Financial stress doesn't clock out when the workday starts.
It shows up in focus, productivity, engagement, retention—and in the decisions employees make about their careers and their futures.
On this episode of Inside the C-Suite, Christy Honeycutt sits down with Einat Steklov, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Kashable, to challenge how we think about financial wellness and the role employers can—and should—play.
Einat's perspective is personal. After immigrating to the U.S. with an advanced education, a successful legal career and a strong income, she experienced firsthand how difficult it could be to establish credit without an existing U.S. credit history.
That experience ultimately helped inspire Kashable and a different way of thinking about access to credit: What if employment could be part of the financial wellness equation?
We dig into the pros and cons of employer-sponsored financial solutions—from expanding access to more responsible credit, financial education and coaching to the very real questions leaders should be asking about privacy, dependency, employer responsibility and where the line should exist between someone's financial life and their workplace.
Because financial wellness isn't as simple as adding another benefit.
We also talk about the alternatives employees may turn to when traditional credit isn't available, the potential consequences of high-cost lending, and why borrowing against a 401(k) can sometimes be a signal of a much bigger financial challenge.
And this isn't just a frontline-worker issue.
Financial stress can impact a Gen Z employee trying to establish credit for the first time, a mid-career professional supporting a family, or a highly compensated executive whose lifestyle and financial obligations have changed. Income doesn't always equal financial stability.
For HR and business leaders, that creates an important question:
Do we really understand what's happening with our workforce—or are we making assumptions based on someone's title and paycheck?
Einat and I also go beyond financial wellness to talk about leadership, culture and what she's learned building Kashable. She shares why empathy, transparency, development and partnership matter—and why she believes her people are ultimately the company's greatest competitive advantage.
The bigger conversation isn't whether employers should solve people's financial lives. They can't.
It's whether leaders are willing to understand the realities their people are navigating—and create access to tools that can help them build a more stable future.
What you'll learn:
Why financial wellness affects the entire workforce
How credit invisibility can limit opportunity
Why employment can provide meaningful underwriting context
The hidden costs of high-cost lending alternatives
How financial stress can influence productivity and retention
Why financial wellness is not limited to frontline workers
What HR leaders can measure to build a stronger business case
How 401(k) borrowing can signal financial pressure
Why employees increasingly expect support beyond compensation
How leaders can recognize blind spots around employee financial realities
Why culture can become a company's greatest competitive advantage
What empathetic leadership looks like in practice
| Connect with Us |
Follow Einat Steklov:
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/einat-steklov-099650/
Kashable – Financial Wellness for Employees
(Einat Steklov is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Kashable, a financial wellness company focused on expanding access to responsible credit and financial support for working Americans. Her experience as an immigrant, attorney, and entrepreneur shaped her perspective on the limitations of traditional credit systems and helped inspire Kashable's employer-based approach to financial wellness. She also co-founded Coral Capital Solutions and brings extensive experience in financial services, entrepreneurship, and organizational leadership.)
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