Gone are the days when financial advisors were confined to older White men (and the occasional woman) who rarely if ever understood the nuances between Black folks and our relationships with money. Thanks to social media, a much broader range of experts in this space abounds – and we can easily access their advice from the convenience of our cellular phones. Dialogue around personal finance from breaking into the stock market, saving for retirement and salary negotiations is no longer taboo. But who are the trusted pros leading these necessary conversations and how does one find them on the vast world wide web?
ESSENCE has done the digging for you. Since April is Financial Literacy Month, we rounded up nine financial influencers to follow on Instagram right now. The best part? They’re all Black women! So, whether you’re paying off student loans, saving to buy a home, building an emergency fund or simply just want to get a better grip of your hard-earned coins, one of these savvy sisters has the secret sauce for you.
You’re welcome.
01
Tiffany “The Budgetnista” Aliche @thebudgetnista
Tiffany Aliche, the award-winning founder of The Budgetnista, launched The Live Richer Challenge as a free online resource to help women get their finances in order with practical yet result-driven tasks. The former preschool teacher has since assisted nearly one million people gain financial security and recently released a best-selling book, Get Good with Money: Ten Simple Steps to Becoming Financially Whole to help even more live their best financial lives.
02
Tonya Rapley @myfabfinance
After improving her own credit score by 130 points in just 18 months, while significantly increasing her savings and investment portfolio, Tonya Rapley became a certified financial educator. Since then, the wife and mother behind My Fab Finance has been tapped by the likes of Pepsi, Prudential and our very own Essence Festival of Culture to share her personal finance expertise.
03
Marsha Barnes @thefinancebar
Marsha Horton Barnes of The Finance Bar is a certified financial educator with more than a decade of experience in finance. From debt management to retirement planning, Barnes offers tips to keep those coins in check sans any annoying judgement or preachy vibes. This wife and mom is uber resourceful too: She once converted an old school bus into a mobile financial hub to provide hands-on money management services to her clients.
04
Bola Sokunbi @clevergirlfinance
Whether doling out timely tips on negotiating with creditors about past due payments during the COVID pandemic to dishing out frugal fashion advice (cue #budgetfashion vibes), Clever Girl Finance Founder & CEO Bola Sokunbi delivers. As a wife and mom of twins, she understands the many hats most of us have to wear all while trying to achieve and maintain optimal financial health.
05
Jamila Souffrant @journeytolaunch
Personal finance expert Jamila Souffrant encourages her followers to not just pursue financial freedom but also enjoy the journey. From being a guest on Good Morning America to features in The New York Times, Souffrant empowers her audience to understand how family traditions, peer pressure and even mental health influences our financial practices.
06
Cassandra Cummings @stocksandstilettos
With a vibrant and highly engaged following of more than 80,000 women, Stocks & Stilettos Society is not just a community, but a sisterhood. Led by expert financial advisor Cassandra Cummings, through Stocks & Stilettos she educates her majority African American women audience on ways to manage and grow their portfolio through financial literacy and investing.
07
Dasha Kennedy @thebrokeblackgirl
A self-proclaimed financial activist for Black women, educator Dasha Kennedy’s Instagram posts reads like no-nonsense advice from your homegirl who is really good with all things money. From schooling her audience on the importance of understanding the value of a pre-nup (it’s bigger than divorce) to tips on having money conversations with your children, this account is sure to be a welcome addition to your IG timeline.
08
Nakia Haskins @stayingintheblack
This account might be the rookie on our list but founder Nakia Haskins has a wealth of knowledge (pun intended) to share. As a single mom from a blue collar family, Haskins put her savvy skills to work in order to purchase a Brooklyn, NY brownstone on a teacher’s salary. Now her once fixer-upper home is worth well over a million dollars and she’s on a mission to help other women understand that a trust fund, rich spouse or six-figure salary are in fact not necessary to crush your financial goals. Insider Tip: Her Savings Sunday posts are golden!
09
Clarissa the Budget Queen @budgetqueen_blog
“It’s not about how much money you make, but how you manage it.” That’s the mantra of The Budget Queen founder who is known affectionately to her fans as Clarissa The Money Coach. Clarissa practices what she preaches too as she once paid off $43,000 in credit card debt in just 16 months. Clarissa strategically uses her IG platform to teach working women what she calls the 3Ms: How to make, manage and multiply money, so they can live their best lives.
