Testimonials

I can BREATHE. You gave me permission to prioritize the 3,000 things in my mind and I now check things off one at a time. You gave me permission to not stress over some things and to not feel bad when everything didn’t get done. I’ve learned to say no to protect myself and feel really great about it. Working with you takes away the burden of self-blame.  My approach to money is more peaceful. I wish everyone had a Carrie.

            Karel Karp, Lawyer, Devoted Single Mom

Carrie, Founder & CEO of Behavioral Cents, operates at an elite level in the financial coaching field. I consider Carrie an extension of my team. Her 30 years in credit card, banking and brokerage at an executive level is expertly and gently combined with her knowledge of money emotion and money beliefs. She successfully guides her clients to reduce debt and build wealth by strengthening their own abilities and changing behaviors for life.  Carrie is a professional committed to her practice.
                        Bob Fuest, Fuest & Klein Investment Advisors and Adjunct Professor Fordham Gabelli School of Business

Carrie has helped our family get back on our feet financially. She has taught us the skills to make and stick to a budget in order to get rid of all debt while still able to live our lives comfortably. The tools that she has provided us with will be used for the rest of our lives. Carrie came highly recommended to us by a friend, and after working with her for several months now, we understand why!

Emily Parr and Jordan Gottsegen, Busy Working Parents

“I just finished a session with Carrie and I finally feel completely clear and empowered about improving my credit score. I’m a smart woman and did my research, but the things I did weren’t working – and one action even backfired on me, dropping my score unexpectedly, undoing all of my hard work. I felt so frustrated because I’ve been putting great attention to strengthening my financial health steadily these past 5 years. Not only did Carrie explain what likely happened, she also educated me about a few other factors that I didn’t realize impacted my score. During this session, Carrie also uncovered an unserving money belief I didn’t realize I had: that I didn’t trust myself to being using my credit cards again. Wow! I’ve been through hell and back with my finances, so I’m super proud at how far I’ve come… but that truth hit me between the eyes. Awareness is power and she suggested a couple of things I can do to start to trust myself using credit cards again. In the past I’ve felt inadequate and ashamed – and carried self-blame – about what I had gotten myself into. Carrie has absolutely no judgement and holds a safe, practical space to talk about such a taboo subject as money. She showed me that I am actually doing well with my money practices and gave me simple, actionable steps to keep strengthening my financial position. If you’re a smart, go-get-em woman like me who is ready to take charge of your money (like we’ve taken charge of our life, families, and career/business), then Carrie is the woman to teach you how to get there.” 

                              Christine Clifton, Entrepreneur, Speaker, Author

Carrie is an excellent money coach! She helped a client’s family member get back on her feet and pare down her dependency on my client’s generosity. Now my client has a better chance of reaching her own financial goals while the family member also benefits from renewed confidence in her own abilities. A total win-win and all thanks to Carrie’s efforts and the hard mental and emotional work that went into the process on all sides. Thank you Carrie!”                         Curtis Hearn, CFP Wealth Advisor at Gratus Capital LLC

Carrie’s manner, expertise, and effectiveness are stellar. In working with her regularly for the past 6 months, I have no hesitation that what she’s done for me, she can do for anyone else aiming to transform how they deal with money… to a strength. I would recommend her to anyone who’s serious about improving this area of their life. Second, as an entrepreneur who started his business from scratch, I followed (unconsciously) many pitfalls with money, though I tried my best not to: not separating business and personal cash well, spending according to the needs of the moment rather than projecting expenses throughout the fiscal year, waiting to deal with taxes for tax time and suffering for it, having a mindset that earning more is way more important than saving more. Carrie helped me work through both a mindset shift and tactical money shift so that I feel more confident seeing my business from the financial side with profit and loss statements, balance sheets, cash flow and more. She’s helped me to become a better business person and is helping me master money so there’s more of it now and for the future. Plus, she’s a lot of fun to work with and talk to. Two thumbs way up.”

