I was born and raised on the island of Jamaica until the age of ten when I migrated to the United States. I lived in Bridgeport, CT where I attended school. I went on to receive a MS and BS/accounting degree from the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, CT. Since then, I have worked as a regulator (financial examiner) for fifteen years with the state of Connecticut.
I became profoundly interested in personal finance because I was financially frustrated. As a working professional making what is considered a decent income, I found myself using a credit card as a bridge to the next paycheck and $68,000 in debt. Fed up I drew the line in the sand and decided to take control of my money instead of making it control me. I learned how to manage my money, and, now I never feel like I am living paycheck to paycheck. I did not want the financially stresses I saw as a young child. The ones where mothers and fathers work numerous jobs to make ends meet, missing out on precious time with their families. So, I read and researched information about budgeting and money management. I attended seminars and workshops, and read reports that were put out by the federal reserve and other financial institutions. Finally, I put pen to paper and created a budget to see where my money was going. I painstakingly listed all of my debt and developed a plan to be debt free, to build wealth and change my family tree.
In the midst of my own journey I started a dialogue with my peers, family, church family and coworkers. It became obvious that I was not the only one who had this desire to be financially stable. At that time, I realized even people who are considered middle class with good incomes, smart and skilled, were also struggling financially. That’s when it dawned on me, the problem that everyone had was “the know how.” The reason why so many people did not have “the know how” was because many of us did not learn financial literacy growing up. As a result, we may have unknowingly made unwise financial decisions that we now find ourselves working hard to recover from. Creating stress and uncertainty about our financial future.
I want to provide a road map of personal finance principles to help industrious people like myself expand their financial knowledge, improve money habits, and fulfill their financial goals. I completed the Financial Coach Master Training program through the Ramsey Solutions program and founded Brown Financial Solutions, LLC to help alleviate the uncertainty around personal finance. Living a debt free life is possible, and I am proof. I paid off my debt in less than two year, and now I am living my best life. You can too.
Photo Credit: Kim Bova
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