Ally Jane Ayers
@allyjaneayers.bsky.social
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Hi, I'm Ally Jane Ayers. I'm a former book editor and music journalist who fell in love with finance and co-founded a pretty successful (if I do say so myself) financial planning firm called Brooklyn Fi.
If I were to design a practical money class for life after college, it would be a six-part series for emerging adults. These would be the classes:
Class 1: What You Earn and What You Keep
Class 2: Budgeting and the Real Cost of Moving Out
Class 1: What You Earn and What You Keep
Class 2: Budgeting and the Real Cost of Moving Out
December 5, 2025 at 7:35 PM
If I were to design a practical money class for life after college, it would be a six-part series for emerging adults. These would be the classes:
Class 1: What You Earn and What You Keep
Class 2: Budgeting and the Real Cost of Moving Out
Class 1: What You Earn and What You Keep
Class 2: Budgeting and the Real Cost of Moving Out
An S-Corp can save you money on self-employment taxes. Instead of paying 15.3% on all your profits (that’s just the payroll tax that every business pays), you pay it only on a “reasonable salary” you set for yourself.
December 4, 2025 at 1:53 PM
An S-Corp can save you money on self-employment taxes. Instead of paying 15.3% on all your profits (that’s just the payroll tax that every business pays), you pay it only on a “reasonable salary” you set for yourself.
When I got my first job I nearly skipped contributing to my 401(k) because I just didn’t know what it was. It was a cubicle mate who suggested I contribute because it was the right thing to do.
December 3, 2025 at 7:23 PM
When I got my first job I nearly skipped contributing to my 401(k) because I just didn’t know what it was. It was a cubicle mate who suggested I contribute because it was the right thing to do.
This week on my Substack, Money Changes Everything, I addressed the money questions young adults are carrying into the world.
December 2, 2025 at 5:31 PM
This week on my Substack, Money Changes Everything, I addressed the money questions young adults are carrying into the world.
Just like a well-designed home, a well-designed financial life has a solid foundation. Of course, sometimes you have guests and get busy, and your house gets really messy and hard to live in. That’s okay, next weekend, you’re going to do a deep clean.
November 28, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Just like a well-designed home, a well-designed financial life has a solid foundation. Of course, sometimes you have guests and get busy, and your house gets really messy and hard to live in. That’s okay, next weekend, you’re going to do a deep clean.
Every good home should have a cleaning schedule. Your financial house is no different. Here’s a simple rhythm to keep things in shape without turning money into a second job.
November 26, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Every good home should have a cleaning schedule. Your financial house is no different. Here’s a simple rhythm to keep things in shape without turning money into a second job.
This week on Money Changes Everything, I wrote about what it takes to design a financial system that actually holds.
If your financial life feels steady only when you have the time to manage it, this week’s post gives you a better way forward.
If your financial life feels steady only when you have the time to manage it, this week’s post gives you a better way forward.
The Financial Home Edit Part 3: Design Your Financial Home for the Future
This is the final installment of our three-part series inspired by Marie Kondo’s The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up to help you get your shit together before the end of the year.
moneychangeseverything.substack.com
November 25, 2025 at 5:28 PM
This week on Money Changes Everything, I wrote about what it takes to design a financial system that actually holds.
If your financial life feels steady only when you have the time to manage it, this week’s post gives you a better way forward.
If your financial life feels steady only when you have the time to manage it, this week’s post gives you a better way forward.
If you’ve got old 401(k)s floating around, this is the time to roll them over into one place. It is not glamorous work. It is, in fact, a somewhat painful process. It takes at least 60 days to roll your money over, and some companies will literally mail you a paper check that looks like a scam.
November 21, 2025 at 5:15 PM
If you’ve got old 401(k)s floating around, this is the time to roll them over into one place. It is not glamorous work. It is, in fact, a somewhat painful process. It takes at least 60 days to roll your money over, and some companies will literally mail you a paper check that looks like a scam.
I'm FREE from book jail!!!
I'm writing a book called "Creative Money: New Financial Rules for Artists, Innovators, and Misfits, and every week I share my progress.
This week's update is that I turned in the manuscript and will be taking the next 5 weeks off from book updates.
I'm writing a book called "Creative Money: New Financial Rules for Artists, Innovators, and Misfits, and every week I share my progress.