            Joseph C Miranda, Entrepreneur, Online Education and Marketing Platform

Before I met Carrie, I spent many years creating, paying off, and creating even more debt. Outside of the practical – tracking my expenditures and giving me an intelligent way to pay down my debt, with zero judgment Carrie helped me uncover why I was continually creating this debt. I now know I haven’t been a failure because Carrie showed me how well I had managed my money on a whole as a single parent. She gave me tools, expert advice, and was always on point identifying blocks or trigger points. Most important, I trust Carrie because not only is she an expert in her field, she really cares about you and sees that you get what benefits you most. Because of Carrie, I am now diligent about paying down my debt and very cautious about creating new debt – without feeling deprived. I now actually have goals (something new to me), so I remain focused and resolved to creating the life that I know I not only deserve but that I can have – not in some far off distant future, but a reality that I am manifesting on a daily basis.

Linda Grant, CEO Maker, Single Mom

Carrie is one of the few Accredited Financial Counselors in the country who has expertise working with shopaholics. She was able to help one of her many clients save $7,500 a month through her program. Carrie brings peace to peoples’ money relationship, helping to put them on solid financial footing, which is even more important now, in the time of COVID-19. I have referred several of my own clients to her, who were having trouble in their lives and relationships because of their issues around money, and she has always been incredibly insightful and helpful!

Stacy Francis, CFP® CDFA® CES®.  CEO Francis Financial and Founder of Savvy Ladies. Top 10 Advisors in New York 2016 to 2020. Multiple Award Winner. Partner, Mom, Supporter of Women.

I really value all I learned from you. Most often I’m stopped by asking: where will I put it? I’ve gradually gained a better understanding that those shopping cravings can be quieted. Thank you for everything! -M. A., New York City

I am grateful to have discovered the Stopping Overshopping Program. I have made significant changes in my shopping & spending behaviour. I am now enjoying a sense of freedom from the constant pull to acquire material items. I highly recommend this comprehensive and holistic program that is supported with excellent resources. -ML Sydney, Australia

Working with Carrie Rattle has changed my life. I went to Carrie to see if I could learn a few new tricks about budgeting. I did not expect that I would gain, from her, an entirely new understanding of my earning and spending habits, and my underlying money beliefs. Carrie began working with my family by first making sure that we–and she–fully understood our values. That was the solid foundation that set us on a revolutionizing journey. On a practical note: Carrie helped us reduce our annual expenses by over 14% in the first few months of working with her. On a more meaningful note: Carrie helped us toward lifelong improved habits of budgeting, spending and thinking about finances. I cannot recommend her highly enough.

Laurie Gilmore, Real Estate Broker, Primary Household Wage Earner & Mom

I definitely feel more confident & in control of my money.  Carrie provided the tools to help me get my finances to a place where I feel like I understand what’s going on.  After working with Carrie for a few months, I found out that I had to move across the border for my job.  This was fairly last minute so I did not have time to plan.  Carrie helped me every step of the way and I was able to get ahead of the game financially and budget for what was to come.  Although I had to go into some debt to pay for this move, I am confident that with Carrie’s guidance & what I’ve learned, I will be able to pay off this debt and not have to sacrifice anything.

            Stephanie Catena, Director of Sales, Canada

Carrie’s coaching skills are excellent. She not only provides a safe, trusting environment where clients can honestly talk about their money challenges, but goes beyond. Carrie’s 30 years of expertise in financial services enable her to cut through industry jargon, and guide her clients toward natural, simple solutions to solve undesirable money behaviors…without deprivation. I even incorporated some of her suggestions!

Olivia Mellan, is CEO & Founder of MoneyHarmony, and groundbreaker in the field of money psychology, couple communication, stress management, and conflict resolution since 1982. She has appeared on Oprah, the Today Show, ABC’s 20/20, and other nationwide media. Olivia is also the author of 5 critically acclaimed books and a columnist for Investment Advisor Magazine.

