# assessments

slug: financial-health
title: Financial Health Check
tagline: Your money score in 3 minutes, honest, judgement-free, jargon-free.
emoji: heart-pulse
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:16
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:16
description:
  Answer 20 quick questions about how you earn, spend, save, borrow and invest. We'll show you exactly where you stand, and the very next step to take.


slug: money-personality
title: Money Personality Test
tagline: Who are you with money, really? 20 honest statements reveal your dominant money type.
emoji: users
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
description:
  There are no right or wrong answers and no winning type. Knowing your money personality shows you your natural strengths, and the blind spot quietly costing you. Adapted from "Money Harmony" by Olivia Mellan & Sherry Christie.

settings:
  {"mode":"profile","types":{"hoarder":"The Hoarder","spender":"The Spender","monk":"The Money Monk","avoider":"The Avoider","amasser":"The Amasser"}}


slug: chama-health
title: Chama Health Check
emoji: handshake
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
tagline:
  Chama, stokvel, susu or esusu, is your investment group built to last, or quietly heading for the famous group drama?

description:
  Ten honest questions about governance, money handling, legal standing and growth. Get your group's health score and the exact fixes that protect everyone's contributions.


# assessment_questions

section: Money Habits
prompt: Payday! What happens in the first 48 hours?
type: choice
dimension: spending
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","label":"My money already has assignments, savings and bills go out first","points":3,"emoji":"target"},{"key":"b","label":"I pay the important bills, then play it by ear","points":2,"emoji":"receipt"},{"key":"c","label":"A little enjoyment first, then I get serious","points":1,"emoji":"smile"},{"key":"d","label":"Honestly? It disappears and I can't explain where","points":0,"emoji":"wind"}]


section: Money Habits
prompt: Do you know, roughly, what you spent last month?
type: choice
dimension: spending
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","label":"Yes, I track it, I could tell you per category","points":3,"emoji":"chart-bar"},{"key":"b","label":"I have a good rough idea","points":2,"emoji":"search"},{"key":"c","label":"Only the big things, rent, fees, transport","points":1,"emoji":"receipt"},{"key":"d","label":"No idea. My mobile money knows, I don't","points":0,"emoji":"eye-off"}]


section: Money Habits
prompt: A friend invites you for a weekend trip you didn't plan for. What do you do?
type: choice
dimension: spending
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","label":"Check my fun budget, if it fits, I go; if not, I pass","points":3,"emoji":"check-circle"},{"key":"b","label":"I go, but I cut back somewhere else to cover it","points":2,"emoji":"scale"},{"key":"c","label":"I go and figure out the damage later","points":1,"emoji":"hourglass"},{"key":"d","label":"I take a mobile loan to make it happen","points":0,"emoji":"alert-triangle"}]


section: Money Habits
prompt: How do you feel when you check your account balance?
type: emoji_scale
dimension: spending
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","label":"Calm, I know what I'll find","points":3,"emoji":"smile"},{"key":"b","label":"Neutral, sometimes good, sometimes not","points":2,"emoji":"meh"},{"key":"c","label":"A bit anxious, to be honest","points":1,"emoji":"frown"},{"key":"d","label":"I avoid checking it altogether","points":0,"emoji":"eye-off"}]


section: Your Safety Net
prompt: If you lost your income today, how long could you keep the lights on?
type: choice
dimension: saving
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","label":"6 months or more, I've built a real cushion","points":3,"emoji":"landmark"},{"key":"b","label":"About 3 months","points":2,"emoji":"home"},{"key":"c","label":"A few weeks, maybe a month","points":1,"emoji":"hourglass"},{"key":"d","label":"I'd be in trouble by next week","points":0,"emoji":"wind"}]


section: Your Safety Net
prompt: How does saving actually happen in your life?
type: choice
dimension: saving
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","label":"Automatically, it leaves before I can touch it","points":3,"emoji":"repeat"},{"key":"b","label":"Manually, but I'm consistent most months","points":2,"emoji":"check-circle"},{"key":"c","label":"Only when there's something left over","points":1,"emoji":"hourglass"},{"key":"d","label":"Saving? In this economy?","points":0,"emoji":"frown"}]


