'In The Black': A Financial How-To With African Americans In Mind

AaronW. Smith, a financial planner and author, recently wrote a book "In The Black: Live Faithfully, Prosper Financially" that he said address African Americans in a Christian context, but one need not be of a particular religion or race to benefit from it.

Retirement planning is his overarching theme, and he uses African Americans from all walks of life grappling with retirement issues to illustrate the breadth of challenges faced by individuals today. To guard his clients' privacy he has changed names and biographical details.
"Some of these individuals have been impacted by the income disparity and credit discrimination that impedes financial security for many African Americans," he writes. But not all. What they do have in common is a need for a plan to help them remain financially secure after retirement.
With an estimated 9 million black Baby Boomers preparing to retire and leave the workforce, "Many are panicking about not having enough money to live on for the rest of their lives," Smith writes.Smith's nine steps start with exercises to help you define and prioritize your values then set practical goals. "Our values guide our financial actions," he writes.

He counsels: "Use your good instincts to figure out the best way to teach the art of living beneath one's means." This is significant to pass along. It "can change the lives of future generations." Not just African Americans, but every Americans.