Image credit below, Bola Sokunbi image source: bolasokunbi.com
This is 2025 and we are all about securing the bag, and to do that you need to know the basics of handling your finances. Who better to teach Black women about finance than another Black woman?
As women of color, taking control of our financial well-being is more critical than ever in today’s world. The wealth gap between White and Black Americans is nearly as large today as it was in the 1950s and has widened in the last four decades. Amid the expanding wealth inequality, many Black women are making major strides toward a more financially literate future.
Financial literacy equips you with the knowledge needed to take control and make informed decisions when it comes to your finances. Some hire a financial advisor for this. But not everyone has the funds to do this. Thankfully, we have the internet with tons of affordable online courses, blogs with a wealth of information, social media channels providing you with information, and more to help you manage your finances.
Several Black women are financial experts and they have taken it upon themselves to give out free information that will not only educate you but give you the inspiration needed to help you manage your money.
We rounded up 7 Black women who are quite knowledgeable when it comes to managing your finances. Talking about money can be uncomfortable and even intimidating, but these women’s personal stories about their experiences with money can be the boost you need to live a healthy financial life.
Tiffany ‘The Budgetnista’ Aliche
Known as The Budgetnista, Aliche is one of America’s favorite personal financial educators. This award-winning financial expert loves teaching women, even children and teens about money, helping them develop financial literacy.
Photo source: Facebook/ The Budgetnista
She spent 10 years as a preschool teacher in Newark, NJ, and was able to save $40,000 in 2 years while only earning a $39,000 salary. She was even able to buy her first home at the age of 25, being that she knew how to budget and save. However, she lost everything when the 2008 recession hit and ended up crashing on her sister’s couch for almost two years. During that time, she started offering financial education classes, sharing the tactics she learned as she dug herself out of debt and rebuilt her life.
Aliche founded The Budgetnista to help herself and other women create better financial lives. In 2014, she launched the Live Richer Challenge, sparking a movement to help thousands of women pay off and manage their debt. She hosts several popular online financial classes that destigmatize money and wealth-building and empower others to have a money-saving, wealth mindset.
Aliche, who has become a voice for financial literacy and empowerment, especially for minority groups, is also a co-host on the Brown Ambition podcast. She is the author of the New York Times Best Seller, “Get Good with Money” and has been featured in Essence, Forbes, Fox Business, Reuters, CNN, and others where she shares her passion and wisdom on how to save money and build lasting wealth.
She has helped many Black women get back on track financially with her programs and advice.
Bola Sokunbi
If you’re looking to learn more about managing your finances, Bola Sokunbi has got you covered. She is a Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI), finance expert, 5x bestselling author, speaker, and founder of Clever Girl Finance, one of the largest personal finance media/education platforms for women in the U.S. and has consistently been voted one of the best finance websites for women.
Photo source: Instagram/ bolasokunbi
She is a well-respected name in the world of financial wisdom and her practical advice and down-to-earth approach have made her a sought-after expert in the field. Since launching Clever Girl Finance, Bola has grown her website into a veritable powerhouse with a team of money experts supporting the cause.
Sokunbi, who has a passion for empowering women to make the best financial decisions for their current and future selves, was the recipient of the 2021 Financial Education Instructor of the Year (FEIY) Award from the National Council of Financial Educators.
Her website is full of educational materials, morale boosters, and valuable advice that empower, inspire, and guide you on how to build wealth.
Mandi Woodruff-Santos
She is the co-host of Brown Ambition and founder of the MandiMoney Makers, an acclaimed coaching community tailored for women of color seeking leadership and career guidance. Her mission is to empower women of color with the tools they need to make informed decisions about their salaries through financial and career education.
She prides herself as “that badass coach who can give you a framework so you can earn more, get better job opportunities and finally get paid what you’re worth — without having to “pay your dues”, finally get noticed by your boss and waste all your time applying to jobs that just lead to more dead ends!”
Photo source: Facebook/ Mandi Santos
Her expertise in careers and finance has made her a frequent contributor to Yahoo Finance Live. She has also graced the pages of Essence and Teen Vogue, sharing insights that help people with their money woes.
