Molly Nelson, CFP | Financial Educator

The wealthy don’t rely on just one income stream—and you shouldn’t either! Here are four income streams I’ve seen over and over during my 18 years of being an advisor. They use them to grow their wealth and you can too. ⭐️Dividend Income – Earn money from stocks that pay dividends. Investing in dividend-paying ETFs or blue-chip stocks is a common way to receive dividends. Comment INVEST for my beginner’s guide. ⭐️Interest Income – Make your money work for you with high-yield savings accounts (yes these are different than regular savings accounts), bonds, or peer-to-peer lending. Again comment INVEST to learn more. ⭐️Rental Income – Own property and rent it out for steady cash flow. Not ready or able to buy? Look into REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts) for a lower-cost way to invest in real estate. Also, a common way people get rental income is by house hacking where they will buy a house and live in it for two years before moving onto a bigger house while renting out the first. On a smaller scale folks can do this with a duplex as well. *take note REITS are NOT very liquid and you should expect to have your money in this type of investment for at least 7 years. ⭐️Business Income – Earn from your own business or side hustle. Whether it’s selling products, freelancing, or consulting, there’s an opportunity for everyone. Especially in today’s environment the way to gain wealth is to increase your earning potential and there’s never been a better time to use the Internet to start a business. Bet on yourself. #’s 3 and 4 make take a little more effort to achieve, but if you have an extra $10/mo there’s no reason you can’t take advantage of #’s 1 & 2. Comment INVEST for my beginner’s guide and you can get started investing before you even finish your dinner. Rooting you on, always!! ❤️❤️ Molly #womenandmoney #investing101 #divorcedmoms #certifiedfinancialplanner #personalfinance

Step one – don’t fall into despair and stick your head in the sand. What’s done is done now focus on what you can do moving forward. (Step 1.a-comment INVEST for my beginner’s guide) You have to pay attention to what you can control: how much you spend, how much you save, and how much risk you take. First, analyze your spending. Are there areas where you can cut back a bit and be able to squirrel away those extra funds into a retirement account? Make sure you are putting as much as possible into any employer sponsored retirement plan where there might be a match. This can be one of the cheapest ways to invest, and also comes with free money if your employer does indeed provide a match. If you’re maxing out your employer plan, set up a taxable investment account, (I like @betterment,) and automate any additional money into that account. They will help you figure out how to invest it based off risk assessment questions. Lastly, double check your investment allocation for any of your investment accounts. You want to make sure that if you need those accounts to grow, they are in the correct asset classes. Follow my page to learn more about those assets and how they are used to fund your goals. After 18 years as an advisor I know one thing: Action creates momentum. Don’t get stuck in despair of “could have, should have, would have.” Comment INVEST and I’ll send you my beginner’s guide. Rooting you on, always! ❤️❤️ Molly #latetoretirement #certifiedfinancialplanner #investing101 #womenandmoney #divorcedmoms

Invest early. Invest often. And here’s how to do it. (Comment INVEST for my beginner’s guide) Want to know what wealthy people aren’t telling you? Most of them aren’t day trading or picking stocks... they’re using simple, automated investing. (Also, hi! I’m Molly, a Certified Financial Planner and advisor of 18 years. I started Money Sense with Molly to give women the financial education we never got!) Here’s the actual step by step: 1. Pick a robo-advisor (I recommend @Betterment) 2. Choose between retirement or general investing 3. Answer their questions about your investing history 4. Connect a bank account 5. Set up automatic monthly transfers 6. Get on with your life That’s literally it. No stock picking. No market timing. No complicated spreadsheets. I opened a new account in 45 seconds. You have no excuse. The real wealth-building secret is just starting early and staying consistent. To learn more about investing comment “INVEST” and I’ll send you my Money Sense Beginner’s Guide to Investing. It’s simple to understand and will get you off the sidelines. Rooting you on, always! ❤️❤️ Molly #moneyeducation #financialliteracy101 #certifiedfinancialplanner #womenandmoney #personalfinance

