Real Money, Real Experts

This week on Real Money, Real Experts, Mary and Rachael catch up with longtime AFC® and AFCPE® Member, Mike Wood. Mike shares the story of how the AFC became the standard for Personal Financial Managers (PFM) on military bases across the globe. Mike has the heart of a counselor, and we loved hearing about both the rewarding and challenging aspects of his career. As a pillar of the military persona...

Celebrating 30 years of the AFC® means celebrating the incredible impact it has made over the years! This week we had the pleasure to speak with Sarah Bainton Kahn and Pam Fraser, two women who played instrumental roles in the success of the CFPB’s Financial Coaching Initiative, which ran from 2015 to 2019. The initiative provided financial coaching services to veterans as well as individuals and...

Today we kick off our mid-season series focused on the 30th Anniversary of the AFC. In this episode, we had the honor to sit down with Heath Carelock, AFC®. Heath is the Program Director for the Financial Empowerment Center at Prince George’s Community College in Maryland. He was also one of the first AFCs to volunteer for our pro bono counseling initiative at the height of the pandemic and remain...

In this final episode of our Real Money, Real Experts Career Series, we catch up with Rachael Bronstein and Maggie Klokkenga. Tune in as they share their own experiences in starting a private practice and how honing in on your niche can lead to a more successful, fulfilling career. Maggie Klokkenga, CFP®, CPA, and AFC® candidate is a financial coach and the owner of Make a Money Mindshift, a finan...

To kick off Financial Literacy Month, our hosts Rachael DeLeon and Dr. Mary Bell Carlson speak with President and CEO of the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy, Laura Levine. Laura shares the ins and outs of her own career journey and provides listeners with ideas on how to get involved with youth financial education and the coalition’s work. Laura is a fierce advocate for financi...

This week, Rachael sits down with longtime AFCPE Member, Janie Bright, AFC®. Janie is a self-described passionate credit union employee who has worked in the industry for nearly 30 years. She began her journey as a Credit Union teller, where she saw firsthand the issues that individuals and families face in relation to their finances. Today, she serves as the Vice President of Financial Inclusion...

In this week's episode, we're continuing our Career Series by diving deep into the world of financial coaching and the ups and downs of owning your own business with Josh Escalante Troesh and Garrett Philbin, AFC®. Josh and Garrett discuss the importance of community, investing in yourself, as well as detailing the difference between licensure and certification and why they're relev...

This week, we are joined by Andia Dinesen, Executive Vice President for Communications and Operations for the Association of Military Banks of America (AMBA). As a military spouse, Andia shares her journey to AFC® certification through the FINRA Foundation Military Spouse Fellowship Program. She touches on the importance of perseverance and offers great advice for AFCs interested in working on a m...

This week, we very excitedly welcome Karen Richel to the show as we continue our Career Series. Karen is a University of Idaho Extension Associate Professor and the Family Finance Extension educator for ten north Idaho counties. In her work, Karen caters to every age and socioeconomic group with one-on-one financial counseling/coaching sessions, classes, workshops, and simulations.  In the third e...

This week on Real Money, Real Experts, we’re putting co-host Dr. Mary Bell Carlson in the hot seat. In this second episode of our career series, Rachael talks to Mary about her expansive career path in the Government sector. Mary is a wealth of knowledge on the variety of ways AFC professionals can work in financial counseling and education at the local, state, and federal levels, and she offers l...

Kicking off the first episode in our new Career Series, “ Real Money, Real Experts” co-hosts Dr. Mary Bell Carlson and Rachael DeLeon speak with Marcy Reyes, AFC® about her career in the nonprofit space. Marcy is the Founder and CEO of The Financial Literacy Youth (or FLY) Initiative, a non-profit organization that provides culturally responsive financial literacy programming to underserved and un...

In our first episode of 2022, co-hosts Mary Bell Carlson and Rachael DeLeon give listeners a sneak peek into what’s ahead on the 2022 season of Real Money, Real Experts. We also answer all your pressing questions about the podcast, the organization, and so much more. Whether you’re already a part of the AFCPE community, or are thinking about pursuing the AFC certification, taking an Essentials cou...

Before we leap into an exciting new year for the Real Money, Real Experts podcast, we’re taking a moment to look back at some of our favorite episodes from 2021. In this episode, you’ll hear clips from a variety of guests we’ve had on the show this season as we remember the incredible stories, insights, and advice they had to share. From all of us at AFCPE, we extend a huge thank you to everyone w...

