Blog

Michele Godfrey is a personal financial counselor and educator who is passionate about supporting clients to make the best financial decisions for their future. Through education and resources, she helps them build skills and gain financial self-sufficiency. Along with being a Financial Readiness Program Manager (Fort Belvoir Army Garrison) and...

March 01, 2019

Laura Coleman is a Tennessee-based Accredited Financial Counselor® with a special niche – preparing couples financially for fertility and adoption. After experiencing firsthand the financial burden and stress that accompanies the fertility and adoption process, Laura felt called to start her blog, podcast, and financial coaching practice, Family Money Coaching. In this...

October 19, 2018

Mario Fischel spent more than 20 years as manager of financial advisory programs at the World Bank.  Today, he works as a financial education specialist and is the creator of the innovative financial education game, Bulls & Bears. AFCPE: What was your inspiration for Bulls & Bears?  Mario: Bulls &...

May 11, 2018

We all love stories. They inspire. They motivate. They connect. In honor of National Financial Literacy Month, we asked AFCPE professionals to share their stories. To tell us their "Why". What inspired them to become financial educators, counselors or coaches. As the month comes to an end, the stories do...

April 28, 2017

In the fall of 2008 I had just moved my small family across the country. We were 1,000 miles from anyone we knew, my wife was 8 months pregnant with our second daughter, I had no job and, after deciding not to go to medical school, no idea what I wanted...

April 27, 2017

When I became pregnant at 18, people made it quite clear that my life was about to change forever. These people were close to me and offered the best advice they could. Advice like, “Don't go to college. Get on welfare” or “Your life is pretty much going to revolve...

April 26, 2017

I was inspired to pursue my AFC® certification because of an early county teaching experience. While teaching a basic budgeting class, I met a young mother of three who was working three different jobs in order to make ends meet. I was amazed at how resourceful and goal oriented she was....

April 25, 2017

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ff22A_dvfRU&feature=youtu.be Study Break! A group of professionals, all studying for the AFC® exam, take a break to share their "Why." Learn what inspired six women from United Way California Capital Region to pursue the AFC certification and become financial counselors and coaches. Renee: “My why is because I want young children to learn this [information]...

April 24, 2017

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcvkkhrDAkw&feature=youtu.be My why, the reason I love to do this work, is because of the relief that it brings to people. Money can be a really scary subject. There was a recent study that showed that 30% of Americans can't sleep at night because they were worrying about their finances....

April 21, 2017

People LOVE to talk about money! Yup, you heard me! If we, as professionals, meet people where THEY are and address their concerns, they will talk about this taboo subject. I became a financial professional to help people live well with their money. After working in the nonprofit sector for...

April 20, 2017

Christmas was around the corner and I had no money, but I did have a four-year-old-boy who believed Santa would bring gifts on Christmas morning. I called the Child Support Enforcement automated line to find out if, by some miracle, a child-support check was in the mail. There was not...

April 19, 2017

In college, I had dreams of pursuing a career in finance as a high-powered broker but when I married into the Military it quickly became apparent that my professional plans would include less Wall Street and more Main Street. While preparing for an upcoming PCS in 2010, I decided to...

April 18, 2017