College Basics for Parents: Helping your kid graduate debt free

Bigger Than Your Block is pleased to announce a new FREE webinar for the parents of college students. Scholarship guru, and mom who used these strategies to get her daughter through undergrad with NO student loan debt, Gwen Richardson, will present College Basics for Parents: Helping your kid graduate debt free with the most dynamic financial education speaker working today, Shay Olivarria.

 

In this FREE webinar Gwen Richardson, author of 101 Scholarship Applications: What It Takes to Obtain a Debt-Free Education, and Shay Olivarria, author of 10 Things College Students Need to Know About Money, will help you navigate the money side of undergrad.

The webinar will cover:

• How to find scholarships to apply to.
• Strategies to help your student with scholarships.
• Which two accounts your student needs to open to create financial wealth.
• Tips and tricks to help your student learn to manage money while in school (in preparation for life).

 

Please join us:

Saturday, September 8th

or

Monday, September 10th

Want to read the books before the webinar? You can order a copy of both for $30 total, including shipping. 10 Things College Students Need to Know About Money sells on Amazon for $15 plus shipping on its own. If I were you, I’d run to get both for $30.

See you at the webinar!

Why Not Write a “Real”Book?

I get asked this from time to time, “Shay, why not write a real book?” I think people appreciate the books I’ve written:Money Matters: The Get It Done in 1 Minute Workbook, 10 Things College Students Need to Know About Money, All My Mistakes, and now the 2nd edition of 10 Things College Students Need to Know About Money but they think the books are too small. When on thinks of a book, they think of “smart” people talking about subjects or creating characters that the average person couldn’t have put together. The more challenging the book, the better the book is.

Well, that’s not my cup of tea. There are so many really good in-depth books already covering advanced personal finance topics. What wasn’t there until I wrote 10 Things, was an easy-to-read and easy-to-understand book that explained the basics of personal finance for people that are just getting started. When I began learning about personal finance, I had to read with the book on one thigh and a dictionary on the other thigh! Lol I couldn’t understand HALF of the words and concepts that the books were throwing around. Young people and the uninitiated deserve to have a book too.

 

Shay Olivarria is the most dynamic financial education speaker working today. She speaks at high schools, colleges, and companies across the country. She has written three books on personal finance, including Amazon Best Seller “Money Matters: The Get It Done in 1 Minute Workbook”. Shay has been quoted on Bankrate.com, FoxBusiness.com, NBC Latino and The Credit Union Times, among others. To schedule Shay to speak at your event visit www.BiggerThanYourBlock.com.

Pre-Order 10 Things $10 + FREE Webinar

 

DEADLINE: June 7th

 

Whoo hoo!

I am so excited about the second edition of 10 Things College Students Need to Know About Money that I’m doing something I’ve never done before: offering a pre-order. The book will be available on Amazon.com for $15 (you’re saving 30%) so order now to take advantage of this fantastic deal.

Graduation is around the corner for most high school students and I want to make sure that the books you order make it out in time to give as gifts. To that end, if you pre-order your copies of 10 Things College Students Need to Know About Money on June 7th or before, you can buy each book for $10 and you’ll be invited to a special Thank You Webinar! I’ll solicit questions through an email survey after you purchase and then make the webinar about the topics you want to cover.

If you order before May 27th, your books will ship Saturday, May 28th. Don’t worry, you’ll have your copy in time to participate in the virtual book launch.

Don’t forget to share this post! We want everyone to know about this great resource.

Updated Book Available June 2016

Financial education speaker and author Shay Olivarria wrote 10 Things College Students Need to Know About Money in 2010. The book has been read by students across the country. Credit unions purchase it to provide young members and scholarship recipients with a concise foundation in personal finance.

This year, Shay is updating the book. A new chart of current student loan rates is included as well as a whole chapter about stocks and bonds. The revised and updated 10 Things College Students Need to Know About Money will be available June 2016.

