instagram

While some of Farrah’s business ventures seem to pan out, many have also fizzled — so fans are certainly curious to see how Farrahpy works for the infamous Teen Mom. She announced the service on Instagram with a video explaining what exactly she can provide for couples. In the video, she mentions how she’s given lots of couples and sex therapy to her fellow cast mates on MTV’s Ex On the Beach, and she’s prepared to share her wealth of knowledge with the public. She’s also partnered with CamSoda, a live streaming webcam service, to help her get her new venture up and running.

According to Newsweek, Farrah claims she wanted to start the business because she gets asked for advice all the time. And she also promises to keep everyone’s information totally confidential. And her ad on CamSoda further has her explaining, “My real life tips are best experienced in real time where I can help couples get comfortable with each other and explore new ways to enjoy themselves in and out of the bedroom.”

How much the service costs

If you’re interested in a session of Farrahpy, it’ll likely cost you a lot more than traditional therapy. Newsweek notes the star is charging $5,000 for just 30 minutes of her time. While she may believe this is an affordable deal due to her credentials as a worker in the sex industry and professional businesswoman, we wouldn’t be surprised if few can actually commit to the steep price of the service.

She didn’t seem to get the best reactions to Farrahpy on her Instagram, either. As one of her followers stated, “Like she can give relationship advice what she been through 30 different relationships.” Another added, “Whats hilarious is she thinks people will actually pay her.” And a follower with a slightly nicer reply went with, “I love Farrah don’t get me wrong, but why would anyone take dating advice from someone who doesn’t seem to be able to keep a relationship going their self.”

Licensed professionals are already denouncing it

Could Farrah actually have any credibility as a therapist? She certainly hasn’t gone to schooling for the matter, and while she’s a public figure, that doesn’t necessarily mean she should be offering advice for a fee. Other professionals in the field are also denouncing Farrah’s capabilities. As David Lee, Ph.D. and certified therapist, told Yahoo, “I’m all for people getting sexual education, but I shudder at the notion of celebrity entertainers doing so. The last thing we need is more sexual ignorance being spread.”

David Lee isn’t the only one sharing his opinions. Therapist Donna Oriowo also told Yahoo, “I think that it’s awesome that she wants to give out advice, but I’m wary of calling it therapy.” And sex therapist Ian Kerner, Ph.D., told the publication, “Sex therapists receive over 150 hours of specialized education and over 300+ hours of supervised sex therapy training. I can tell you personally that I rely heavily on science, education, clinical experience, and consultation with my peers in order to assess and treat both simple and complex sexual issues.”

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Metro Bet gives out a pair of picks for Wednesday’s late-night NHL slate.

Nashville Predators at Vegas Golden Knights

Moneyline: Predators +110, Golden Knights -125

Puckline: Predators +1.5 goals (-225), Golden Knights -1.5 goals (+195)

Betting Total: 6.0 goals (Over -110, Under -110)

Time (Eastern), TV: 10 p.m., NBCSN 

Two of the west’s best teams, the Nashville Predators and the Vegas Golden Knights, meet at the T-Mobile Center on Wednesday night seeking to stop their respective mini-skids. Vegas has dropped three of their last five contests, while Nashville has lost four of their last six. The home team has a decisive edge, at least in the special teams department.

The Golden Knights have killed off 16 of their last 18 penalties (87.5 percent) and have scored twice on the power play since going 0-for-6 in their 4-1 loss to Winnipeg on Jan. 15. Meanwhile, the Predators’ penalty kill has surrendered seven power play goals in their last 21 chances, and their power play is 0-for-23 dating back to Jan. 10. 

Vegas right winger Alex Tuch, who has taken the team lead in points (39) despite playing eight fewer games than runner-up Jonathan Marchessault, has five points over his last five efforts. Tuch is now just two points behind defenseman Nate Schmidt for the team lead in plus/minus rating at plus-12. Paul Stastny has been finding friendly sticks left and right of late, registering six assists over his last four outings to go with one goal of his own. 

It’s been tough to beat the Golden Knights defense of late (2.4 goals allowed per game) and at home, where they are 16-8 straight-up this year (2.2 goals allowed per game).

Prediction: Golden Knights win, 4-3 

The play: Golden Knights moneyline and Blues vs. Ducks Under 5.5 goals Parlay (+230) 

St. Louis Blues at Anaheim Ducks 

Moneyline: Blues -120, Ducks +105

Puckline: Blues -1.5 goals (+225), Ducks +1.5 goals (-265) 

Betting Total: 5.5 goals (Over EVEN, Under -120)

Time (Eastern): 10 p.m.

There are several signs to suggest the Anaheim Ducks will dismantle the St. Louis Blues at the Honda Center on Wednesday night. They’re 21-6 straight up in home games vs. this opponent, and 4-1 in their last five meetings overall. But Anaheim is 3-13 in their last 16 tilts and is still reeling from a recent 12-game losing streak, so a wager on the total seems like a better idea. 

Simply put, goals have been hard to come by for both clubs recently. The Under is 7-2 in the last nine Blues games, and 4-1 in the last five Ducks home games. Going further back, Anaheim’s Over/Under record is 16-33-2 in their last 51 contests, per Covers.com, and the Under has cashed in four of the last five meetings between these two squads. 

Injuries could further hamper these offenses on Wednesday night. David Perron (upper body), second in points for St. Louis (35), could miss his third straight game. Anaheim forwards Jakob Silfverberg (lower body), Ryan Kesler (lower body) and Ondrej Kase (upper body) all sat out practice on Monday and have missed multiple games already.

Prediction: Ducks win, 3-2

The play: Golden Knights moneyline and Blues vs. Ducks Under 5.5 goals Parlay (+230)