I am the founder and CEO of Teacher Talks Money and a School Counselor in an urban school in Massachusetts. I founded my business that offers financial planning for teachers in September 2021. It began years ago in the teachers’ room at my high school when another teacher commented that her 403(b) was doing well. I was a young teacher and had never heard of a 403(b). I began to ask her questions and the next day I called Fidelity and opened my 403(b) and began my weekly $50 contribution. After that day, I started letting other teachers know about the 403(b) savings and investment vehicle. At the same time I started seeking more information regarding money and began the Certified Financial Planning Certificate at Boston University.

I always wanted to run my own business in addition to my teaching career and in the past I ran a successful afterschool program and tutoring business. Educating teachers and other school personnel about their retirement options and helping them establish sound financial plans is a passion for me. Teacher Talks Money allowed me to bring together my entrepreneurial spirit with my financial knowledge geared specifically towards educators.

The first few months of the business were slow in terms of bookings but I continued to create my website and develop courses that would help teachers learn about their pensions and money. I focused my social-media efforts on networking to help get my name out there. I reached out to fellow educators, friends, and my local community to share my posts and help spread the word about Teacher Talks Money. After my website was launched and my social media accounts were running, I printed calendars with my business card attached and gave them away to all the educators I knew and asked them to share teachertalksmoney.com with their family and friends who might need some help organizing their finances and setting up investment accounts.

I knew that individuals have a difficult time talking about money, so I offer a free initial consultation so I can learn what the client is struggling with and provide them with a road map to success. I want to ensure that all educators are taking the action steps now to create the retirement of their dreams later.

Educators spend their careers serving the needs of their students and in most cases are woefully undercompensated for the amount of work they do. Teacher Talks Money wants to ensure that all educators are prepared and knowledgeable regarding their retirement and that they have a significant nest egg to supplement their pensions.

I always look forward to getting to know my clients and helping them understand their money stories. I am grateful for the teacher who informed me years ago about the importance of funding a 403(b). I have grown my contributions to $500,000 and I am on track to hit one million before I retire. Through Teacher Talks Money I want to help other educators do the same.