 

Shay Olivarria is the most dynamic financial education speaker working today. She speaks at high schools, colleges, and companies across the country. She has written three books on personal finance, including Amazon Best Seller “Money Matters: The Get It Done in 1 Minute Workbook”. Shay has been quoted on Bankrate.com, FoxBusiness.com, NBC Latino and The Credit Union Times, among others. To schedule Shay to speak at your event visit www.BiggerThanYourBlock.com. 

 

Shay Olivarria Quoted in All The Money In The World by Laura Vanderkam

Financial Education Speaker & Author Shay Olivarria is quoted in this book!

 

Financial Education Speaker & Author Shay Olivarria has been quoted in a new personal finance book by Laura Vanderkam, All The Money In The World: What The Happiest People Know About Getting and Spending. Have you read it yet?

Check out the quote heard ’round the world …. ’round the bookshelves?

Use TV as a teachable moment. “TV has some of the best teachable moments ever,” says Shay Olivarria, a financial education speaker and author. If kids are watching shows they shouldn’t be watching (like MTV’s Cribs), then “at least get something good out of it,” she says. Why do the characters think that a flashy house or car indicates success? Talk about why a lower interest rate on a mortgage matters in terms of monthly payments, and if you’re working extra hours to afford a particular vacation or to get out of debt, make sure they see the connection.

Keep in mind that in a cashless age, kids may have a harder time grasping what money really is. “A lot of children don’t understand how ATM cards work,” says Olivarria. “They think it’s magic. They don’t understand that money has to go in the bank for you to pull money out of the bank.” They may think that when you want something, you just swipe a card and get it, without understanding that a bank balance is debited somewhere, or that you’ll have to pay a credit card bill later. So it may be worth using cash on occasion to help them understand what’s going on.

Also, feel free to let them fail. Olivarria enjoys taking her nephews, nieces and cousins to the amusement parks near her California home. She gives them a set amount of cash (say, $20) and says they have to use it for food and any other desires. Inevitably, the first time a child has cash in hand, he blows it on a plush toy in the first 5 minutes, and then has to suffer through a long day of watching his siblings eat hamburgers and ice cream and buy other souvenirs with their carefully stewarded $20 allowances. “That is an awesome lesson,” says Olivarria. “I’d rather let an 8-year-old go hungry at Disneyland because he blew his money on a plush Mickey than have a 30-year-old blow money on something and now his kids are homeless.”

Tough love, right? Do you agree? Disagree? Check out the book and share your thoughts.

 

 

Allensworth Juneteenth Celebration

Col. Allensworth created the town of Allensworth, CA. It was a town founded in 1908, with the idea that African Americans could own property, learn, thrive, and live the American Dream. Every year they have several events to celebrate and commemorate this town.

Saturday, June 9th from 10am to 4pm Shay Olivarria of Bigger Than Your Block will attending the Allensworth celebration of Juneteenth in Allensworth, CA. She’s pleased to be presenting a lecture on financial education among Blacks.  The town was founded by Col. Allensworth because he believed that Blacks needed to be financially independent. He envisioned a town with it’s own school, businesses, and a college. The water turned brackish and people left, but the park has been turned into a state park.

Click the photo to visit the park’s page.

Of course it’s a celebration of enslaved Africans finally being made aware that freedom had come, but it’s also a celebration of our survival. As we remember how far we’ve come, it’s important to plan for the future. Working towards owning businesses, increasing our networth, and passing on our wealth to our children has got to become paramount.

The day will include entertainment for all, food, and of course some great speakers. Shay Olivarria will sell copies of her three books on site or buy them beforehand and have her sign them at the event. Either way, come on out and help celebrate the beauty of Black folks in America June 9th in Allensworth, Ca.

Book Shay Olivarria to speak at your event.

Shay Olivarria is the most dynamic financial education speaker working today. She speaks at high schools, colleges, and companies across the country. She has written three books on personal finance, including Amazon Best Seller “Money Matters: The Get It Done in 1 Minute Workbook”. Shay has been quoted on Bankrate.com, FoxBusiness.com, and The Credit Union Times, among others. To schedule Shay to speak at your event visit www.BiggerThanYourBlock.com.

