Latest Event Updates
When we fail to “QUESTION”
When we see things happening in society and fail to QUESTION it, we are actually, failing to grow. If we are not part of the solution, we are part of the problem. Why is most of society in poverty? Why are there so many homeless people on the streets in every city you visit? Why are there so many children in foster care? Why do we have so many in private prisons? Why isn’t financial education courses taught in schools? Why are history books so outdated? Makes you think, right?! I hope so. Ask the questions, think of solutions, we can make a difference. Song by Billy Holiday “God Bless the child”.
Them that’s got shall get Them that’s not shall lose So the Bible said and it still is news Mama may have, Papa may have But God bless the child that’s got his own That’s got his ownYes, the strong gets more While the weak ones fade Empty pockets don’t ever make the grade Mama may have, Papa may have But God bless the child that’s got his own That’s got his ownMoney, you’ve got lots of friends Crowding round the door When you’re gone and spending ends They don’t come no more Rich relations give Crust of bread and such You can help yourself But don’t take too much Mama may have, Papa may have But God bless the child that’s got his own That’s got his own
Check out our new STORE!https://shop.spreadshirt.com/entbuildalegacy/think+outside+the+box-A5b9441202051764cd8757712?productType=1158&appearance=2&size=29
Make That Change
- Take a look in the mirror
- Be the change you want to see in the world
- When you think about quitting, think about why you started
- Read a self-development book, gain more knowledge
- Each one teach one
- Surround yourself with positive, supportive and successful people
Keep on improving and learning people. Ask the hard questions and then do something about it.
I hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts on life. Like, share and/or comment. Strong families, create strong communities, and nations! Feel me?
Thanks for reading, until next time…
Peace, Love, and Prosperity,
ET – Your Financial Literacy Advocate
Available on Xlibris.com and other online retailers. Want it in your library? Request it. https://www.xlibris.com/Bookstore/BookSearchResults.aspx?Search=journey%20into%20finance
Crypto What?! Part Two
Part Two:
Greetings, yes I’m back (without a headache this time
)!
I recommend reading Part One before jumping into this section; however that is entirely your choice. I think it’s only fair to let you know a little about myself: I don’t recommend anything or speak on a subject unless I’ve tried it or know a little something about it from experience. Outside of earning a degree in Business Administration and a minor in Accounting and Finance, I also work in the banking sector and see actual transactions from people like you and me all the time.
When we (my colleagues and I) started receiving calls about Coinbase transactions, everybody started freaking out, myself included. We had to learn quickly about the terms and how to explain and/or refer them back to the company they were using (in this case, Coinbase). Some millennial were aware of terms like Coinbase and Cryptocurrency, but it was something new to us “old wigs” (trust me, I don’t like the term either, but you get the idea).
Now I must tell you, I was feeling a bit antiquated with this cypto thing so I decided to get myself in the game. I did some research, and opened up a Coinbase account.
Understanding that these cryptocurrencies are so volatile, I spent only what I was willing to lose – $10 bucks. Laugh if you will; I’m getting too old for big losses at this stage in my life (disclosure: because past experience isn’t a guarantee of future projections/profits). That was in January 2018, when Bitcoin was trending at $15k and climbing! I knew I’d never get rich off of Bitcoin but I was doing the damn thing! I’m part of this history and if I never do anything else with these coins, I’m satisfied with the experience.
When I went back to work, I was posting comments and explanations in our chats and feeling pretty darn proud of myself. I also found some interesting things to put my pinky in like – GDAX- which allows trades for free and works well with Coinbase and Coinpot (where do they get these names from 
) – a digital wallet used to stash coins. Once I started digging deeper, I found an external wallet that is safer than digital/online wallets called “Exodus” which can be installed on your own laptop.
Exodus Step-By-Step Backup from Exodus : Your Blockchain Wallet on Vimeo.
Well friends, that’s all for now. Remember to like or comment below.
Until next time,
Peace, love and Prosperity,
ET
End of Year
Greetings fellow readers and bloggers. I hope your year thus far, has been a prosperous journey. If you’ve experienced valleys and mountains along the way, then you’re growing and hopefully learning valuable lessons. I’m certain there’s some that you will definitely want to share with friends, family and acquaintances, as I share with you.
The end of year is fast approaching so I’m dedicating this post to “seeing the big picture” of our personal finances and the importance of knowing this information helps in managing/reaching other goals without sacrificing the things we enjoy (vacations, funerals, medical emergencies, unexpected bills, etc.).
A few months ago, a friend walked up to me after a meeting we both attended on personal finance, we hadn’t seen each other in years and decided to have lunch to catch up on things. We exchanged numbers, hugged and went our separate ways with a promise to chat later. Jane Doe seemed happy and successful, I watched her walk away escorted by her driver to her limo and thought with a smile ‘it must be nice’.
