Michelle Singletary Quotes

We have to protect ourselves by doing our own homework.

I also admire my pastor, John K. Jenkins Sr. (First Baptist Church of Glenarden). My pastor taught me the importance of tithing and giving back, that it has to be at the top of my budget. And he is one of the most generous folks I know.

There's nothing wrong with having a 9-to-5 job, but figure out a way to have another stream of income.

I usually find that my gut doesn't steer me wrong when it comes to my money!

I understand and respect people who say they want to boycott the Trump brand. I also respect your right to buy his products. But what you miss is that no one in public office, Hilary or Trump should use that platform to profit themselves. In Trump's case there are serious concerns about the conflict of interest in his brand and business ownership. Do we really want a president who had products he can push while working for the American people?

Kids can and are a blessing. But plenty of people without kids live and die just as happy.

You are rich if you have enough to meet your most basic needs. You are rich if you have access to clean water, food, shelter, love, a roof over your head.You have to count your blessings to see that you are richer than you think.

A foreclosure does not define you financially.

My writing is definitely influenced by and speaks to African-Americans because that is who I am. I'm black. I'm a black woman. I'm a black mother, wife, churchgoer, etc. I am the legacy of slavery.

I've found that when you can quickly knock out debt you get motivated because you see progress. Then you attack the other debt so fast that even if it's at a higher interest rate, you don't end up paying much more because you've gotten rid of it.

Sometimes your gut is right. And sometimes not.

You need to know everything. You both need to be comfortable with sharing everything. If you can't you are NOT ready to get married.

Priorities lead to prosperity.

Not all Trump supporters are bigots. They believe he had something to offer. I may disagree. You may disagree but we need to be civil to each other. Use the facts to make your point. I had read that the clothes made by some of the brands use sweatshops. Facts folks not feelings. We all have to live with each other and our choices.

We all only have a certain amount of money and that means yes, we have to make choices and sometimes those choices mean we don't get what we want.

[My grandmother] managed her money better than some financial professionals I know. I give credit always to her because she is the reason I have my column and national recognition.

I use a "Debt Dash" approach to paying off debt. I recommend people focus on paying off the debt with the lowest balance first. So if the primary has less debt you would focus on that.

Set up rules for when you will "give" not lend money. Never lend. My people know that I'll help with college. I'll help if they lose they job thu no fault of their own.

I write for anybody struggling to manage their money.

My kids have to maintain good grades. They have to be involved in activities. They have to report to me how thing are going. I watch for any activity that would steer them wrong - drinking, drugs, etc. So their skin in the game is knowing the money won't be there if they don't do their part.

When you give people who are being financially responsible money, you are enabling them to continue a bad habit. So you are actually helping by saying, "Love you but no."

I'm keenly aware of how important it is to set a good example. You may not think that your kids are paying attention to you, especially with something like money, but they probably are.

There are other ways to motivate students than requiring them to take on debt or work long hours taking away from their studies. For example, we don't allow our kids to work during the school hours their freshman year. After that, they can work a little but not so much that it hurts their education.

Always keep an eye out for other opportunities.

The key to making sure your credit stays good is paying the bill on time. If you are paying the balance off even if there is something on the card in recent purchases, you are good.

Having fun time is a good use of your money.

We know intellectually that money can't buy happiness yet we spend and go into debt as if it does.

There are some dark days when I do receive some racist mail or emails. But overall the response to me has been very positive. Readers relate to me not just as an African-American, but as an American trying to make sense of her personal finance, just like them.

I just don't like people taking debt into retirement.

You don't need to waste money on a fancy program or app to do a basic budget. I've been using a simple Excel spreadsheet since 2005 to track my monthly budget.

You know me and I have a pension. It provides some comfort but only some. It's still not enough to live off completely but it sure will help. But I'll say this. I try to forget about it and save like a maniac because I want the assurance of having other pots of money.

Don't let people scare you from a career that may not net you a six figure salary. If you want to be a teacher, teach. But knowing that your salary may only reach a certain level, do all that you can to become the best money manager you can be.

I'm driving my old car until I'm on a first name basis with the low tow truck drivers!

Having kids doesn't mean they would have taken care o you.

Once you finish paying for college you could reduce your life insurance.

My Big Mama is my No. 1 financial role model. Much of my advice stems from what she taught me. She never made more than $13,000 a year, yet she paid off her home before she retired. She saved money from every paycheck. She taught me to be skeptical. It makes me cry to think that I'm a nationally syndicated personal finance columnist for one of the world's best newspapers and my core advice comes from my black grandmother who was a nurse's aide with just a high school education.

The sad thing is many people learn how to manage money after they've made a lot of financial mistakes, some that take decades to fix.

That's is life. You move and change according to things that happen to you and things that you make happen because of poor choices.

You can't time the market.

I knew I had found my life's passion after writing my first column for The Washington Post. The response was like nothing we had seen in the business section. Everyday people were writing that finally someone was speaking to them in a way that was understandable. I think we were all shocked at how many readers wrote in to say that they too had a Big Mama who taught them about money.

Light has a way of keeping people honest.

The rich are depressed because they realize their money can't buy them out of their issues.

You made a decision given your life circumstances and you have to be ok with that. Regrets that can't be change is just torturing yourself.

Policy changes like what you desire come from our politicians. So let them know what you think.

My first piece of career advice is find your gifting. Find the thing that you are skilled at and figure out if you can make a living doing it.

No matter who is in the White House, I just keep doing what my grandmother taught me. Hate debt. Save. The best any of us can do really.

I think you can save and spend to live for however long you live. You just have to be flexible if things don't go as plan.

I like the idea of having a paperless society.But to be paperless means you have to be so careful with your identity.