Mastering your finances: a guide to starting your budgeting and investment journey.

Budgeting Tools

  • Empower: Empower - A tool for budgeting, tracking expenses, and managing finances.

    • Free

  • Monarch: Monarch - A comprehensive app for proactive budgeting and financial planning.

    • Monthly fee but worth it in my opinion

  • CashCourse: a guide to real-life money questions and online financial education courses through instructor assignments or self-study

  • 360Financial Literacy: basic resources in Spanish

Building Generational Wealth

  • Fidelity: Fidelity - A brokerage offering a wide range of investment options and financial services.

  • Charles Schwab: Charles Schwab - A brokerage providing comprehensive investment services and tools.

  • You can open the following accounts at both of these brokerage firms & begin your long-term investing in the stock market:

    • Roth IRA

    • Solo 401(k)

    • SEP IRA (Simplified Employee Pension)

    • SIMPLE IRA

    • 529 Plan

    • UGMA/UTMA

High Yield Savings Accounts

  • Marcus by Goldman Sachs: Marcus - A high-yield savings account with competitive interest rates.

    • I recommend this for individuals who are unable to receive direct deposit

  • SoFi: SoFi - Offers high-yield savings accounts along with other financial products.

    • In order to qualify for the APY you will need to add direct deposit via your employer or company payroll if you are a self-employed

  • Compound Interest Calculator: Investor.gov

Unlocking Financial Freedom: Exploring Your Credit Card Options

Marriott Bonvoy Bold Visa credit card with a blue design and a chip on the left.
Freedom Unlimited Visa credit card with blue design and chip
A simple logo with the text 'Marcus:' followed by 'by Goldman Sachs' in smaller font.
A Hilton Honors American Express credit card with the name CF Frost, card number ending in 7997, and a chip on the left side.
Close-up of a Capital One Venture X credit card with a blue background.

Debt Management Books

"Girl, Get Your Credit Straight!: A Sister's Guide to Ditching Your Debt, Mending Your Credit, and Building a Strong Financial Future" by Glinda Bridgforth and Gail Perry-Mason

  • Focuses on credit repair and financial empowerment.

  • "The Financial Diet: A Total Beginner's Guide to Getting Good with Money" by Chelsea Fagan and Lauren Ver Hage

    • Covers budgeting, saving, and debt management in a relatable and accessible manner.

  • “Clever Girl Finance: Learn How Investing Works, Grow Your Money" by Bola Sokunbi

    • Offers practical guidance on personal finance, budgeting, and debt management aimed at women.

  • "Get Good with Money: Ten Simple Steps to Becoming Financially Whole" by Tiffany Aliche

    • Provides actionable steps for achieving financial independence, including debt management strategies.

Investing Books

"The Stock Market Made Simple: A Beginner's Guide to Trading and Investing" by Sasha Evdakov

  • Introduces stock market fundamentals and strategies for beginners interested in investing.

  • "The Little Book of Common Sense Investing: The Only Way to Guarantee Your Fair Share of Stock Market Returns" by John C. Bogle

    • Introduces the principles of index investing and long-term wealth accumulation.

  • "The Intelligent Investor: The Definitive Book on Value Investing" by Benjamin Graham

    • Offers timeless advice on value investing and building a sustainable investment portfolio.

  • "A Beginner's Guide to Investing: How to Grow Your Money the Smart and Easy Way" by Alex Frey and Ivy Bytes

    • Provides a straightforward introduction to investing, covering stocks, bonds, and mutual funds.

Financial Independence Books

"Minority Mindset's Money School: Women and Money: The Ultimate Guide for Financial Independence (MMTM Book 1)" by Jaspreet Singh and Jaspreet Kaur -

  • Covers financial independence and wealth-building strategies.

  • "Financial Freedom: A Proven Path to All the Money You Will Ever Need" by Grant Sabatier and Tiffany Aliche

    • offering insights into achieving financial independence.

  • "The Memo: What Women of Color Need to Know to Secure a Seat at the Table" by Minda Harts

    • While not exclusively about investing, it offers valuable career advice and financial empowerment strategies for women of color.

  • "Women & Money: Owning the Power to Control Your Destiny" by Suze Orman -

    • Empowers women to take control of their financial futures.

  • "Broke Millennial: Stop Scraping By and Get Your Financial Life Together" by Erin Lowry

  • Geared towards millennials but offers practical advice applicable to all beginners.

personal finance on the blog text
Flat lay of a financial planner, with a cup of coffee with a panoramic view of a city skyline and a bay, with boats on the water.
Laptop screen showing beginner-friendly investing dashboard
Flat lay of wallet, cash, and financial planner
Laptop screen showing beginner-friendly investing dashboard

Ready to begin your personal finance journey?

Take charge of your finances with the LatinaPhD Abroad Finance Templates! Choose from two options:

  • Beginners Template: track your sinking funds, manage debt, annual budget summary, FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) calculator, and overview of your net worth

  • Net Worth Dashboard Template: featuring an annual overview, detailed net worth report, FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) and compound interest calculator, and an interactive dashboard

These all in one easy-to-use templates are designed for first-gen Latinas and beyond. Achieve your financial goals with clarity and confidence! Perfect for anyone pursuing financial freedom. Start your journey now!

Annual financial planner spreadsheet for debt payoff and net worth tracking

The One-on-One Personal Finance Consultation Services and Mentorship Program provides personalized guidance through financial goal setting such as debt paydown, budgeting, large saving goal, and investment basics. I work closely with you to understand your unique financial goals and design a customized investment plan to help you achieve them.