WELCOME

This article originally appeared on LasVegasBlackImage.com.

Ask yourself this: is there a day that goes by without a thought or conversation connected to money? Earning, winning, borrowing, losing, sharing, loaning, praying over it, worrying, spending, and more. If you don’t interact with the almighty dollar on a daily basis, God bless you — and please share with the rest of us how you accomplish that!

Money as a commodity dominates our lives in some way or another, from the womb to the tomb. Is that not at least an indicator that money has power? The question is, who really controls our money? We know for sure that politics enters into the equation.

In conversations with friends, family, colleagues, the church, and myself, money (which is supposed to be the root of all … ) is a continuous topic that controls lives. In my opinion, that legitimizes it as a significant source of power.

Four years ago in Fairfield, Calif., I attended my first (dfree® Movement) Conference — and for the first time, I saw a plan for how the power of money must shift from those trying to take it from the people to the people controlling its power for our benefit. Here, I met the man behind this massive effort: Dr. DeForest Soaries, a preacher out of New Jersey who realized the financial pain and struggle of the people in his church. My mission since has been working with the Dfree Global Foundation’s team and Las Vegas Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. to empower people toward financial freedom.

Dr. Soaries has spent the past 15 years building a “freeway” out of the debt-ridden lives of people whose histories include struggles over the loss of power over their own hard-earned dollars. He and Executive Director Tamika Stembridge, Esq. have created a team to focus on debt as the villain. In his book “Say Yes to No Debt,” Dr. Soaries and his team teach the “Billion Dollar Paydown” through a free program aimed at the Black community. “Say Yes to No Debt” has evolved to include programs specifically targeted to young people — complete with online videos and messages from key role models with high profiles.

The dfree® Online Academy is a free 12-step virtual program to financial freedom based on biblical principles of preparedness — such as Matthew 25:1-13 and the power verse, Proverbs 22:7 — that relate to our lives today, where debt is presented as our friend.

Take back your economic power in 2021. Go now to www.mydfree.org and free your economic power!

Dr. Ellen Brown is an affiliate faculty member at Regis University, Denver. Contact Dr. Brown at ebrown.nci@gmail.com

This article originally appeared on WelpMagazine.com.

Do you want to learn more about financial management? Well, you’ve come to the right place. This is a curated list of the best financial management podcasts of 2021.

We have selected these podcasts for a variety of reasons, but they are all well worth a listen. We tried to select a variety of podcasts across the spectrum from hosts with a wide breadth of experience.

We are always keen to hear your feedback, if we have missed a podcast, tweet us @MagazineWelp and we will check it out!

With thanks to ListenNotes, Crunchbase, SemRush and Ahrefs for providing the data to create and rank these podcasts.

Four Minute Finance

• Publisher: John Tounger
• Total Episodes: 119

Four Minute Finance takes large financial and money management topics and boils them down to digestible four-minute lessons.

In Her Financial Shoes Podcast

• Publisher: Catherine Morgan
• Total Episodes: 144

This personal finance podcast is for women, including female entrepreneurs to learn personal finance, money mindset & practical money management tips to be financially confident and build wealth. To get in control of money, to budget, gain financial confidence, learn how to invest, save money & manage money mindset and behaviours. Hosted by a multi- award winning qualified financial planner and financial coach.

Financial Decoder

• Publisher: Charles Schwab
• Total Episodes: 47

Cognitive and emotional biases can have a big impact on your financial life. Each episode of Financial Decoder looks closely at one financial decision–and the biases that might cloud your judgment and cost you money. Host Mark Riepe, head of the Schwab Center for Financial Research, decodes the behavioral and psychological factors at play and shares strategies designed to improve the way you approach financial crossroads. Other experts join Mark to provide their unique perspective on behavioral economics, portfolio management, retirement planning, personal finance and more. Podcasts are for informational purposes only. This channel is not monitored by Charles Schwab. Please visit schwab.com/contactus for contact options.

The Dentist Money™ Show | Financial Planning & Wealth Management

• Publisher: Dentist Advisors – Financial Planning and Investment Management
• Total Episodes: 287

Join thousands of dentists who are learning how to make smart financial decisions. You’ll be entertained while getting straightforward advice about investing, retirement planning, tax reduction, insurance, debt management, and personal finance.

Advisor Talk with Frank LaRosa

• Publisher: Elite Consulting Partners
• Total Episodes: 76

Advisor Talk with Frank LaRosa offers unfiltered guidance and advice for financial advisors, wealth management professionals, and entrepreneurs alike who are interested in maximizing both their business and personal potential. Informed by Frank’s unique insights and his personal conversations with industry leaders, the dynamic discussion topics of Advisor Talk include business ownership, leadership, practice management, transition and recruiting, marketing and branding, as well as a host of financial services related topics related to wirehouse, regional, and RIA advisors, firms, and teams. Frank’s goal, and the goal of his team at Elite Consulting Partners, is now as ever to be the go-to resource for actionable information and trusted guidance to elevate you and your career at whatever stage you may be.