Today on Real Money, Real Experts, co-hosts Rebecca Wiggins and Dr. Mary Bell Carlson chat with Rachael DeLeon, AFCPE’s Senior Director of Member Services and Communications and soon-to-be Interim Executive Director.   As Rebecca prepares to take the next step in her career, we pause to reflect back on the incredible impact she’s had on AFCPE over the past 16 years, while learning more about Racha...

 On this episode of Real Money, Real Experts, co-hosts Rebecca Wiggins and Dr. Mary Bell Carlson talk with Sarah Li-Cain, finance writer, podcast producer, and host of Beyond the Dollar. As a journalist, Sarah speaks to an incredible variety of people, listening to how money intersects with their physical, mental, and spiritual health. In this episode, Sarah discusses how money affects the human c...

According to the US Census Bureau, one in five Americans will be aged 65 or older by the end of this decade. Unfortunately, this growing population is also most at risk for financial fraud and exploitation. Today on Real Money, Real Experts, co-hosts Rebecca Wiggins and Dr. Mary Bell Carlson are joined by AFC® Corey Carlisle, Senior Vice President at the American Bankers Association and Executive...

What do RVs, sign language, and AFC® certification have in common? They’re all part of the journey for our latest podcast guest, Melissa Mittelstaedt. Melissa is a sign language interpreter, the founder of Money Coach, an AFCPE member, and an AFC candidate. On this episode of Real Money, Real Experts, Melissa dives into creating financial stability despite variable income, creating more accessible...

In honor of Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month, we are re-releasing our conversation with Jen Hemphill, AFC®, host of the Her Dinero Matters podcast. This blog post includes additional information on the unique barriers to financial well-being that members of the Latinx community may encounter as well as resources to use with your Latinx clients. In this episode of Real Money, Real Experts co-hosts Re...

What does it truly mean to be unbanked or under-banked? What unexpected impacts can it have on the financial security of our clients? We dive into these questions on this eye-opening episode of Real Money, Real Experts with Leigh Phillips, President of SaverLife, a national nonprofit that helps working families achieve prosperity by taking small savings steps. From lack of access to emergency fund...

Real Money, Real Experts welcomes Ryan Law, CFP®, AFC® for another Facebook Live!  Student loan policies have gone through a lot of changes this past year. Check out this Real Money, Real Experts Live for and overview of these changes and what comes next for borrowers.  Show Notes: 00:02 Ryan Introduction 01:00 COVID-19 Student Loan Updates 02:20 Temporary Suspension of Federal Student Loan Paymen...

Today on Real Money, Real Experts, co-hosts Rebecca Wiggins and Dr. Mary Bell Carlson are joined by Dr. Brad Klontz, a financial planner, financial psychologist, and coauthor of six books on the psychology of money. In this episode, Dr. Klontz dives into the world of financial therapy, exploring its similarities and differences with financial coaching and counseling, and sharing the incredible imp...

How has our history shaped our financial present? What is the origin of wealth? Co-hosts Rebecca Wiggins and Dr. Mary Bell Carlson discuss why these questions matter on this episode of Real Money, Real Experts with award-winning author Edgar Villanueva.   Edgar is an enrolled member of the Lumbee tribe of North Carolina, the Principal of Decolonizing Wealth Project and Liberated Capital, and the a...

From music education, to supply chain management, to overcoming a gambling addiction, Ambus Hunter’s path to becoming a financial counselor looks different from most. In this episode, you’ll hear co-hosts Rebecca Wiggins and Dr. Mary Bell Carlson chat with Accredited Financial Counselor® Candidate Ambus as he shares his story of struggling with, and triumphing over, a gambling addiction, and how i...

This week on Real Money, Real Experts, hosts Rebecca Wiggins and Dr. Mary Bell Carlson walk down memory lane with Dr. Barbara O'Neill, owner/CEO of Money Talk and Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Rutgers University. A long time member of AFCPE®, Dr. O'Neill talks to us about her favorite AFCPE moments and the growth of the organization through the years.  Just as AFCPE has transitione...

The power of failure, the unique financial struggles of military service members, finding your financial coaching niche — co-hosts Rebecca Wiggins and Dr. Mary Bell Carlson cover it all with guest Lacey Langford, AFC®. Lacey is the creator and host of the Military Money Show, a podcast that's dedicated to helping the military community make, save, and invest money wisely. She's also a ve...