Building Your Money Muscles

What Behavioral Science Tells Us About Creating Lasting

Financial literacy really shouldn’t be as difficult as it is. 

But whether it’s the overly complex fee structure on the personal loan you’re taking out, or your budgeting app burying the part about them selling your personal data in the super-fine print –– the part they’re really hoping you won’t read –– the traditional banking system relies on consumers not knowing too much. 

Because the more you know about finance, the more empowered you will be to make smart money decisions that benefit you and serve your personal goals, rather than the interests of predatory financial institutions, which, let’s be real, already have plenty of money and don’t need any more of yours.

So what’s the best way to get your financial house in order? Should you take an online course on personal finance? Download an audiobook on budgeting? Buy a lifetime subscription to the most advanced money management software on the planet?

We hate to be the ones to break it to you (especially if you already sprung for the lifetime subscription), but none of those things will actually work. 

Behavioral Finance And The Psychology Of Bad Money Habits

Science tells us that education, while important, is not the only thing you need to change your financial habits. After all, you’ve been spending your entire life practicing these behaviors, and unlearning them isn’t going to be instantaneous. 

A branch of psychology called behavioral science says that human behaviors are primarily shaped by our emotions and our environment. When applied to finance, behavioral science is called (unsurprisingly) behavioral finance.

It’s not difficult to see how our emotions can shape our financial habits. For example, you might avoid looking at your monthly credit card statement because it’s too stressful to see how much you owe. Or you might use a buy-now-pay-later service to buy your child things you can’t afford to purchase outright, just to put a smile on their face. 

You already know that ignoring your financial reality isn’t rational and will just lead to more stress down the road, yet you find yourself repeating the same money mistakes. 

Fortunately, being bad with money doesn’t mean you’re bad at life: it means you’re human. The chips have been stacked against us. 

The system is designed to take advantage of these psychological factors so that banking institutions can make more money off us with hidden fees, late charges, interest, etc.

Talk about predatory, right?

A Personal Trainer For Your Finances

So the million-dollar question is: how do we rewire our thoughts and feelings to become more rational and strategic with money?

Wait, what was that other big thing besides emotions that psychologists say influences behavior? No, it’s not your appetite (well, okay, our appetite has certainly influenced us to DoorDash some bad, expensive food more than once, but for simplicity’s sake, let’s put hunger in the emotions category). 

The other major factor that determines our actions is our environment. No one exists in a vacuum, as much as we might feel that way sometimes; we all need a little help from others, or sometimes a lot of help, to change our lives for the better.

Practicing new habits requires discipline, and discipline requires a supportive environment. 

Think of it this way. Reading a book about fitness won’t help you to get fit. Sure, there’s probably a NYT bestseller that explains how to do a 5-day crash diet — er, “cleanse”— but for long-term success, you will get much better results by working with a personal trainer who doesn’t just teach you how to exercise, but also:

• Designs a custom routine that reflects your unique needs
• Makes healthy choices fun (e.g, shows you how to make a healthy yet delicious smoothie, or turns a boring cardio session into a competitive game)
• Rewards your progress with encouraging words and moral support 
• Keeps you accountable with a consistent schedule and regular check-ins

What does any of this have to do with finance? Well, if you can believe it, these same elements that reinforce healthy exercise habits also apply to other types of behaviors, including financial habits. (Science is cool like that.) 

Psychology + Technology = Smart Banking

Ok, so we’ve established that we need some sort of personal trainer for our finances to build up our “money muscles” and make those good habits stick. 

The thing with personal trainers, though, is that they can get expensive, and they can take up a lot of your free time, money, and energy.

Here’s where technology and automation come into play. Smart banking (also sometimes called banking as a service or BaaS) can include tools to help you with financial discipline, without eating up all your free time or discretionary funds. 

Enter Helo. (That’s us. 👋)

Helo is an interactive smart banking system that combines behavioral finance and automation technology. Helo is designed not only to illuminate your financial situation, but actually to transform your relationship with money for the long term. 

Helo: Your Anti-Establishment Financial Support System

So what makes Helo different from other budgeting apps or online banking services? Simply put, we’re revolutionizing personal finance.

Helo is not an offshoot of a big bank or a subsidiary of a financial group. We’re guided by our own principles rather than corporate interests. 

Not only are we independent, but we have an ironclad commitment to delivering transparent, ethical services. 

And unlike many players in the personal finance space, we’re not just selling a service; we want to hold your hand every step of the way until you achieve true economic security. 

It’s our founding philosophy that only when you’re not stressed about money can you reach your full potential — and, you never know, maybe even find your life’s purpose. This brings us to the story of how our founder discovered her inspiration to start Helo.

In the wake of a life-altering injury, our founder, Ariel Dangelo, was able to lean on her financial stability rather than fall into debt, as do many Americans who face a medical crisis.

Coming from a place of gratitude and resolve to make a positive difference in the world, Ariel founded Helo to help others attain financial wellness so they are similarly prepared for life’s unexpected events. 

Let’s Get Specific

Let’s take a look at some of the specific benefits that come with being a part of the Helo community:

• Unlike most traditional banking products, our program is dynamic and customizable to your unique journey. After all, no two financial situations are exactly alike.
• Our automation tools help you “set it and forget it,” making saving money and paying off debt effortless.
• We incorporate gamification and nudges to help you stay on track with your new habits so you don’t quit before you reach your goals. 
• We offer personal support in the form of community users on a similar journey as you, as well as access to real, live financial advisors.
• We’ll never sell your personal data. This means you won’t be prompted to sign up for credit cards and loans — most budgeting apps will bombard you with these “exclusive offers” in exchange for their free upfront cost.
• Our tools are intuitive and not overly complex, so we can meet you wherever you’re at, even if you’re a complete noob when it comes to managing your finances.

Let’s Go, Helo!

Ready to take that first step to change your relationship with money for good? 

Sign up today, or join our email list to be notified once our full premium version of Helo goes live (eta: October 2025).