Meet 5 Top Female-Focused Personal Finance Influencers
All Want to Help You Save, Spend & Invest Wisely. Which One Is Right For You?
As someone born on April 15th, I’ve spent my whole life hearing “Ugh… Tax Day” (insert frown face emoji here) when answering the question, “When is your birthday?” Not exactly a balloons and fireworks reaction.
But for every action there is a reaction, so I’ve chosen to turn that tax frown upside down and use the month of April to focus instead on the positive empowerment of a personal finance reset. After all, April is officially Financial Literacy Month – and, unofficially, a time for good, deep spring cleaning-style reset.
Why are female-focused personal finance influencers trending? Because it doesn’t take “girl math” to figure out that a persistent gender pay gap + jumping in and out of the workforce to care for children or aging parents = women generally realizing lower lifetime earnings than men.
Plus, research shows that while the average woman’s retirement income is 70% that of the average man’s, her savings generally must stretch longer since women have a higher life expectancy (an average of 4-5 years) than men.
Therefore, Women in Print Alliance has rounded up a list of five of the most popular female-focused personal finance resources to help you reset (or jumpstart) your budget, savings and investment goals this April.
Best for: The woman who wants to stop living paycheck-to-paycheck but still enjoys a new pair of shoes. Certified financial educator Bola Sokunbi, who boasts saving $100,000 in three years on a $54,000 salary, offers 30 free online classes on topics like buying your first home, adding to your income stream, and managing student loans. Her articles and podcasts touch on credit (and credit card debt), the often-ignored racial wealth gap, embracing minimalism, and even how to indulge your love of luxury (looking) fashion on a budget.
Best for: The woman looking for serious investment strategies and retirement planning services. An all-women team of financial advisors offers fee-based, customizable, goal-oriented investment and retirement strategies built on the company’s motto that “There is no such thing as gender neutral financial services or choices in and industry that was built by men, for men.” Led by CEO/CIO Dr. Sylvia Kwan, previously with Charles Schwab, the company offers a unique range of “private, impact-focused alternative investments” to build your financial portfolio in a socially conscious manner.
Best for: The working single mom looking to “date, parent, and make more money.” Founder Emma Johnson has curated a wealth (pardon the pun) of resources for all kinds of moms: divorced, never married, gay/straight, or widowed. Her site blends the topics of money, parenting, and wellness, and dating. It also offers resources on grants and financial assistance uniquely offered to single mothers. Not a mom? You’re still likely to find a golden nugget or two on this site featured by the Wall Street Journal and O – the Oprah Winfrey Magazine.
Best for: The 30-something woman who is unabashed in her drive to multiply wealth and live like a millionaire. Founder and CEO Fiona Smith is not shy about her quest to help fellow millennial women earn, manage, and invest with a millionaire’s mindset. Smith, who was inspired to seek a degree in personal finance after seeing her grandparents lose their life savings and home, offers a weekly newsletter with actionable money management tips along with a blog. Her signature resource is a free powerful budget and finance tracker to help women gain control of their finances to start building generational wealth.
Best for: The woman who wants to “get good with money.” (And, yes, that means getting out of debt.) Tiffany Aliche, the self-proclaimed “Budgetnista,” is an inspiring, award-winning financial educator who authors free straight-talk, non-judgmental blog posts focused on helping women break the cycle of credit card debt, increase credit scores, and create basic savings plans to build financial security. Women looking to level up can join her fee-based “Get Good With Money” membership, which includes on-demand courses and a private Facebook group.
As a woman in print (and business), you’re likely spending an inordinate amount of your time earning, budgeting and managing funds for your company and customers, which may leave less time to focus on your own economic situation.
April is a great month to reclaim time to explore new finance tools, tips, and resources to keep you empowered – and prospering! – all year long.
