Money is oxygen – don’t let anyone control your supply – The Globe and Mail
Author Kelley Keehn, in Toronto, on Nov. 13, 2019.Christopher Katsarov/The Globe and Mail
Note: This is the last Carrick on Money newsletter for 2021. Have a happy holiday and stay safe. The newsletter returns on Jan. 4 to begin what I think will be another epic year in personal finance.
I remember interviewing Kelley Keehn about her first personal finance book and being struck by her mention of the cost burden of diapers if you’re a new parent. Female personal finance writers were rare back in the early 2000s, and so were mentions of practical, real-life matters like diaper spending. I’ve run into Ms. Keehn a dozen or more times over the years at financial literacy events and just to catch up over coffee. Since that first book, she’s built a brand as a personal finance educator who gets people as much as money. To coincide with the launch of her latest book, Rich Girl, Broke Girl: Save Better, Invest Smarter and Earn Financial Freedom, I invited Ms. Keehn to do an e-mail Q&A for the newsletter. Here’s an edited transcript:
Q: Kelley, can you tell us a bit about your background, your work and your books?
A: I worked in the financial industry for over 12 years, and then 16 years ago I left and became an educator. I found that whether my clients had millions in the bank or they were a million in the hole, they had money problems. The industry isn’t designed to allow for time to educate clients about matters of money, so I went to work writing books – 11 of them – on women and money, investment scams and fraud protection and overall personal finance. As a speaker, media personality, writer and consultant to the financial industry, my mission for 16 years was for Canadians to feel good about money. My new mission is for women to claim their wealth.
Q: I’d roughly estimate that two of every three personal finance and investing questions I get from readers are sent by men. Where are the women?
A: Perhaps they’re all e-mailing me – LOL. Women have always juggled so much – working, taking care of the family and majority of the household, caregiving for their parents and loved ones. COVID-19 has exacerbated all of these pressures. It …….