Blog

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ff22A_dvfRU&feature=youtu.be Study Break! A group of professionals, all studying for the AFC® exam, take a break to share their "Why." Learn what inspired six women from United Way California Capital Region to pursue the AFC certification and become financial counselors and coaches. Renee: “My why is because I want young children to learn this [information]...

April 24, 2017

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcvkkhrDAkw&feature=youtu.be My why, the reason I love to do this work, is because of the relief that it brings to people. Money can be a really scary subject. There was a recent study that showed that 30% of Americans can't sleep at night because they were worrying about their finances....

April 21, 2017

People LOVE to talk about money! Yup, you heard me! If we, as professionals, meet people where THEY are and address their concerns, they will talk about this taboo subject. I became a financial professional to help people live well with their money. After working in the nonprofit sector for...

April 20, 2017

Christmas was around the corner and I had no money, but I did have a four-year-old-boy who believed Santa would bring gifts on Christmas morning. I called the Child Support Enforcement automated line to find out if, by some miracle, a child-support check was in the mail. There was not...

April 19, 2017

In college, I had dreams of pursuing a career in finance as a high-powered broker but when I married into the Military it quickly became apparent that my professional plans would include less Wall Street and more Main Street. While preparing for an upcoming PCS in 2010, I decided to...

April 18, 2017

One day, while walking through the military exchange (I was on active duty at the time), a young private walked up to me with an immense look of tension on his face. He said, "Ma'am, can you please help me?" I responded saying, "Sure, what can I do?" He said to...

April 17, 2017

Every day I counsel households. For many, it's the first time in their life that they receive real financial counseling from someone whose only vested interest is their financial success. For many it is the first time they see an actual written budget and learn how to make a plan, and they see how simple...

April 14, 2017

My journey to financial counseling started in the crazy world of sub-prime finance. We provided personal and auto loan to individuals with rough credit history. There is a place for sub-prime finance when conducted ethically and honestly. Unfortunately, for most clients we were helping them keep their neck above water....

April 13, 2017

Making an Impacthttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAOk0uQcUpE&feature=youtu.be My "why" is the people that I work with and the impact they have shown me that I have on their lives. It's not just the research (and I've gotten a lot from that), but it's the fact that I will share something with somebody in a...

April 12, 2017

I remember my “why” day vividly--even though it was over 15 years ago. Having only been a financial counselor for a year, I was apprehensive about the new role I had taken on. My biggest fear was meeting with a client and not being able to provide them with the help...

April 11, 2017

There was a time when I was overwhelmed by debt. I felt like I was drowning and didn’t have a lifeline. I was awash in a sea of swirling confusion, ready to go under and give up. But during this difficult time, one of my fellow Shipmates reached out to...

April 10, 2017

I became an Extension educator with Rutgers Cooperative Extension in New Jersey because I was in a 4-H club and understood (as a teenager) the life-changing programs that Cooperative Extension provides. I enjoyed teaching adult education personal finance classes and took courses to become a Certified Financial PlannerTM to have a...

April 07, 2017