Real Money, Real Experts

This week, Real Money, Real Experts welcomes Carl Richards, Certified Financial Planner and creator of the Sketch Guy column in the New York Times.Co-hosts Rebecca Wiggins and Dr. Mary Bell Carlson talk to Carl about adopting a 'problem understanding' mindset when working with clients and becoming a guide rather than a map defender. Carl also gives a preview of his presentation at this year's AFCPE Symposium.*Show Notes*00:45 Intro Carl01:28 The Drawing Board05:29: Building Client Rapport07:16 How to Listen14:59 The Art vs. The Science18:58 Value in Financial Planning21:28 Judgement & Competition28:14 Sneak Peek of Symposium30:10 Your Two CentsWant to get involved with AFCPE®?Here are a few places to start: Become a Member, Sign up for an Essentials Course, or Get AFC Certified today! Want to support the podcast? We love partnering with organizations that share our mission and values. Download our media kit.

This week, Real Money, Real Experts welcomes Dr. Billy Hensley, CEO of the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE). Billy has a distinguished career in personal finance, philanthropy, and higher education and now leads NEFE in bringing financial access to all Americans.Co-hosts Rebecca Wiggins and Dr. Mary Bell Carlson talk to Billy about how career, the impact of COVID-19 on personal finances, and the role that all financial professionals can play in lifting up communities.*Show Notes*00:45 About Billy02:21 Personal Finance Access Issues05:40 Growing Up In Appalachia09:25 A Holistic Personal Finance Ecosystem13:24 Knowing Yourself to Find Opportunities15:17 The Future of NEFE19:23 Creating Opportunity -  100 AFCs23:53 Impact of COVID-1927:30 Your Two CentsShow Note links:NEFE Website https://www.nefe.org/NEFE Personal Finance Ecosystemhttps://www.nefe.org/about/our-philosophy/ecosystem/default.aspxRacism, Bias and Economic Inequality Impair the Financial Well-Being of Millionshttps://www.nefe.org/press-room/news/2020/racism-bias-economic-inequality-impair-financial-well-being-of-millions.aspxWith This Crisis Does Financial Literacy Even Matter?https://www.nefe.org/press-room/news/2020/with-this-crisis-does-financial-literacy-matter.aspxPolitics is Hindering the Effectiveness of Financial Educationhttps://www.nefe.org/press-room/news/2019/politics-hindering-effectiveness-of-financial-education.aspxWant to get involved with AFCPE®?Here are a few places to start: Become a Member, Sign up for an Essentials Course, or Get AFC Certified today! Want to support the podcast? We love partnering with organizations that share our mission and values. Download our media kit.

This week, Real Money, Real Experts welcomes two special guests to talk about two very important, and intersecting concepts. Dedrick Asante-Muhammad and Heather McCulloch join us to talk about racial and gender wealth gaps: what they are, why they exist, how they intersect, and what financial coaches and counselors can do to help their clients overcome them.  Dedrick is the Chief of Race, Wealth, and Community at the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, and Heather is the Founder and Executive Director of Closing the Women's Wealth Gap.Co-hosts Rebecca Wiggins and Dr. Mary Bell Carlson talk to Dedrick and Heather about their careers, and how they've come to be experts on racial and gender wealth gaps.*Show Notes*03:08 About Heather05:36 About Dedrick07:49 The Gender Wealth Gap12:05 The Racial Wealth Gap14:10 COVID's Impact on Race19:19 COVID's Impact on Gender22:31 Moving Women Forward25:02 Moving Racial Minorities Forward26:50 Balancing Private and Public Assets27:33 How Financial Professionals Can Help33:14 Your Two CentsCNN piece with Jennifer Siebel Newsomhttps://www.cnn.com/2020/05/06/perspectives/women-economic-policies-coronavirus/index.htmlSlate with Kilolo Kijakazihttps://slate.com/human-interest/2018/05/gender-inequality-closing-the-wealth-gap-is-critical-to-future-financial-security.html- Report by CWWG Deputy Director, Dominique Derbigny.- Report by Jocelyn Frye, Sr. Fellow at the Center for American Progress- Spotlight on Poverty commentary by the Dominique and Jocelyn - Article on the Want to get involved with AFCPE®?Here are a few places to start: Become a Member, Sign up for an Essentials Course, or Get AFC Certified today! Want to support the podcast? We love partnering with organizations that share our mission and values. Download our media kit.