section: Your Safety Net
prompt: An emergency hits: a month's rent is needed today. Where does it come from?
type: choice
dimension: saving
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","label":"My emergency fund, that's what it's for","points":3,"emoji":"life-buoy"},{"key":"b","label":"My savings, though it would sting","points":2,"emoji":"landmark"},{"key":"c","label":"Family, friends, my chama or stokvel","points":1,"emoji":"users"},{"key":"d","label":"A mobile loan, Fuliza, Tala, OPay, MoMo\u2026","points":0,"emoji":"alert-circle"}]


section: Your Safety Net
prompt: Are you saving towards something specific right now?
type: choice
dimension: saving
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","label":"Yes, clear goals with amounts and dates","points":3,"emoji":"target"},{"key":"b","label":"Sort of, I have goals but no real plan","points":2,"emoji":"map"},{"key":"c","label":"I save generally, for \"the future\"","points":1,"emoji":"moon"},{"key":"d","label":"No goals, no saving happening yet","points":0,"emoji":"x"}]


section: Debt Freedom
prompt: What's your current relationship with debt?
type: choice
dimension: debt
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","label":"Debt-free, or only debt that builds assets","points":3,"emoji":"badge-check"},{"key":"b","label":"I have debt, but a clear plan and I'm on schedule","points":2,"emoji":"chart-line"},{"key":"c","label":"I'm juggling a few loans, it's getting heavy","points":1,"emoji":"repeat"},{"key":"d","label":"I borrow from one place to pay another","points":0,"emoji":"alert-triangle"}]


section: Debt Freedom
prompt: Quick check: do you know the total amount of debt you owe?
type: this_or_that
dimension: debt
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","label":"Yes","points":3,"emoji":"calculator"},{"key":"b","label":"No","points":0,"emoji":"eye-off"}]


section: Debt Freedom
prompt: Mobile loans (Fuliza, OPay, MoMo, app loans…), how often do they feature in your month?
type: choice
dimension: debt
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","label":"Never, I don't touch them","points":3,"emoji":"shield-check"},{"key":"b","label":"Rarely, and I clear them immediately","points":2,"emoji":"moon"},{"key":"c","label":"Most months, to bridge the gap","points":1,"emoji":"repeat"},{"key":"d","label":"I live inside the overdraft at this point","points":0,"emoji":"alert-circle"}]


section: Debt Freedom
prompt: Before taking a loan, what's your process?
type: choice
dimension: debt
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","label":"I check the true cost, terms, and exactly how I'll repay","points":3,"emoji":"search"},{"key":"b","label":"I look at the monthly payment and decide if I can manage","points":2,"emoji":"file-text"},{"key":"c","label":"If I qualify, I take it and trust myself to sort it","points":1,"emoji":"rocket"},{"key":"d","label":"Process? If I need money, I borrow","points":0,"emoji":"alert-triangle"}]


section: Growing Wealth
prompt: Do you have any investments or passive income?
type: choice
dimension: investing
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","label":"Yes, I invest regularly in things I understand","points":3,"emoji":"trending-up"},{"key":"b","label":"I've started small, a savings account, money market fund or SACCO, a little here and there","points":2,"emoji":"sprout"},{"key":"c","label":"Not yet, but I'm genuinely planning to start","points":1,"emoji":"lightbulb"},{"key":"d","label":"No, and I am not sure where to begin","points":0,"emoji":"moon"}]


section: Growing Wealth
prompt: Someone offers you a "guaranteed 30% per month" opportunity. You…
type: choice
dimension: investing
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","label":"Run for the hills - if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is","points":3,"emoji":"flag"},{"key":"b","label":"Dig into it properly before deciding","points":2,"emoji":"search"},{"key":"c","label":"Put in a small amount \"to test\"","points":1,"emoji":"hourglass"},{"key":"d","label":"Jump in before the window closes!","points":0,"emoji":"rocket"}]


