Top 3 Personal Finance Aficionados for Women in Business
These experts give actionable, relevant advice
In 2017, I picked up Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover from the “free” box in front of my favorite used bookstore. I had just finished graduate school and knew I needed a plan to tackle my student loans and reach my financial goals. The book, while harsh and unforgiving, was the kick in the butt I needed to get serious about personal finance. Dave’s “7 Baby Steps” gave me a clear path to follow… until they didn’t.
You are a person, not a gazelle
After a year of being what Ramsey calls “gazelle intense,” I was worn out. Had I tackled a significant chunk of my student loans? Yes. Had I learned about life insurance and other difficult but important things? Also, yes. However, I hadn’t built anything. My “side hustle” was just doing more of my 9–5 job, i.e. picking up extra classes. It provided extra income, but it wasn’t scalable and I didn’t own anything I created. I also realized that Dave’s recommended $1,000 starter emergency fund was not enough for my family. It turned out, I was not the only person who had grown disillusioned with Dave’s dated advice.
Luckily, the personal finance community on Instagram was thriving. I suddenly had so many new and wonderful teachers to follow. Many of the women in this community addressed the reasons women (specifically) need to be actively involved in financial planning. Women tend to live longer and make less, so financial literacy is crucial. While there are many great leaders out there, below are the three that helped me the most.
Top 3 criteria
I’m highlighting these women for five specific reasons:
- 1. Transparency: They clearly acknowledge any partnerships, affiliates, or #ads.
- 2. Free and paid products: They provide a mixture of high-value free products, as well as paid products and services.
- 3. Focus: While anyone can benefit from their advice, they provide content specifically for women, POC, and/or LGBTQ+ folks. They also identify why these populations may not benefit from mainstream financial advice.
- 4. Generation: There are amazing financial experts in every generation, but I received the most help from fellow millennials. We’re what the Washington Post calls the “unluckiest generation in U.S. history” when it comes to economic downturns, and that reality should be acknowledged.
- 5. Personal experience: I have read about, listened to, and purchased products from each of the creators below. Their newsletters or emails provide actionable help and are not spammy.
1. Bola Sokunbi: Clever Girl Finance
Bola Sokunbi is an award-winning Certified Financial Instruction Expert, author, and CEO. She writes candidly about her first experience with high-interest credit card debt, predatory lending, and moving to the U.S. from Nigeria. According to Forbes, Bola struggled to find financial books for women in her situation, so she decided to write the book herself.
Helpful resources from Bola
Bola has written three books, including the eponymous Clever Girl Finance: Ditch debt, save money, and build real wealth. Her website also has financial planners, links to her podcast, and helpful blog posts.
Her advice is best for: If you are looking to free yourself of a guilt-ridden mindset about money and start your own business, Bola’s first book, Clever Girl Finance, is a great introduction to the world of personal finance. If you have a solid foundation and want to learn more about investing (with all the complicated terms defined in clear and understandable language, her second book, Grow Your Money, is incredibly helpful.
2. Tori Dunlap: Her First 100k
Tori Dunlap is an unabashedly feminist financial expert. Her stated goal is to “to help you make what you’re worth, build wealth, and fight the patriarchy.” She saved her first $100k by the age of 25 and helps others reach their personal and professional finance goals.
Helpful resources from Tori
Tori has a wealth of free and paid resources. Many of her free products and resources focus on things like negotiating your salary and interviewing. Negotiating and interviewing well can have important, long-term impacts on one’s salary and benefits. Tori’s paid resources include courses about business-building and side-hustle starting, as well as downloadable scripts for self-promotion and interviews. She recently started the Financial Feminist Podcast, and it consistently ranks in the top 10 for the Business Podcast category.
Her advice is best for: If you want to grow your business or negotiate a better salary in your current job, Tori’s free and paid courses are very helpful. Her podcast also covers the many ways women and POC have historically been left out of conversations about money (and how to change that).
3. Carmen Perez: Make Real Cents
Carmen Perez was one of the first financial influencers I started following. Her story about tackling her student loan debt was inspiring, and made me think I could crush my debt too.
Helpful resources from Carmen
Carmen shares 14 free budget sheets on her website. If you like Excel, she has a $15 budget pack that helps you track savings goals, pay down debt, and manage interest rates. She also sells some very cute printable budget trackers. Carmen is currently working on a budgeting app, and you can sign up here to be one of the first ones to try it.
Her advice is best for: Carmen’s budget and debt-tracking spreadsheets and printables are great for those who are new to financial planning. Her resources are highly visual and free of jargon, making them great for beginners and pros alike.
Your financial journey is not linear
Each of these creators has helped me in different ways. Carmen’s budgeting strategies helped me get away from Dave Ramsey’s dogmatic declarations about money. Tori’s side hustle course helped me expand my writing services. Bola’s news interviews and books helped demystify investing.
We aren’t born understanding the tax advantages of LLC’s or the importance of index funds. These financial aficionados meet you where you are — no guilt, gazelles, or games involved.