This week Real Money, Real Experts welcome guest Darren Liddell. Darren's extensive background involves everything from non-profit to tax preparation to extensive work as a racial wealth equity advocate. Liddell has been working in the financial security field for over 8 years. Most recently, Darren served at The Financial Clinic as Director of Program Innovation. In this role, he oversaw the services, data, and policy teams, while providing innovative direction to the Clinic’s new and existing local and national programs. Co-hosts Rebecca Wiggins and Dr. Mary Bell Carlson talk to Darren about his financial path and how to address racial wealth equity in the field of finance. *Show Notes*00:51 About Darren07:36 Turning Experience into Opportunity 08:21 Tax Prep and the Pandemic 09:12 VITA Services 11:15 Racial Inequality in Finance13:11 Building Wealth for Your Clients 15:33 Policy and advocacy as a way to address racial wealth equity21:04 Fintech and the Racial Wealth Gap25:17 Getting involved in non-profit26:41 Your Two CentsResource Links:University of Georgia's Financial Planning Program: https://www.fcs.uga.edu/financial-planningUnited Way’s Financial Coaching Program: https://www.unitedway.org/our-impact/focus/incomeNeighborWorks America: https://www.neighborworks.org/University of Georgia’s VITA program: https://www.fcs.uga.edu/fhce/vitaInternal Revenue Service’s VITA Programs: https://www.irs.gov/individuals/irs-vita-grant-programThe Financial Clinic: https://thefinancialclinic.org/Catalyst Miami: https://www.catalystmiami.org/Prosperity Now: https://prosperitynow.org/Road to Zero (Racial Wealth Equity Data): https://prosperitynow.org/resources/road-zero-wealthSaverLife: https://www.saverlife.org/Brunch and Budget: https://brunchandbudget.com/See Change: https://seechangefinancial.com/Propel: https://www.joinpropel.com/Join AFCPE’s Government Relations Committee: https://www.afcpe.org/afcpe-member-task-forces/We want to hear from you, so be sure to visit our website and follow us on social media!Facebook/AFCPE | Tweet us @AFCPE | Join us on LinkedInTell us what you're thinking and use #realmoneyrealexpertsWant to get involved with AFCPE®?Here are a few places to start: Become a Member, Sign up for an Essentials Course, or Get AFC Certified today! Want to support the podcast? We love partnering with organizations that share our mission and values. Download our media kit.

This week co-hosts Rebecca Wiggins and Dr. Mary Bell Carlson talk with Justin Chidester, AFC® and CFP® about the art of private practice. In a time when virtual meetings have become essential, Justin has mastered how to manage remote clients with his practice spanning over 13 states and three countries. The episode dives into Justin's journey from non-profit to private practice and takes a look at what the path looks like from college to fee-only financial planning and helping clients achieve their financial goals. *Show Notes*00:52 About Justin01:52 Starting Wealth Mode Financial Planning02:50 Financial Adviser vs. Financial Planner 04:29 From non-profit to private practice 05:06 Fee-only financial planning 10:22 How to serve as both and AFC® and CFP®17:17 Growing your client base  21:35 AFCPE® Symposium Conference 27:28 Your Two CentsResource Links:AFC® Certification: https://www.afcpe.org/certification/accredited-financial-counselor/Wealth Mode Financial Planning: https://www.wealth-mode.com/XY Planning Network: https://www.xyplanningnetwork.com/AFCPE® Symposium: https://www.afcpe.org/symposium/Want to get involved with AFCPE®?Here are a few places to start: Become a Member, Sign up for an Essentials Course, or Get AFC Certified today! Want to support the podcast? We love partnering with organizations that share our mission and values. Download our media kit.

In this jam-packed episode, co-hosts Rebecca Wiggins and Dr. Mary Bell Carlson had the opportunity to sit down with AFCPE® President Ryan Law. They talk about everything from how Ryan founded his first student money management center, to what it's like to lead AFCPE® during the year of a global pandemic. Tune in as Ryan shares his path to success and resources for what got him to where he is today as well as essential tips on student loans.*Show Notes*01:22 About Ryan Law06:04 Founding of the Utah Valley Student Money Management Center10:08 Money Management Centers for non-profits10:49 Tips for opening your own business13:31 Student Loans and the Cares Act16:16 Keys things to know about paying off student loans17:24 College Finance Essentials Program **members get $25 off of all of our essentials courses**20:33 About AFCPE®22:19 Your Two CentsResource Links:AFCPE® Symposium: https://www.afcpe.org/symposium/College Finance Essentials: https://www.afcpe.org/education-and-training/college-finance-essentials/Ryan Law Website: https://ryanhlaw.com/Student Loan Planning Book: https://www.amazon.com/Student-Loan-Planning-Borrowers-Understanding/dp/1718079435Want to get involved with AFCPE®?Here are a few places to start: Become a Member, Sign up for an Essentials Course, or Get AFC Certified today! Want to support the podcast? We love partnering with organizations that share our mission and values. Download our media kit.