section: Growing Wealth
prompt: How do you choose where to invest?
type: choice
dimension: investing
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","label":"Based on my own goals, values and timelines","points":3,"emoji":"compass"},{"key":"b","label":"I research products and compare options","points":2,"emoji":"book-open"},{"key":"c","label":"I follow what friends\/family recommend","points":1,"emoji":"users"},{"key":"d","label":"I haven't chosen anything yet, it's overwhelming","points":0,"emoji":"alert-circle"}]


section: Growing Wealth
prompt: Do you know the difference between saving and investing?
type: this_or_that
dimension: investing
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","label":"Yes","points":3,"emoji":"lightbulb"},{"key":"b","label":"No","points":0,"emoji":"meh"}]


section: Protecting Tomorrow
prompt: If you were unwell for 3 months, what happens to your finances?
type: choice
dimension: protection
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","label":"Covered, insurance plus savings would carry me","points":3,"emoji":"shield-check"},{"key":"b","label":"Insurance would help, but it would be tight","points":2,"emoji":"shield"},{"key":"c","label":"Family and fundraising would have to step in","points":1,"emoji":"users"},{"key":"d","label":"I genuinely don't want to think about it","points":0,"emoji":"eye-off"}]


section: Protecting Tomorrow
prompt: Retirement. When you think about it, you feel…
type: emoji_scale
dimension: protection
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","label":"Confident, I'm building towards it already","points":3,"emoji":"smile"},{"key":"b","label":"Hopeful, I've started something small","points":2,"emoji":"meh"},{"key":"c","label":"Worried, I know I'm behind","points":1,"emoji":"frown"},{"key":"d","label":"I'm avoiding the topic completely","points":0,"emoji":"eye-off"}]


section: Protecting Tomorrow
type: choice
dimension: protection
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
prompt:
  Does anyone else depend on your income (kids, parents, siblings)? If so, are they protected if something happens to you?

options:
  [{"key":"a","label":"Yes, I have life cover and my affairs are in order","points":3,"emoji":"file-text"},{"key":"b","label":"Partially, some cover, but gaps exist","points":2,"emoji":"shield"},{"key":"c","label":"It's on my list, but nothing in place yet","points":1,"emoji":"hourglass"},{"key":"d","label":"No one depends on me \/ nothing in place","points":0,"emoji":"x"}]


section: Protecting Tomorrow
type: choice
dimension: protection
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
prompt:
  Last one! Do your money decisions reflect what truly matters to you, your values, your faith, your family?

options:
  [{"key":"a","label":"Yes, my money follows my values, deliberately","points":3,"emoji":"heart"},{"key":"b","label":"Mostly, though I drift sometimes","points":2,"emoji":"compass"},{"key":"c","label":"I've never connected money to my values","points":1,"emoji":"map"},{"key":"d","label":"What do values have to do with money?","points":0,"emoji":"wind"}]


section: Money Personalities
prompt: If KES 2 million came to me unexpectedly, my first impulse would be to:
type: choice
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","emoji":"sparkles","label":"Spend it on things I want, including gifts for others","type":"spender","points":0},{"key":"b","emoji":"shield-check","label":"Immediately put it somewhere safe so it won't get wasted away","type":"hoarder","points":0},{"key":"c","emoji":"meh","label":"Put off making any decisions until I felt less overwhelmed","type":"avoider","points":0},{"key":"d","emoji":"trending-up","label":"Figure out ways of investing it to get the best possible return","type":"amasser","points":0},{"key":"e","emoji":"heart","label":"Give most of it away to organisations that can make the world a better place","type":"monk","points":0}]


section: Money Personalities
prompt: Here's how I feel about my money:
type: choice
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","emoji":"heart","label":"I make sure it never influences my life choices","type":"monk","points":0},{"key":"b","emoji":"sparkles","label":"I enjoy spending it on gifts and anything else that gives me pleasure","type":"spender","points":0},{"key":"c","emoji":"trending-up","label":"I think about it a lot and strategise how to make more of it","type":"amasser","points":0},{"key":"d","emoji":"shield-check","label":"I hold onto it and enjoy thinking about the security it provides","type":"hoarder","points":0},{"key":"e","emoji":"meh","label":"I try not to think about it and hope it will take care of itself","type":"avoider","points":0}]