This week's update is that I turned in the manuscript and will be taking the next 5 weeks off from book updates.
November 20, 2025 at 10:31 PM
I'm FREE from book jail!!!
I'm writing a book called "Creative Money: New Financial Rules for Artists, Innovators, and Misfits, and every week I share my progress.
This week's update is that I turned in the manuscript and will be taking the next 5 weeks off from book updates.
I'm writing a book called "Creative Money: New Financial Rules for Artists, Innovators, and Misfits, and every week I share my progress.
This week's update is that I turned in the manuscript and will be taking the next 5 weeks off from book updates.
As we approach the end of the year, this is the time when sorting and organizing your finances matters most. The IRS is not a “spark joy” kind of institution. Most of the IRS deadlines are December 31, and if you miss them, you don’t get a do-over in April.
November 19, 2025 at 9:00 PM
As we approach the end of the year, this is the time when sorting and organizing your finances matters most. The IRS is not a “spark joy” kind of institution. Most of the IRS deadlines are December 31, and if you miss them, you don’t get a do-over in April.
This week on my Substack, Money Changes Everything, I wrote about what comes after the decluttering: giving every dollar a place to live before December 31.
November 18, 2025 at 8:14 PM
This week on my Substack, Money Changes Everything, I wrote about what comes after the decluttering: giving every dollar a place to live before December 31.
If you’re a business owner, financial clutter is often even worse.
Maybe you opened an LLC for a side hustle that’s been dormant for years, or you’re technically still part of a partnership that hasn’t had revenue since 2019.
Now is the time to simplify.
Maybe you opened an LLC for a side hustle that’s been dormant for years, or you’re technically still part of a partnership that hasn’t had revenue since 2019.
Now is the time to simplify.
November 14, 2025 at 2:15 PM
If you’re a business owner, financial clutter is often even worse.
Maybe you opened an LLC for a side hustle that’s been dormant for years, or you’re technically still part of a partnership that hasn’t had revenue since 2019.
Now is the time to simplify.
Maybe you opened an LLC for a side hustle that’s been dormant for years, or you’re technically still part of a partnership that hasn’t had revenue since 2019.
Now is the time to simplify.
Most of us are carrying around financial clutter we’ve forgotten about.
Old bank accounts we opened in college. Subscriptions we meant to cancel months ago. Credit cards that cost more in fees than they’re worth. Digital wallets and half-used apps scatter our money into a dozen hiding places.
Old bank accounts we opened in college. Subscriptions we meant to cancel months ago. Credit cards that cost more in fees than they’re worth. Digital wallets and half-used apps scatter our money into a dozen hiding places.
November 12, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Most of us are carrying around financial clutter we’ve forgotten about.
Old bank accounts we opened in college. Subscriptions we meant to cancel months ago. Credit cards that cost more in fees than they’re worth. Digital wallets and half-used apps scatter our money into a dozen hiding places.
Old bank accounts we opened in college. Subscriptions we meant to cancel months ago. Credit cards that cost more in fees than they’re worth. Digital wallets and half-used apps scatter our money into a dozen hiding places.
Most of us aren’t bad with money, we’re just managing too many accounts, cards, and subscriptions. All that financial noise makes it harder to focus on what actually matters.
November 11, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Most of us aren’t bad with money, we’re just managing too many accounts, cards, and subscriptions. All that financial noise makes it harder to focus on what actually matters.
Coming Tomorrow: The Financial Home Edit (Part 1)
Most of us aren’t bad with money, we’re just buried under financial clutter.
Forgotten accounts, unused credit cards, half-used apps, and a dozen digital wallets quietly fracture our focus.
Most of us aren’t bad with money, we’re just buried under financial clutter.
Forgotten accounts, unused credit cards, half-used apps, and a dozen digital wallets quietly fracture our focus.
November 10, 2025 at 9:29 PM
Coming Tomorrow: The Financial Home Edit (Part 1)
Most of us aren’t bad with money, we’re just buried under financial clutter.
Forgotten accounts, unused credit cards, half-used apps, and a dozen digital wallets quietly fracture our focus.
Most of us aren’t bad with money, we’re just buried under financial clutter.
Forgotten accounts, unused credit cards, half-used apps, and a dozen digital wallets quietly fracture our focus.
If I could tell my younger self one thing, it wouldn’t be about résumés or networking events. It would be this: stop waiting for someone to hand you your next step. Apply anyway. Pitch anyway. Save anyway.
