Financial Hero

As I was thinking yesterday about how to pay for a car repair bill that I couldn't avoid, a little voice popped into my head. "You should have an emergency fund of at least 6 months salary". The funny thing is the voice doesn't belong to my mother, it belongs to Suze Orman!

It seems you can't avoid Suze Orman these days. She has become the de facto voice on all things money these days! Besides appearences on Oprah and cable news she has her own TV show



and many bestselling books



She may be a take no prisoners financial powerhouse but her life hasn't always been golden. She got where she is by hard knocks and hard work. She has a compelling backstory, one that could have happened to anyone.

While working as a waitress Suzie was given a big sum of money by a customer who believed in her and wanted her to follow her dreams. She invested it at a brokerage firm and then immersed herself in learning all she could about finance. In 4 months the money was all gone. A victim of a dishonest stockbroker, Suze lost it all! Rather than wallowing in pity and giving up, Suze entered into a training program at the firm where she lost the money, became a stockbroker, parlayed that career into one in giving retirement planning seminars and in 1993 was asked to write a book. It became a bestseller.

Books were just the start and led to other successes such as public speaking and television. Suze's success in these arenas attest to what I think is her true strengh: the ability to deliver the hard truth in a relatable, straight-forward, and honest way. She's been where we are and knows how to rise above it! She has tapped into our emotional connection with our money and lets us know she understands. The good thing is that she shows us in dollars and cents why we need to focus on "People first, then money, then things".

I have learned alot about my finances and why I have verious success with them and it's all due to watching and listening to Suze. I promise some of it is sinking in and someday I will put the concepts into practice!

You too can get the wisdom of Suze! Follow her on Twitter and visit her website!