section: Money Personalities
prompt: My primary financial objective is…
type: choice
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","emoji":"shield-check","label":"To save enough money now so I never have to worry about my old age","type":"hoarder","points":0},{"key":"b","emoji":"meh","label":"Unclear to me","type":"avoider","points":0},{"key":"c","emoji":"sparkles","label":"To have enough of it to make sure I can buy whatever I want","type":"spender","points":0},{"key":"d","emoji":"heart","label":"To have enough to satisfy my basic needs and then give the rest away","type":"monk","points":0},{"key":"e","emoji":"trending-up","label":"To make as much of it as possible as quickly as possible","type":"amasser","points":0}]


section: Money Personalities
prompt: Here's how I feel about budgeting:
type: choice
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","emoji":"trending-up","label":"I take a lot of time figuring out how to have more money to spend and save","type":"amasser","points":0},{"key":"b","emoji":"shield-check","label":"I take pride in following my budget closely","type":"hoarder","points":0},{"key":"c","emoji":"heart","label":"I take pride in living so simply that I never need a budget","type":"monk","points":0},{"key":"d","emoji":"sparkles","label":"Budget? Yuck! Just hearing the word makes me want to rebel","type":"spender","points":0},{"key":"e","emoji":"meh","label":"I don't have a budget and wouldn't know how to start. I hope my money will take care of itself","type":"avoider","points":0}]


section: Money Personalities
prompt: Here's how I feel about spending:
type: choice
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","emoji":"meh","label":"I hope I have enough money to take care of unexpected expenses","type":"avoider","points":0},{"key":"b","emoji":"trending-up","label":"I enjoy spending, as long as I keep earning and saving more and my net worth keeps increasing","type":"amasser","points":0},{"key":"c","emoji":"shield-check","label":"I'd rather save my money; spending makes me nervous","type":"hoarder","points":0},{"key":"d","emoji":"heart","label":"I don't care where my money goes; I have more important things to think about","type":"monk","points":0},{"key":"e","emoji":"sparkles","label":"I love spending money, and I tend to spend more than I earn","type":"spender","points":0}]


section: Money Personalities
prompt: Here's how I feel about financial record keeping:
type: choice
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","emoji":"trending-up","label":"I love to look at my old statements to see how much more money I have now","type":"amasser","points":0},{"key":"b","emoji":"meh","label":"I am not sure which records I should be keeping","type":"avoider","points":0},{"key":"c","emoji":"shield-check","label":"I enjoy keeping careful records","type":"hoarder","points":0},{"key":"d","emoji":"sparkles","label":"I keep track of things on and off","type":"spender","points":0},{"key":"e","emoji":"heart","label":"I don't keep records. There are more important things in life","type":"monk","points":0}]


section: Money Personalities
prompt: Here's how I feel about saving:
type: choice
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","emoji":"meh","label":"I know I ought to be saving, but I never seem to get around to it","type":"avoider","points":0},{"key":"b","emoji":"trending-up","label":"I really enjoy saving, the more the better!","type":"amasser","points":0},{"key":"c","emoji":"sparkles","label":"I have trouble saving money, which bothers me sometimes","type":"spender","points":0},{"key":"d","emoji":"heart","label":"If I had enough money to save, I would give it away instead","type":"monk","points":0},{"key":"e","emoji":"shield-check","label":"Saving comes naturally to me. I am regular and consistent about it","type":"hoarder","points":0}]