I am so glad I made the decision [to go through the twelve week course]! I gradually came to understand why I shopped the way I did and how to overcome the compulsion. Hearing the others in the group share their own experiences was extremely helpful; I didn’t feel so isolated anymore; my secret was out. -J. M., Oklahoma

April Benson’s Stopping Overshopping Program has changed my life. By helping me become aware of the roots of my money behavior and by fostering compassion for myself, it has freed me from the burdens of guilt and shame. -C. B., New York, New York

Your program changed my life. Instead of being bogged down by overshopping, I have more time and I am enjoying little things more than ever before. My feeling of hope is propelling me towards new and better things then spending. -MJF, New Jersey

The group has been very helpful to me in many ways. The group has helped me with specific strategies to overcome my behavior and I now find myself more mindful when I do shop. I feel like I have turned the corner in becoming the type of person I want to be. -J. F., Virginia

I feel blessed to have found this program, where I discovered so many things. Though I had always rationalized my purchases, I hid them from my husband. In the group, I abandoned this denial—my first major victory. -S.T., Minneapolis, Minnesota

I’ve learned more about myself and my addiction in the last twelve weeks than I ever thought possible. Breaking down the experience into small steps, really understanding my emotional state and how it impacted my addiction—these were vital for my healing. April guided it all, melding warmth, clarity, and the setting of realistic goals. -K.C., New York, New York

I want to thank you for creating the assessment package that makes up Your Shopping Self-Portrait. You’ve taught me that shopping can be an unhealthy way of dealing with issues that have nothing to do with money or “stuff” and everything to do with who I am and how I live my life. -L.L., Benicia, California

Finding April and completing her telephone support group quickly got me off the [internet shopping] hook. The systematic and comprehensive approach really “gets” the overshopping compulsion. Six months later, I feel in control on the internet. At last, I’ve developed a happy and healthy relation to shopping. -J. E., Los Angeles

I don’t need [merchandise from top stores to feel valued] anymore. And I owe that to your help for which I can never thank you enough. I feel so different, so relaxed and unburdened. My Master Card dropped 66% in one month. -S.T., Houston, Texas

I want to thank you for your understanding and compassion in dealing with my compulsive shopping/spending problem. The skills I developed in your group are helping me to grow and learn and gain more control over my compulsive shopping. -G. G., New York

Dr. Benson is a warm and caring person who offers practical solutions to seemingly complicated shopping problems. She reaches out to each person as an individual and not as a textbook case. -Sober Shopper

I have been fortunate during this year to be introduced and work with Carrie Rattle.  I feel very blessed that Carrie came into my life.  We worked through the book and workbook in the program and discussed at length ideas that I put into place to control my spending and decide what was important for me to spend on and what was not. And ways to pause to think about what I was doing before I acted on spending in any given situation. I came away from this with a wonderful awareness of what is important and what is not.  Thank u Carrie Rattle!    With gratitude S.E.

..Now shopping is a pleasurable….well thought out plan

Working with you on compulsive shopping was most helpful. Now shopping is a pleasurable, carefully thought out plan, fulfilling and not disappointing. -T. S., Houston, TX

April Benson’s course is highly valuable. It opened my eyes to why I overshop and gave me the tools to stop doing it. The course was wonderful–concise and meaty. April Benson is a dynamic speaker, and her materials and exercises and groupwork combine joy and seriousness. -M. F., New Jersey

You provided a warm place to land with real help and no recriminations! I read your book like it was champagne. I learned so much from the exercises of the program and the warm uplifting talks we had. I learned to use tools that I never knew were out there. What you have is a godsend for people like me and I can only believe there are still thousands out there you need to be there for. I feel that it’s at the core of my soul that I changed. I am a very different person today, thanks to you. -L.S., Sandusky, OH

When I came to Carrie, I was in a state of financial vagueness. I grew up privileged with parental support for college and medical school. I had no concept about financial planning. I learned patterns of overspending in adolescence. Despite excelling in my medical career, I lacked the insight to accept that these spending patterns were not only excessive but very serious – enough to cause long term repercussions. Working with Carrie was an epiphany. Carrie had a very specific program that incorporated financial strategies, cognitive-behavioral approaches and exercises to identify and understand maladaptive patterns. This journey would not have been possible without Carrie’s supportive, caring manner which enabled the work necessary to understand sound financial behaviors. Now, instead of living in a financial fog, I have emerged empowered and more financially stable. D.C. Arizona

Not only did your advice encourage me… just hearing your voice was healing. I am rarely feeling empty or lonely these days. I have no personal debts and money in the bank. I haven’t used a store credit card since 2005. -S.B., New York