November 7, 2025 at 7:23 PM
If I could tell my younger self one thing, it wouldn’t be about résumés or networking events. It would be this: stop waiting for someone to hand you your next step. Apply anyway. Pitch anyway. Save anyway.
I’m writing a book! It’s called Creative Money: New Financial Rules for Artists, Innovators, and Misfits, and every week I share my progress.
This week's update finds me stripping away a lot of autobiographical stuff.
This week's update finds me stripping away a lot of autobiographical stuff.
November 6, 2025 at 11:57 PM
I’m writing a book! It’s called Creative Money: New Financial Rules for Artists, Innovators, and Misfits, and every week I share my progress.
This week's update finds me stripping away a lot of autobiographical stuff.
This week's update finds me stripping away a lot of autobiographical stuff.
In my 20s, I wish I’d treated my career more like a business.
For too long, I acted like an employee waiting to be noticed instead of someone responsible for managing her own professional assets.
For too long, I acted like an employee waiting to be noticed instead of someone responsible for managing her own professional assets.
November 5, 2025 at 9:49 PM
In my 20s, I wish I’d treated my career more like a business.
For too long, I acted like an employee waiting to be noticed instead of someone responsible for managing her own professional assets.
For too long, I acted like an employee waiting to be noticed instead of someone responsible for managing her own professional assets.
Most of us get stuck because we’re waiting for something, whether it's the right contact or the right timing. But progress doesn’t come from waiting. It comes from motion.
Stop Waiting for Permission: Career Lessons From My 20s
Building your ideal career takes time, well-written emails, and a lot of luck.
moneychangeseverything.substack.com
November 4, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Most of us get stuck because we’re waiting for something, whether it's the right contact or the right timing. But progress doesn’t come from waiting. It comes from motion.
Coming Tomorrow: Stop Waiting for Permission
Most people don’t get stuck because they lack talent. They get stuck because they’re waiting for the right opportunity, the right contact, the right timing.
Most people don’t get stuck because they lack talent. They get stuck because they’re waiting for the right opportunity, the right contact, the right timing.
November 3, 2025 at 7:16 PM
Coming Tomorrow: Stop Waiting for Permission
Most people don’t get stuck because they lack talent. They get stuck because they’re waiting for the right opportunity, the right contact, the right timing.
Most people don’t get stuck because they lack talent. They get stuck because they’re waiting for the right opportunity, the right contact, the right timing.
You cannot fix a fundamentally expensive lifestyle with better budgeting habits. If your fixed costs are too high, the rest is just damage control.
How to Stop Spending Money
Or at least, stop spending money in ways that don’t serve you
moneychangeseverything.substack.com
November 1, 2025 at 1:02 PM
You cannot fix a fundamentally expensive lifestyle with better budgeting habits. If your fixed costs are too high, the rest is just damage control.
That line from The Devil Wears Prada haunted me: “A million girls would kill for this job, I can find someone to do your job in five minutes.”
October 31, 2025 at 12:02 PM
That line from The Devil Wears Prada haunted me: “A million girls would kill for this job, I can find someone to do your job in five minutes.”
The American workplace is built on a culture of negotiation. It’s not impolite to do it, it’s expected. I didn’t understand that when I started out and it cost me years of compounding opportunity.
October 29, 2025 at 11:15 AM
The American workplace is built on a culture of negotiation. It’s not impolite to do it, it’s expected. I didn’t understand that when I started out and it cost me years of compounding opportunity.
The hardest part about asking for a raise is taking the emotion out of it. You are not begging for a favor. You are not confessing. You are presenting numbers:
October 28, 2025 at 3:31 PM
The hardest part about asking for a raise is taking the emotion out of it. You are not begging for a favor. You are not confessing. You are presenting numbers:
Coming Tomorrow: Negotiation Is Not Rude. It’s Required.
Most people are never taught how to ask for more, and it quietly costs them thousands over the course of their careers.
Most people are never taught how to ask for more, and it quietly costs them thousands over the course of their careers.
October 27, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Coming Tomorrow: Negotiation Is Not Rude. It’s Required.
Most people are never taught how to ask for more, and it quietly costs them thousands over the course of their careers.
Most people are never taught how to ask for more, and it quietly costs them thousands over the course of their careers.