From a career in the performing arts to managing a finance business and Emmy Award-Winning PBS show, Julia Lorenz-Olson takes listeners through her career in finance and how she uses her background to help her clients. In this episode, cohosts, Rebecca Wiggins, and Dr. Mary Bell Carlson discuss the tools and resources that helped Lorenz-Olson get to where she is today and the current state of the economy. Julia is a Swiss/Texan who was born for the stage. She ADORES getting to use those talents to empower and inspire others to take charge of their own financial destiny. Spending several years in the mortgage industry gave her number-crunching confidence and a unique insight into Real Estate and lending. *Show Notes*01:22 About Julia Lorenz-Olson07:15 The Start of PBS' Two Cents Show10:11 Making finance fun12:02 Connecting with the AFC® designation14:12 Money as a tool for self-awareness18:07 Managing a business as a couple22:00 How COVID is affecting money management26:03 Your Two CentsResource Links:PBS Two Cents: https://www.pbs.org/show/two-cents/The Art of Finance: https://theartoffinance.biz/about/Want to get involved with AFCPE®?Here are a few places to start: Become a Member, Sign up for an Essentials Course, or Get AFC Certified today! Want to support the podcast? We love partnering with organizations that share our mission and values. Download our media kit.

In this episode, cohosts, Rebecca Wiggins, and Dr. Mary Bell Carlson discuss the Financial Fitness Coaching (FFC®)  designation, how it came to be, and its role in the financial field. Featuring guest Saundra Davis, MSFP, APFC®, the three dive deep into the history of Financial Coaching and how it's impacting individuals today. Saundra unpacks a lot of her journey and explains how Financial Coaching provides a person with the self-efficacy to take control of their finances in their own life and instead of treating people as though they are broken, she believes in helping them restore their commitment to their own financial goals. We are looking forward to your thoughts on the FFC® share them with us at AFCPE.org and on social media using #realmoneyrealexperts.*Show Notes*00:52 About Saundra Davis6:40 Saundra's path to financial coaching12:07 The difference in coaching in finance25:24 The beginning of the AFCPE® and FFC® partnership32:07 Future of the FFC®35:57 Your Two CentsResource Links:More information about FFC®: https://www.afcpe.org/certification-and-training/financial-fitness-coach/Sage Financial Solutions: http://sagefinancialsolutions.org/Want to get involved with AFCPE®?Here are a few places to start: Become a Member, Sign up for an Essentials Course, or Get AFC Certified today! Want to support the podcast? We love partnering with organizations that share our mission and values. Download our media kit.

Co-Hosts Rebecca Wiggins and Dr. Mary Bell Carlson interview AFC® Sara Croymans about the essentials of financial emergency preparedness. Sara, who was instrumental in developing AFCPE®'s partnership with FEMA, draws on her experience counseling disaster survivors, gamblers, and military service members and how to provide the best service to these clients. Tune in to the conversation and share your thoughts at AFCPE.org.*Show Notes*00:52 About Sara Croymans01:41 Interview with Sara Croymans18:44 Your Two CentsResource Links:Disaster toolkithttps://extension.umn.edu/FEMA Financial First Aid Kithttps://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/96123COVID-19 Financial Professionals Initiativehttps://www.afcpe.org/covid19/AFCPE Award Nominationhttps://www.afcpe.org/resource-center/funding-and-recognition/awards/Want to get involved with AFCPE®?Here are a few places to start: Become a Member, Sign up for an Essentials Course, or Get AFC Certified today! Want to support the podcast? We love partnering with organizations that share our mission and values. Download our media kit.

In this episode, cohosts, Rebecca Wiggins, and Dr. Mary Bell Carlson discuss the importance of financial empathy and today's current events. This week's guest, Dr. Michael Thomas is an AFC®, with a Ph.D. in Financial Planning from the University of Georgia, and is now a lecturer at the University of Georgia. He also has his own virtual Financial Counseling & Coaching business - Modom Solutions.Dr. Thomas takes us through his experience with financial empathy, the power of listening, and how we can learn to incorporate these not only into our professional careers but also into the communities where we work at serve at such a needed time. We unpack a lot in this episode and are looking forward to your thoughts and insights. Share them with us at AFCPE.org and on social media using #realmoneyrealexperts.*Show Notes*02:04 About Dr. Michael Thomas12:33 What is financial empathy 18:47 How to apply financial empathy in your practice28:04 Current events discussion35:27 How to get ignite change in your community38:45 Your Two Cents43:14 AFCPE® announcementsResource Links:Financial Empathy TEDTalk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hoM5ly2igkModom Solutions: https://www.modomsolutions.com/The Things They Carried book: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/things-they-carried-tim-obrien/1100228685When Helping Hurts book: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/when-helping-hurts-steve-corbett/1100394501Facebook/AFCPE | Tweet us @AFCPE | Join us on LinkedInTell us what you're thinking and use #realmoneyrealexpertsWant to get involved with AFCPE®?Here are a few places to start: Become a Member, Sign up for an Essentials Course, or Get AFC Certified today! Want to support the podcast? We love partnering with organizations that share our mission and values. Download our media kit.