Student Loan Forgiveness Bill

I saw this post on Default: The Students Loan Documentary‘s Facebook page and I knew that you would be interested in reading about it:

Rep. Hansen Clarke (D-MI-13) introduced the Student Loan Forgiveness Act of 2012 (H.R. 4170) on March 8, 2012. If enacted, this legislation will provide student loan forgiveness for federal education loans, allow private student loans to be refinanced into federal direct consolidation loans and cap all federal student loan interest rates at 3.4%.

This legislation would address some of the calls for student loan forgiveness raised by forgivestudentloandebt.com and the Occupy Wall Street protesters.

Of course this has not been passed, but it’s a great step in the right direction. To read the whole article on Fastweb, click here.

To read about more ways to manage your money order a copy of 10 Things College Students  Need to Know About Money. Not sure what’s in it? Check out the reviews here.

 

 

Free Book

Get this book free.

For a limited time, “10 Things College Students Need to Know About Money is available for FREE in the Kindle Library.

Review from Until No More on Goodreads.com:

If you are the type that was never really scared of finances but kind of veer away from them because it just seemed boring and overly complicated. Then have no fear because the Financial Expert Author Shay Olivarria is here.

I purchased this book, read it and when I was done, I can honestly say that I felt very different about my finances in a good way. I know the book reads 10 Things College Students Needs to Know About Money but the truth is everyone can benefit from this book. So in a nut shell:

This book is funny, an eye opener, light but all in all everything you need to know. Now, usually I’m not one to say “go get this book” but seriously if you don’t have it go get it, especially if you care about you and your family’s financial future.

It had sure change my life!

Until…

Don’t have access to the Kindle Library? Buy it here.

Money Matters is a Best Seller on Kindle!

Whoo hoo!

Yea! The most dynamic financial education speaker’s first book has become an Amazon Best Seller on Kindle! It was in the #7 position before it settled into the #19 position. The workbook is available on Kindle for only $0.99! Hurry, download your copy now.

Click here to purchase your copy.

Purple Project’s 2nd Annual Youth & Adult Foster Care Conference

Financial education speaker Shay Olivarria, author Nakia Lashaul, Senator Nina Turner, Purple Project Director LaTasha C. Watts, and CEO Cherish Thomas at the Purple Project's 2nd Annual Youth & Adult Foster Care Conference in Cleveland, OH.

The most dynamic financial education speaker working today, Shay Olivarria, was on hand to help celebrate the 2nd Annual Youth & Adult Foster Care Conference in Cleveland, OH. The conference was amazing! Students and adults came together for three days to hear from foster care alumni, learn life skills, network with other foster care youth and alumni, and have fun.

Shay Olivarria begins the Friday keynote

Shay Olivarria delivered the keynote on Friday on goal setting and motivation. She also delivered three break-out sessions during the conference on skills emancipating youth will need based on her books:

Buy the book now

Buy it now

Students loved interacting with Shay! After working with Shay, students said:

“I learned that a credit union is better than a bank”
“I will be careful about what credit I apply for”
“I will not get store credit cards”
“I will save as much money as I can before I turn 18”
“Believe in yourself and your dreams”
“No matter how many obstacles you face in life you can overcome anything and be successful financially”
“The difference between credit unions and banks and to start saving money now”

There were so many good people there. Some of the other good folks to know include:
LaTasha C. Watts, Director of the Purple Project
Tanisha Cunningham, Director of the Underground Railroad to Success
Nakia Laushaul, author
Cherish Thomas, CEO Cherish Our Youth
DMC, hip hop legend

Senator Nina Turner with Shay Olivarria and Money Matters: The Get It Done in 1 Minute Workbook.

DMC of hip hop group Run DMC with Shay Olivarria and Money Matters: The Get It Done in 1 Minute Workbook.