Mind of a Millionaire

• Publisher: Denver Wealth Management
• Total Episodes: 103

Zachary Bouck and Blair Braden, co-founders of Denver Wealth Management, aim to help understand the habits, routines, and choices of millionaires, so you may better address your financial goals. Securities offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advice offered through Denver Wealth Management, Inc., a registered investment advisor. Denver Wealth Management, Inc. is a separate entity from LPL Financial.

dfree® in the Black podcast

• Publisher: dfree® Financial Freedom Movement
• Total Episodes: 185

The dfree® Financial Freedom Movement is a transformational lifestyle that promotes financial freedom through values-based principles and practical approaches to financial management.

The dfree® In the Black podcast highlights the pulse of mental, spiritual and financial health.

• ListenNotes
• Listen on iTunes
• RSS feed

Read more here.

This article originally appeared on Essence.com.

Home ownership may seem like something that’s only afforded to the wealthy or those that have a lot in savings; however, it may be more accessible than you think. In addition to the security of shelter, there are many reasons one would want to own a home including equity, tax advantages, and building credit.

However, when you make the decision that you want to buy a home, where exactly do you start? To get the best tips and mistakes to avoid, we spoke with former New Jersey Secretary of State DeForest Soaries, Jr., who is the author of several financial freedom books as well as the founder of the dfree® Financial Freedom Movement, which teaches individuals how to become debt-free as a first step toward financial freedom. Soaries, who is also a Reverend, has over 3,000 churches and organizations utilizing his method.

When it comes to buying a home, there are three things you should keep in mind: the price of the property, government assistance that can help you access said property, and your overall expenses. Soaries, who authored “Say Yes to No Debt: 12 Steps to Financial Freedom” shares this rule—“One should always purchase a home that is affordable.” It’s important to set a budget in advance and have a realtor who will show you property within this price range. Don’t even bother looking at things above what you can afford—this is not the time to dream. You want something you can afford to live in vs. becoming a slave to your home.

Soaries states, “Housing expenses should not exceed 33% of income,” and adds, “I prefer 25%. Anything above that is unaffordable.” If you are grossing about $48,000/year, which is about $4,000/month, your mortgage all in should be no more than $1,320.00. If you’re not sure how much house or apartment you can afford, use a mortgage calculator to help. This is great research to do even before you go to the bank or credit union for a loan.

The mortgage calculator will ask you for information including your interest rate and your down payment, plus how long you want to take to pay off the loan. Your down payment is how much you are placing in advance toward your property. While many of these sites recommend 20%, not everyone has that amount of cash in savings and that’s okay. Soaries recommends, “People with low incomes who desire to become homeowners should enroll in a HUD certified First Time Homebuyers program that offers counseling and down payment assistance.” Through these programs, first time homeowners can put down as little as 3%. If you are buying a $100,000.00 property, $3,000.00 is a lot more affordable than $20,000.00. You’ll also feel more confident knowing the inner workings of the home buying process. Soaries explains, “These programs will assist with understanding how much one can afford to spend on housing and identify the best financing option available.”

In an addition to attempting to purchase too expensive of a property, Soaries reveals that homebuyers also make the rookie mistake of  “having insufficient funds in savings for emergencies.” Even before you consider purchasing property, you should have six months of expenses saved—in case something happens, like losing your job, you want to be able to financially float yourself until you find a new source of income. Lastly, Soaries recommends looking at your debt. He explains that you want to “minimize your debt to income ratio.” This means figuring out how much of your monthly gross income goes toward paying off things like your student loans, credit cards, car payments, etc. Lenders want to see less than 36% of your income going toward paying debt. Think big and purchasing a home can actually help you live mortgage-free and lower your debt.

Soaries advises, “Lower and median income home buyers should consider buying two, three, or four family homes. The money that tenants will pay the owner can contribute significantly to the cost of living of the owner.” If the multi-family home is not exactly your “dream home,” it can be an investment for future property. You can use the equity to help you property access money for the home or apartment you actually desire.

Education is key when it comes to home buying. It can feel like a daunting task but know it’s doable. Ensure that you are well aware of your finances so you are empowered in what you can purchase. There’s ton of free help that can assist you in making this financial purchase (so use it!) and lastly, remember to look at your debt. Don’t be afraid of it. With these tips, you’re now on your way to buying your first home!