Do you feel overwhelmed by money or unsure where to begin with investing, saving, or building wealth? You’re not alone, and this episode will help you turn confusion into clarity.

In this episode of The SMARTA Podcast, I’m joined by certified money coach, international speaker, and founder of MoneyPal, Luca Caruana, to talk about financial confidence, emotional wealth, and starting small with your finances, even if you’re 17 and just getting started.

💡 What You’ll Learn:

✓ How your emotional relationship with money shapes your success

✓ Why starting small is the smartest move you can make

✓ The psychological blocks that hold most people back

✓ How to set goals and define your Happy Money Fund

✓ The biggest budgeting mistakes and how to avoid them

✓ Why your past doesn’t have to define your financial future

📚 Luca’s 2 books that completely transformed his perspective of life: The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel & Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers

🎯 In this episode, we talk about:

– The emotional side of money no one teaches us

– Budgeting mistakes that hold people back

– How to set clear, motivating financial goals

– Monetizing your passions and hobbies

– Building your own “Happy Money Fund” guilt-free

– The truth about investing

🧠 Who is Luca Caruana?

Luca is a certified money coach, keynote speaker, and the founder of MoneyPal, with years of experience helping people across Europe achieve financial clarity. Known for his focus on emotional intelligence and financial wellbeing, Luca helps individuals rewrite their financial story, without shame, math phobia, or jargon.

📖 Check out Luca’s upcoming book Unspoken and explore his work: MoneyPal.com

🎬 In this episode:

00:00 Welcome + Luca’s top 3 takeaways

01:45 How to build money habits that last

03:40 Where to start if you’re lost financially

07:00 Luca’s personal wake-up call and financial healing

13:30 Renting vs buying & defining your life goals

18:00 Why you need an emergency fund ASAP

23:00 The Happy Money Fund explained

25:30 Monetizing your passion & purpose

29:20 Why your WHY matters more than your income

31:00 Luca’s top 2 life-changing books

34:10 No-lose decisions and money confidence

36:00 Top mental barriers to financial growth

39:30 Unspoken stories and breaking generational patterns

41:30 Luca’s message to the listener

AD: Learn how CGS can support your company at www.romania.cgsinc.com

🔔 Subscribe for more weekly episodes that fuel growth, clarity, and leadership from the inside out.

📅 New episodes every Monday at 11 AM EST

📺 YouTube: @soniamartaauthor

🌍 Website: www.soniamarta.com

📲 Instagram: @soniamartaauthor | linktr.ee/soniamartauthor