According to her, her working-class parents did not discuss investments at the dinner table, and her education left her with little knowledge of how to manage a credit card or negotiate a raise. Now, she has taken it upon herself to help their followers with career advancement and personal finance guidance.
Kara Stevens
Are you going through a rough patch financially? Kara Stevens can help you heal and master your relationship with money. She is a life coach, writer, speaker, and founder of the personal finance and lifestyle blog, the Frugal Feminista, an online home dedicated to inspiring and informing women of color about financial empowerment, girl power, and “juicy” living.
Photo source: Instagram/ frugalfeminista
She specializes in helping six-figure women “save with soul,” eradicate debt, retire in abundance, invest with ease, and scale their wealth without deprivation. She has established a financial literacy brand that makes money conversations feel as if you’re speaking with a trusted friend.
This financial coach, who believes that every woman is a revolution unto herself, teaches women how to give themselves permission to grow their money and enjoy their money. Stevens believes money and healing go hand in hand.
She has authored books including “Heal Your Relationship With Money,” “Unmasking the Strong Black Woman,” “The Wealthy Woman’s Blueprint” and “The Happy Finances Challenge.”
Stevens also offers courses like “How to Budget Like a Boss,” “60 Days to Slay Sallie Mae” and “Heal Your Relationship With Money Workshop” that teach women how to break free from financial bondage.
Lynnette Khalfani-Cox
Lynnette Khalfani-Cox is a personal finance expert, speaker, and author of 15 personal finance books, including the New York Times bestseller “Zero Debt: The Ultimate Guide to Financial Freedom.” Lynnette created her platform, The Money Coach, as a way to help educate the masses and help people understand basic and complex personal finance concepts.
Photo source: Instagram/ lynnettekhalfanicox
Before starting TheMoneyCoach.net in 2003, Lynnette was a Wall Street Journal reporter for CNBC. The Money Coach shares articles, tips, and advice from across the web to help you improve your finances for a better life.
Lynnette, a mom of 3, shares her wealth of financial knowledge on her YouTube channel and within her online course, Money Coach University. She also creates financial education curricula and content for nonprofits, government agencies, and other educational institutions that want to launch financial products, services, apps, or other tools.
Raya Reaves
She is a money coach who specializes in budgeting and money management. She founded City Girl Savings to financially empower women in the areas of budgeting, debt elimination, and financial accountability.
She has a weekly podcast where she shares her experiences, advice, and guidance on navigating life and money as a travel-and-iced coffee-loving millennial. Through her Instagram account, Reaves offers motivation and hacks for saving money as well as educational information about the financial industry.
Photo source: Instagram/ citygirlsavings
She puts her 11 years of experience in the banking industry to good use on her social media platforms where she offers personalized budget and spending plans, money-saving coaching consultations, online financial learning courses, and more.
Reaves, who used to be an overspender, who was focused on accumulating material things, has had the honor of coaching hundreds of women on budgeting and money management. If you need help with money management, budgeting, controlling your spending, and shifting your money mindset, Reaves has some of the best resources.
Choncé Maddox
Are you tired of living paycheck to paycheck, being unable to handle unexpected expenses, and feeling like you can never get ahead? Are you struggling to organize your money, create a solid spending plan, and be consistent with paying off debt?
Photo source: Facebook/ My Debt Epiphany
As a Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI) personal finance coach, Maddox uses her experience to help such people break through their doubts and setbacks to restore financial confidence. She is a freelance personal finance writer who enjoys writing about credit, loans, saving, and helping people achieve financial wellness.
Years back, she was drowning in debt from spending beyond her budget. So, she went to work and spent a few years paying off $50,000 worth of debt accumulated from overspending over the years. Now, she is a financial guru with her personal finance blog called “My Debt Epiphany” where shares content about paying off debt, budgeting, side hustles, and freelancing.
She’s always sharing tips and resources on her YouTube channel about how people can stop living paycheck to paycheck and reach their financial goals regardless of what their starting point is.