Make tax season easier on yourself! (Comment LIST to get my full financial checklist .) A little prep now can save you time, stress, and even money when it’s time to file. Here are three easy steps to simplify your tax process: ✅ Organize your documents – Keep all tax-related paperwork (W-2s, 1099s, receipts for deductions, etc.) in one place so you’re not scrambling at the last minute. They trickle in over the first six week of the year so keep that folder especially available then. ✅ Check your withholdings – If you owed a lot last year or got a big refund, adjust your W-4 to better match your tax liability. ✅ Max out deductions & credits – Contribute to tax-advantaged accounts like an IRA or HSA before the deadline to lower your taxable income. Remember contributing to your 401k can lower your taxable income. May the odds be ever in your favor. ❤️ Don’t forget to comment LIST to get my full financial checklist. Rooting you on, always! Molly

The cure for avoiding the mansplaining? Find someone with just as much knowledge who doesn’t treat you like you’re 15. (Comment LIST for my checklist.) Enter- ME! I have been a financial advisor for the last 18 years and I’ve heard time and again that women WANT to know more about investing and money management but have never found someone they can relate to long enough to learn the good stuff. I’ve literally made it my mission to get financial education to women in a way that’s friendly, easy to understand and NOT intimidating. Trust me, there are no dumb questions. To get you started I’ve put together a Money Sense Checklist so you can see everything you “should” be addressing in your life in one easy to digest PDF. Comment “LIST” and I’ll get it right over to you! Rooting you on, always! ❤️❤️ Molly #financialeducationmatters #financialliteracy101 #financialplanners #certifiedfinancialplanner #moneyeducation #moneysense #womeninfinance #moneygoals

And believe me when I say, just starting is the hardest part. (And comment INVEST to get my Beginner’s Guide to Investing…I’m a Certified Financial Planner and am here to get women the financial education they never received!) Here’s what to do: ✅ Automate your investing – Set up an automatic monthly transfer to your investment account (401(k), IRA, or brokerage). Treat it like a bill you pay yourself first. ✅ Use index funds or ETFs – Instead of stressing over picking stocks, invest in funds that track the entire market (like S&P 500 ETFs). They’re low-cost, diversified, and proven to build wealth over time. ✅ Start small, stay consistent – Even $50-$100 a month gets the ball rolling. The key is consistency! ✅ Ignore the noise – You don’t need to check the stock market daily. Investing is about the long game. Let it grow. The result? Investing becomes just another thing that happens in the background while your wealth builds. No overthinking. Remember, comment INVEST to get my Beginner’s Guide to Investing and you’ll be getting started in no time. Rooting you on, always! ❤️❤️ Molly #personalfinance #divorcedmoms #moneygoals #financialliteracy101 #moneysense

Don’t “assume” everything will workout great if you die with young kids… Every parent should have a WILL in place. A will is a legal document you create with an attorney (or online legal service like Rocket Lawyer,) where you will name the LEGAL GUARDIAN for your minor children should you pass. Obviously if they have a surviving parent who is your spouse it’s going to be cleaner if you die, but there are *plenty* of situations where things can get real ugly, real fast. (And a married couple should always still get wills in the event they pass together!) In certain situations the COURTS will decide who raises them if you haven’t left direction. Do you really want your crazy brother to become their guardian? He might if he’s next of kin in the court’s eyes. 😬🚩 So, take some time and work through getting this document created. It’s critically important. And if you want a short guide to make sure you have all your other bases covered? Comment LIST and I’ll send you my Money Sense Financial Checklist. Rooting you on, always!! ❤️❤️ Molly P.S. I’ve seen some crazy stuff in my 18 years as a financial advisor. Don’t end up being a story some advisor uses as a cautionary tale for the rest of their career! P. P. S. Remember friends, I am NOT an attorney and this is not legal advice. Go do your homework and cover your a**. Please. #divorcedmoms #investing101 #personalfinance #lifeinsurance #willandtrust #certifiedfinancialplanner

Help me, help you… First, comment HYSA for my recommended High Yield Savings Account. 🚨 Avoid these common mistakes: 1️⃣ Waiting to save until debt is paid off. * You need a safety net before an emergency forces you to use credit cards. Start with $1,000. 2️⃣ Keeping savings in a regular bank account. * Big mistake: Traditional savings accounts = 0.01% interest 😬 * Better option: High Yield Savings = 4.0%+ interest (Which would you prefer!?) * Comment HYSA for my recommendation! 3️⃣ Making your emergency fund too accessible. * Don’t link it to your checking for overdrafts or easy transfers. * Keep it at a separate bank—out of sight, out of mind until truly needed. Drop HYSA in the comments to get my recommendation! Rooting you on, always! ❤️❤️ Molly #HYSA #financialliteracy101 #moneysensemethod #moneysense #divorcedmom #investing101