section: Money Personalities
prompt: Here's how I feel about borrowing:
type: choice
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","emoji":"meh","label":"I try not to borrow because it's easy to lose track of paying it back","type":"avoider","points":0},{"key":"b","emoji":"shield-check","label":"It's rare for me to borrow, because I have enough saved for emergencies","type":"hoarder","points":0},{"key":"c","emoji":"trending-up","label":"I'm willing to borrow to make money, but I dislike having lots of debt","type":"amasser","points":0},{"key":"d","emoji":"sparkles","label":"I've borrowed quite often, but I can't say I've always paid it back","type":"spender","points":0},{"key":"e","emoji":"heart","label":"I hate debt and would borrow only for absolute necessities","type":"monk","points":0}]


section: Money Personalities
prompt: Here's how I feel about lending money:
type: choice
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","emoji":"sparkles","label":"I'm pretty generous and don't worry too much about getting it back","type":"spender","points":0},{"key":"b","emoji":"heart","label":"People tend not to ask me for money. They know I probably don't have any extra","type":"monk","points":0},{"key":"c","emoji":"meh","label":"I have no idea whether I could afford to lend anyone money","type":"avoider","points":0},{"key":"d","emoji":"shield-check","label":"I try never to lend, but if I do, I feel tense about it until it's repaid","type":"hoarder","points":0},{"key":"e","emoji":"trending-up","label":"I don't mind lending at a good interest rate, if I get repaid on time","type":"amasser","points":0}]


section: Money Personalities
prompt: Here's how I feel about credit cards:
type: choice
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","emoji":"heart","label":"I don't like credit cards, and think people who use them are asking for trouble","type":"monk","points":0},{"key":"b","emoji":"sparkles","label":"I use credit cards a lot and tend to make the minimum payment most of the time","type":"spender","points":0},{"key":"c","emoji":"trending-up","label":"I don't mind running up a large balance, as long as I can pay it off quickly","type":"amasser","points":0},{"key":"d","emoji":"meh","label":"I'm often surprised by how much I owe, especially when late fees are added in","type":"avoider","points":0},{"key":"e","emoji":"shield-check","label":"I've always tended to avoid credit. I prefer paying by debit card or cash","type":"hoarder","points":0}]


section: Money Personalities
prompt: In the event of a financial emergency…
type: choice
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","emoji":"meh","label":"I don't know if I have enough saved, so I just hope for the best","type":"avoider","points":0},{"key":"b","emoji":"heart","label":"I hope I could rely on friends or bartering services","type":"monk","points":0},{"key":"c","emoji":"sparkles","label":"I never have enough money left over to save for emergencies","type":"spender","points":0},{"key":"d","emoji":"trending-up","label":"I've put aside a sizable amount for emergencies, but I'm not sure it's enough","type":"amasser","points":0},{"key":"e","emoji":"shield-check","label":"I've saved enough for almost any emergency, but hope I never have to spend it","type":"hoarder","points":0}]


section: Money Personalities
prompt: Here's how I feel about paying taxes:
type: choice
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","emoji":"meh","label":"I'm always astonished to find out how much tax I owe","type":"avoider","points":0},{"key":"b","emoji":"shield-check","label":"I save regularly for taxes, and usually file my return well before it's due","type":"hoarder","points":0},{"key":"c","emoji":"heart","label":"I hate the whole thing and try to get it done with as little fuss as possible","type":"monk","points":0},{"key":"d","emoji":"sparkles","label":"I always have to scramble to get my return done and find cash to pay my taxes","type":"spender","points":0},{"key":"e","emoji":"trending-up","label":"I take pride in paying taxes on my increased income, if I can","type":"amasser","points":0}]


section: Money Personalities
prompt: To feel totally satisfied with my annual income, I would need…
type: choice
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","emoji":"shield-check","label":"My employer to match every shilling I put into my pension","type":"hoarder","points":0},{"key":"b","emoji":"trending-up","label":"At least twice as much as I'm earning now","type":"amasser","points":0},{"key":"c","emoji":"meh","label":"I'm sure I could use more money, but I have no idea how much","type":"avoider","points":0},{"key":"d","emoji":"heart","label":"I'm fine the way I am. More money would make me feel uncomfortable","type":"monk","points":0},{"key":"e","emoji":"sparkles","label":"To have someone else pay my bills so I can spend the whole paycheck!","type":"spender","points":0}]


