I’ve been where you are

I didn't grow up talking about money. Nobody did. It was considered rude.

My first real education in personal finance came in the late 90s, sitting at a desk as a bill collector. I was a single mom with no college degree, listening to strangers explain why they couldn't pay. I heard every version of the story. And what struck me wasn't the debt. It was how alone people felt in it.

I was good at my job because I listened, not to collect, but to understand.

I went back to school because I had to. No funding, a child to support, and a ceiling I couldn't break through without a degree. That's when I had to start paying serious attention to my finances. I went looking for "the experts." I won't name names, but let's just say they were found wanting.

Over the years, through books, mentors, and eventually the right voices, the picture started to come together. I earned my degree, my MBA, and eventually my PhD in Finance.

Along the way I worked as a loan officer, helping clients navigate credit and home loans. That company went under in 2008, like so many others. I rebuilt. I kept going. My daughter graduated college and paid off every dollar of student debt before interest ever had a chance to touch it. I'm proud of that one.

I've spent over a decade teaching finance at the university level, and I love it. But the classroom reaches who it reaches. FinWe is for everyone.