Hi! I’m Jackie

I’m so happy you dropped by. Some people say I overshare when it comes to my money story but it’s just my subtle way of banishing the taboo of talking about money. I openly share my journey of reaching F.I.R.E. (Financial Independence, Retire Early) in my 40s after overcoming poverty, divorce, and single motherhood; making less than six figures.

Growing Up

I grew up poor and was raised by a single dad with six kids. He worked his butt off to make sure we had food, shelter and clothing, and I still don’t know how he did it . He’s my hero.

I was on the free lunch program at school, but our family didn’t receive any other other government services such as welfare or food stamps. I later learned that it wasn’t only about pride, but that our household income was just above the income threshold to qualify. I guess that’s what you would call the working poor.

My dad passed away just months before I graduated from high school but he left a lasting impact. I’m lucky that I inherited his incredible work ethic and financial ingenuity. Among the many lessons he taught me growing up was that you don’t have to be wealthy to learn good money habits and that superman isn’t coming.

The Big Wake-up Call

Getting divorced and becoming a single mom after a 10-year marriage, was my big wake up call. There was a huge disparity in my retirement account balance and my ex’s: I had $20,000 and he had $120,000. That’s right, a $100,000 difference! I didn’t know exactly why, but it had a lot to do with investment choices, risk tolerance, and compound growth- things I knew nothing about. From that moment forward, I wanted to make that I never felt that financially ignorant again.

Financial Literacy

Once I started increasing my financial literacy and fed my insatiable curiosity for financial education, it changed my world! I not only broke the cycle of poverty but retired decades before others told me I could, with a net worth of over $1 million. To pass on all my new found money smarts to my daughter, I wrote my first book, “Money Letters 2 My Daughter”. It won an Excellence in Financial Literacy Education (EIFLE) Award in 2013..

I conducted a ton of financial literacy workshops for for high schools, colleges and adult groups. To my surprise in 2015, I gained the attention of our nation’s policymakers and was officially recognized with a Congressional Commendation for my work in the field of financial literacy from the U.S. House of Representatives. Wow, I guess someone was watching!

Spreading my F.I.R.E. Story

Years later in 2022, the Emmy award-winning Rachael Ray Show came knocking. They were fascinated with my F.I.R.E. story and invited me to share my best tips on retiring early.

In a provocative main stage talk titled, “Unveiling My Real Numbers Behind FIREing”, I openly reject the taboo of talking about money by transparently sharing my own finances.

My unique F.I.R.E. journey was chronicled on both CNBC Make It and MarketWatch, two of America's top money media platforms. My story has also been profiled in many other well-known media outlets including CNBC, Forbes, Business Insider, People and Real Simple magazine.

I’m a Life Long Learner

I now focus on following her big dream of creating a financially-literate society. Since retiring early, I graduated with my master’s degree in Personal Financial Planning and Financial Therapy from Kansas State University. Being a lifelong learner, I also earned the AFC® (Accredited Financial Counselor®) and CFP® (Certified Financial Planner) Credentials.