Blog

My Grandfather, Bob, had an incredible impact on my life and has influenced many of my career decisions as an adult. I was very close to my Grandparents growing up and spent a lot of time with them during summer breaks. After I graduated from high school, I lived with my Grandparents...

April 05, 2019

Enlisting in the U.S. Coast Guard provided a stable and a predictable sense of finances, and I did develop some solid saving habits. But soon the rest of my world, the stresses and the emotional ride, got the better of me.  Behaviors became abysmal.  I acted out, and used money as...

April 04, 2019

A Friend Along the WayAs a financial counselor, I often find myself using phrases like “Sister, I feel you” or “Brother, you’re preaching to the choir”. One of the first steps in building a relationship with clients is to establish a rapport with them. Nothing sets the tone better than being open...

April 03, 2019

I never knew that learning how to live well on little and living within my means would truly make or break me in life.  I learned the "envelope system" from my sweet grandparents growing up. My parents worked long hours and my grandparents taught me about life. I learned to...

April 02, 2019

My spark for financial literacy arose from Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace high school curriculum when I was 16. I was captivated by how freeing a budget could be! Fast forward, in college I worked at a non-profit called Rapha House that provides aftercare and safe houses for victims of human...

April 01, 2019

Amanda Burke is the co-founder and author of Camp Change Ministries. She is an Accredited Financial Counselor® (AFC®) with more than 15 years of experience in the financial industry. She is also pursuing the CFP®(Certified Financial Planner) designation.AFCPE: You’ve been an AFCPE Member since 2018, but we just recently were introduced...

March 29, 2019

Andi Wrenn, AFC® is a financial counselor who is passionate about helping people make great financial decisions. She is equally as passionate about helping other financial professionals make connections and build a rewarding career. As an early recipient of the FINRA Foundation Military Spouse Fellowship, Andi’s supportive presence has been a...

March 20, 2019

April is Financial Literacy Month. Let's break the silence. Let's talk about money. #MyFinLitStory “In our culture, money is not only a basic need, but also a measure of success…[and] anything that can be conflated with our sense of value as humans is often difficult to discuss with ease.”1 If...

March 18, 2019

Diana Kyu Yacob is an AFC® and FFC® with a passion for helping anyone with a desire to have a better financial future – whether that’s not living paycheck to paycheck, reducing debt, saving, improving credit, or whatever it is their heart desires financially.AFCPE: When people ask you what you do, how...

March 15, 2019

Ellie Kay is an author and speaker who has spent more than 20 years working in the financial space. She is also the founder of Heroes at Home, a non-profit company dedicated to providing free financial education to service members and their families. In 2019, Ellie joined the AFCPE Board of...

March 08, 2019

Social and traditional media have been abuzz with articles and information about the rising phenomenon of digital currencies. Words and phrases like blockchain, cryptocurrency, initial coin offering, and digital tokens populate our newsfeeds. But what does it all mean, and should you buy in?What is Cryptocurrency?Cryptocurrency, or simply crypto, is...

March 04, 2019

Starlett Henderson is a freelancer who has a created a work life that fits the needs of her family and those whom she serves. She provides life skills services to nonprofit organizations, government contractors, and individuals based on their particular needs and timing. Starlett began her journey with AFCPE as...

February 08, 2019