Shay Olivarria represents for the I AM ONE campaign.

HEART Talk Interview

Shay talks about her time in foster care.

I just had a wonderful interview with Evelyn Polk of For a Child’s H.E.A.R.T. We talked about my experience in foster care, the things that Bigger Than Your Block, LLC is doing to educate youth about personal finance, my new book “All My Mistakes: Money tips for kids in care”, and the no-cost webinar this Saturday, “Money Tips for Foster Youth“, to celebrate Financial Education Month.

In case you missed it, click here and you’ll hear the whole thing.

TTFN

Free books

I’m so excited about Financial Education Month that I’ve decided to give away 25 copies of 10 Things College Students Need to Know About Money. I’ll provide the link to order your free copy tomorrow, but my email list will get the link an hour earlier.

Sign up for the Bigger Than Your Block, LLC mailing list so you don’t miss valuable promotions like this.

Shay on CU Broadcast

Watch the video here

I’m so glad that I had a chance to sit down and talk with Michael Lawson from CU Broadcast. He interviews awesome people involved with credit unions across the country, so I’m honored that he wanted to interview little ol’ me!

We talked about why I became a financial educator, why credit unions are awesome, and how my two books “10 Things College Students Need to Know About Money” and “Money Matters: The Get It Done in 1 Minute Workbook” are helping people across the country.

Click here to watch the interview.

Open a Money Market Account. Now.

Work smarter, not harder.

Raise your hand if you save money in your savings account and then transfer it to your checking account so often that you don’t actually end up saving any money. Put your hand down! Your co-workers are looking at you!

What’s a money market account?
A money market account is an uber-savings account. You put money in and take money out using a debit card and/or checks just like a savings account. You can only make a specific number of deposits and withdrawals per month. Due to that restriction, you earn a better interest rate than a savings account.

Why should I use one?
You should open a money market account because you have little-to-no willpower. Do you know how I know this? It’s because I have little-to-no will power as well. Life is not about beating yourself up about your shortcomings, but about finding work-arounds for the shortcomings that we all have.

I know that if I have thousands, heck, if I have hundreds of dollars lying around in a savings account that links to my ATM card I’m going to be really tempted to buy things that I don’t need. Having a money market account, with restrictions, makes me think a bit harder before I spend my money because I have to consider fees and penalties for taking money out.

Where to find a money market account
Money market accounts are offered at credit unions and banks around the country. Before you choose one, check Bankrate.com to make sure that you’re getting a competitive rate.

Extra tip:
– Don’t sign up for a debit card for your money market account. It’s too tempting.
– Keep your money that you’re saving for a short-term or intermediate-term savings goal in a money market account.

Read more simple money management tips in Money Matters: The Get It Done in 1 Minute Workbook.

Congrats!

Congratulations to SOAR’s Super Saje Squad for winning the first Black 365 Knowledge Bowl! The event was covered by Our Weekly:

“My mom was extremely proud and was talking to everyone on the phone,” Williams laughed. “I wasn’t surprised (when we won). I knew from the beginning we were going to win. I told my team we were going to outwork, out-perform, and outdo everyone. I told them, we have to act like we want it and if we do, we will get our heart’s desire.”

Each of the 15 participants received a copy of financial education book “10 Things College Students Need to Know About Money“. The event was held Saturday at United Christian Fellowship Church.

From Our Weekly:

Despite the forecast for rain and snow, community members, educators, parents and friends of the competitors filled the sanctuary with high energy and support.

Created by local griot, Black history scholar and community leader, Jamaal Brown, 28, the Jeopardy-style quiz game consisted of four rounds of 10 categories in Black history including Egypt, famous firsts, and Africa.

For five weeks, the students studied subjects from ancient Egyptian history to current Black accomplishments.

“My expectations were far, far exceeded,” Brown said. “The event was more spectacular than I imagined it would be. Everything from attendance and crowd participation to the level of excellence and the level of mastery the students displayed.”

I’m proud to support the Black 365 Knowledge Bowl.