Which do you want to hear first? 😂 (Comment BUDGET for a free template to help…) ❤️ The good news… you’ve landed in the right place! I am a Certified Financial Planner with 18 years experience as a financial advisor and I’m here to teach women the financial education they never got so they can confidently tackle anything that comes their way. ❤️ 🌪️ The bad news? It’s time to get real with yourself and do a little homework. 🌪️ No, I’m not going to tell you that you have to budget out every coffee you’ll ever drink for the next five years, but you do need to put some work in to identify what’s coming into your bank account and what’s going out. So grab your beverage of choice, it’s time to rip the Band-Aid off. Collect your bank and credit card statements and write out Every. Single. Expense. you’ve had for the last month. Be sure you don’t miss: ➡️ subscriptions & ➡️ quarterly, semi- annual, and annual payments. & ➡️ start a list of bills you will try to negotiate like your cell phone, internet, insurance, and bank fees. Comment BUDGET to get a template to help you line this all out. The first step is just acknowledging what you’re actually spending. Then we can start talking about adjusting, but we have to take this step first. Rooting you on, always! ❤️❤️ Molly #certifiedfinancialplanner #budgetmom #investing101 #womenandmoney #divorcedmom

Not all “investment opportunities” are created equal… and life insurance isn’t one of them. (Comment CALCULATOR to check how much insurance you actually need…) In my 18 years as a financial advisor I have seen far too many people walk through my door with an insurance policy that got sold to them as a “great opportunity” to have an asset AND life insurance. But 10/10 they ended up with policies that didn’t perform well, and most importantly, did NOT provide enough actual insurance should they die. If you have one of these policies, it’s time to review it. I have a tool to help- I’ve created the Money Sense Life Insurance Calculator to help you figure out EXACTLY how much coverage you need… just comment CALCULATOR. NO ONE who has a lost a spouse and received life insurance has ever said, “oh goodness, this is TOO MUCH money.” But the opposite is surely true. Let’s make sure you’re on the right side of that equation should you ever die. Rooting you on, always! ❤️❤️ Molly #certifiedfinancialplanner #lifeinsurancematters #divorcedmom #womenandmoney #financialliteracy101

You’ll know you’re “good with money” when: (Comment LIST for my financial checklist!) -You know your exact net worth and monthly cash flow numbers - You have a clear understanding of where every dollar is going -You have a fully-funded emergency fund that helps you sleep at night - You have the right insurance coverage to protect your family -You understand your investment choices in plain English -You have a clear retirement strategy that makes sense for your life And most importantly: -You’ve stopped feeling overwhelmed by financial decisions. Can’t check all these boxes yet? That’s ok…just keep working on it. We need GOOD people to be GOOD with money….and yes, I’m looking at YOU. :) remember, comment LIST and I’ll send you my checklist to help you ensure you’re checking all the financial boxes. Rooting you on, always! ❤️❤️ Molly #certifiedfinancialplanner #womeninfinance #financialliteracy101 #womenandmoney #moneyeducation #moneysense #investingforbeginners

As an advisor for 18 years I have witnessed some crazy shit unfold between spouses. Those annual $$$ gifts from her parents that she thought were going into the kids college fund? Nope- actually went into the slot machine, PLUS another $30k that’s now debt dragging them down. Another woman couldn’t understand why her husband was always harping on her about spending at the grocery store and finally learned that the truck sitting outside her house cost $1300/MONTH? The kicker was they rarely used the truck but they needed it to pull their camper someday, which they didn’t even own yet (because they couldn’t afford it.) I could go on and on. But a common theme? It never works out well when the woman lets the man just “take care of it all.” You need to know WHAT you have, and WHY you have it. Start here: comment LIST and I’ll send you my Money Sense Financial Checklist to give you a quick overview of things you should be aware of. And stick around to get the financial education you were never taught but should have been. Rooting you on, always!! ❤️❤️ Molly #divorcedmom #financialeducationmatters #financialliteracy101 #certifiedfinancialplanner #moneysense