It had been a month since our meeting. I honestly didn’t think I would get a call from her so I was pleasantly surprised to hear her voice on the other end of my phone. Jane sounded distraught and told me her husband passed and she could really use some help with her books. It took me a moment to grasp exactly what she meant about her books, I was sure she had an accountant to handle those things for her I mean she had a driver and a limo! When I asked her did she need some editing done she began laughing and said “no”. Read the rest of this entry »
Here’s more of “Who says it can’t be done?!”
Let’s face it- some of us are living beyond our means, in staggering debt, and not exercising enough and it’s by our own doing (or not doing)! Yep, there I said it! No excuses, and no apologies!
The first step to success is to admit to a problem and then find ways to solve it. These challenges will take us into the next year and start a snowball effect that will drastically change our lives- are you up for it? So, I challenge you to do one if not more of the following with me and see where we end up. Here’s a list of the following challenges. Your mission, if you decide to take it-
Read the following blog articles and/or video challenges, then choose one (or all three) to work on:
- The 30 Day No-Fail Money Challenge – The Debt Myth
- 30 Day Challenge: Finishing What I Started
- The 30 Day Meditation Challenge on DOYOUYOGA
There’s only three to choose from- how hard could it be? Remember, just pick one and do it consistently for the next 30 days! As always, “comment”, “like”, and/or “share”.
See you soon!
Until next time…
Peace, love and prosperity,
ET
FOLLOW YOUR HEART
It’s that gut feeling, it’s the conscious, we are all connected. Every thing you do MATTERS!
Peace, love and prosperity. 👌✌
ET
Time Management These Days
Greetings!
How is everyone? I hope you are living a life of abundance and love. If you’re anything like me, prioritizing a to-do-list may give you a headache. Even though it’s my least favorite task, because I would prefer to not be limited or constrained, it’s just the way it is….it must be done. These days time management is imperative. Most of my days have been spent reading books and writing reviews, traveling to market my book, Journey Into Finance in various bookstores and libraries and working a full time job.
At the time I wrote this, it was raining outside, and I was enjoying a warm cup of coffee and some time writing and catching up with my readers. I’d love to hear from you as fellow bloggers and writers about tips on managing your time while keeping your fans engaged. I’m always open to ideas, so leave your comments below.
Managing time effectively is a powerful asset because without it life can become chaotic. Who needs chaos in their life? Definitely not me and I’m sure you don’t either. Chaos is an emotional overload of the brain that causes a rift throwing us off balance and will affect our ability to maximize our precious time.
>Here are a few tips I picked up:
- Rise early and meditate– before everyone gets up, take that time for a
little introspection (prayer) and do not think about anything work related for at least 30 minutes. - Set a routine for yourself– everything has it’s time and place, make sure to follow a specific routine and make time for the unexpected (the what-if’s)
- Be truthful to yourself and Others– if you just can’t do it- say NO. There’s no sense in beating around the bush, just get to the point with no regrets.
- Step away (take a walk, exercise, drink some water, eat something healthy, go outside)– nothing is more important than your own peace of mind. If you get stuck on a project- ,move around and come back to it.
- Take it easy on yourself– you are doing the best you can and if you know that you’re not, do better.
Staying balanced is key to optimal health and wealth. As I remind others, I’m also a reminder to myself for my ears and eyes are closer to me than they are to anyone else. As always, remember to like, share and/or comment.
That’s all for now- short and sweet. 
Until next time,
Peace, Love and Prosperity,
ET
It’s Working!
Being a great leader stems from being a great follower. Over the years I have been emphasizing the importance of money management (a taboo topic) and breaking the cycle of ignorance that has plagued the black/African American consumers for years. I’m pleased to say “it’s working!!”
More and more businesses are now marketing their efforts to the under-served families in and around their communities bringing awareness and reinforcing the ideology of building generational wealth.
Journey Into Finance is not only about creating wealth in finances, but learning about personal triggers that cause toxicity in our lives and how to overcome them. I share what has helped me through my life journey change personal struggles into triumphs,and enriched my mind, body and spirit.
I thank you for joining me and encourage you to keep pressing forward, because eventually, it’ll pay off.
Until next time…
Wishing you peace and prosperity,
ET
BIG HATS, NO CATTLE
Greetings fellow bloggers and readers! I was looking over my blog for some insight to share with you and found this post dated July. Here’s to another thoughtful day (back in the day I wrote this post and didn’t publish it). Enjoy!
Today’s blog is about leveraging your knowledge to increase income/wealth.
Ah, the good life- starting a beautiful day on the beach! Yeah that’s me but not really, just my imagination, one day in the near future. Proper planning, scheduling time off from work…etcetera.
Then BOOM, an unexpected financial event hits you and you have to use up your emergency fund! Things happen and it can throw us off balance. A setback. Life gets in the way. Plan “A” failed, so now on to plan “B” and the rest of the alphabet.
