You'll feel better when you get all that debt off your back.

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.

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.

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

My experience may be different than theirs, readers can identify with trying to save for retirement or their own kid's college fund. In truth, the name of the column, "The Color of Money," has less to do with my race than the fact that the color of money is green and it's green we all need to live a good life.

I'm not a fan of debt consolidation. In my experience, many people "clear" credit cards and other debt to get the one payment and never change what they need to change to prevent getting into debt again.