I never understood the phrase “big hats, no cattle” until I moved to Texas and read ‘The Millionaire Mind’. Or terms like U.A.W. (Under-achievers of Wealth). So much for my attention to popular statements and my perception of the wealthy. I used to believe that one had to look like money in order to make money. Had to look successful in order to BE successful. Ha! Not!
Most consumers, you know the people like you and me, are poor at defense. Mostly due to our perception of what wealth is or how the successful look. Toss those thoughts out the window, take a look at the video below:
Oh, now I remember what happened that caused me to forget to post this article, I had to take an emergency trip to New Orleans to pick up a family member in distress. By the way, I used money from my Acorns account to fund my five day stay in a 5 star hotel and travel to and from. Not bad.
So, here’s to more of my favorite things- “places to live on the cheap”…like, share and support. Thanks for reading…
Until next time,
Peace, love and prosperity,
ET
Your financial literacy advocate
Trust Issues? We all have some…But don’t let that stop you!
Disclaimer: This track doesn’t belong to me nor is it my voice. My daughter can claim that. 🙂
When you start to think and act differently, from your friends who keep doing things the same old way; watch how small your circle gets. Be good with that (small circle of true friends) and keep on improving yourself- they will support you. Elevate higher (grow your knowledge) and stay focused on the prize (building wealth). What’s more important? Having a bunch of fake friends with drama in your life or peace of mind?
Step up and out of that rut of negative energy and build your legacy, one stock, bond, REIT at a time. Surround yourself with like-minded people; find your tribe, go to meetings instead of to the club (unless you’re promoting your brand through your music or work there). Don’t get me wrong, it’s okay to go out to a live concert and maybe even hang out with some friends once in a while, but never let that be the thing to do just to do it. Put some discipline in your decisions. Live your life and set the example of what energy you will allow. When you start loving yourself unconditionally, you build the confidence that attracts more of the same and those “fake friends” causing trust issues, will disappear!”
Automated Investing with Acorns
Invest the Change® from everyday purchases, set it and forget it with a Recurring Investment, and keep growing from reinvested dividends
By clicking on the link you and I can earn $5.00. Remember- pennies add up to dollars let’s keep it going!
A lot of people don’t trust the stock market, but there are others who have been making millions off it, and if you learn a few things about the markets, it a great option to grow wealth. Yes, I know that you can lose it too; but every bear market has recovered more often than not. So, do some research and read, read, read about the company before investing in it. Disclaimer: I am not an advisor, I just trust my gut feelings and use my research skills to put my money in investments that meet my goals and investment style.
Or, you can let Acorns help you by investing the small change from your everyday purchases and watch your earnings grow. Just don’t get all emotional because you saw your portfolio drop a few percentage points- stay in it for the long haul. I looked at my overall performance and saw one day that there was zero dollars and the next it was back up! “Set it and forget it” has been my motto and it’s been working so far. I just peek at it once in a while.
Bottom line- we all have trust issues. Face them and move forward. I hope you enjoyed the little song clip by IAmLayla and the words written here today! That’s all folks.
Peace, love and prosperity!
ENTowner
Your Financial Literacy Advocate
“Tis the season…
Credit/Debit Card Fraud! Oh No!
Greetings follow bloggers and visitors!
‘Tis the season for scammers and all that’s worrisome during the shopping season! But don’t fret, here are 4 ways to protect your account(s):
- We all know too well that no matter how safe you are with your credit card and debit card accounts, fraud can still happen. So, sign up for alerts through text and/or email about a purchase so you can take action immediately, if you notice something suspicious.
- While we’re bustling around from store to store- get receipts for every purchase and use this once you are settled at home to confirm any amount that appears on your account activity. You might be surprised to know that many customers can’t remember if they shopped at a particular store within a certain time-frame and receipts can help filter out fraudulent/unrecognized charges.
- Monitor your accounts regularly. With today’s technology, it’s really easy to check on your accounts. Even if you are averse to change (yes, there are some people who prefer to stick to outdated paradigms, like telephone banking i.e.- using the banks automated phone system to listen to their transactions), one must review transaction history in case a merchant inadvertently charged twice for the same item. It happens, and due diligence on our part will help discover discrepancies early to fix it while it’s still pending. Once it posts to your account, it will take longer to get your money back. In most instances, you can call the merchant and the error can be fixed immediately, other times it can take a few days to fall off the account.
- If you see inaccuracies, contact your bank as soon as possible, and cancel or close the credit/debit card and have a new one issued, if warranted. Keep your cool and stay alert during this shopping season.
I hope this information is helpful. Stay safe, alert, and cheerful. Like, share, comment.
Peace, love, and prosperity,
ET- your financial literacy advocate