section: Money Personalities
prompt: Here's how I feel about investing…
type: choice
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","emoji":"trending-up","label":"I always let my dividends compound to maximise my return","type":"amasser","points":0},{"key":"b","emoji":"meh","label":"If I were to invest, I'd want someone else to make all the decisions for me","type":"avoider","points":0},{"key":"c","emoji":"shield-check","label":"I invest only in safe, conservative choices like fixed deposit accounts","type":"hoarder","points":0},{"key":"d","emoji":"sparkles","label":"I've always wanted to try something wild that might end up making me rich","type":"spender","points":0},{"key":"e","emoji":"heart","label":"If I were to invest, I would choose only socially responsible companies","type":"monk","points":0}]


section: Money Personalities
prompt: When I really want to buy something that's not in my budget:
type: choice
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","emoji":"meh","label":"What budget? Everything will work out right","type":"avoider","points":0},{"key":"b","emoji":"shield-check","label":"I have to think hard before giving myself permission to spend the money","type":"hoarder","points":0},{"key":"c","emoji":"sparkles","label":"I'll buy it whether or not I can afford it","type":"spender","points":0},{"key":"d","emoji":"heart","label":"Most of the things I want aren't expensive, so I can afford them (even if I later wish I hadn't)","type":"monk","points":0},{"key":"e","emoji":"trending-up","label":"If it's important enough, I'll tweak my portfolio. Otherwise, I'll forget about it","type":"amasser","points":0}]


section: Money Personalities
prompt: When I think about money in general, to me it represents…
type: choice
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","emoji":"shield-check","label":"Security","type":"hoarder","points":0},{"key":"b","emoji":"sparkles","label":"Happiness, pleasure, and excitement","type":"spender","points":0},{"key":"c","emoji":"heart","label":"A sense of greed and possibly corruption","type":"monk","points":0},{"key":"d","emoji":"meh","label":"A source of anxiety and conflict","type":"avoider","points":0},{"key":"e","emoji":"trending-up","label":"Power, prestige, and freedom","type":"amasser","points":0}]


section: Money Personalities
prompt: I would apply for a bank loan under these circumstances:
type: choice
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","emoji":"sparkles","label":"To go on vacation or buy something I really wanted","type":"spender","points":0},{"key":"b","emoji":"heart","label":"Only if it were a dire emergency. I hope I'll never have to borrow money","type":"monk","points":0},{"key":"c","emoji":"trending-up","label":"To invest in a business or some higher-yielding opportunity","type":"amasser","points":0},{"key":"d","emoji":"shield-check","label":"To make essential repairs, pay for school fees, or increase my future security","type":"hoarder","points":0},{"key":"e","emoji":"meh","label":"I don't know","type":"avoider","points":0}]


section: Money Personalities
prompt: I worry about money…
type: choice
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","emoji":"heart","label":"Never. I worry about more important things, like global warming","type":"monk","points":0},{"key":"b","emoji":"trending-up","label":"Somewhat, but I'm doing all I can to make sure I'll have more than enough","type":"amasser","points":0},{"key":"c","emoji":"shield-check","label":"Constantly. It's the main thing I worry about","type":"hoarder","points":0},{"key":"d","emoji":"meh","label":"Only when a financial crisis strikes","type":"avoider","points":0},{"key":"e","emoji":"sparkles","label":"What, me worry? I just enjoy spending it!","type":"spender","points":0}]


section: Money Personalities
prompt: Here's how I feel about providing for my future:
type: choice
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","emoji":"sparkles","label":"I'm quite concerned, since it's been so hard for me to save","type":"spender","points":0},{"key":"b","emoji":"meh","label":"All I can do is hope the future will take care of itself","type":"avoider","points":0},{"key":"c","emoji":"trending-up","label":"Since I'm planning to have plenty of money, the future will probably be fine","type":"amasser","points":0},{"key":"d","emoji":"shield-check","label":"I feel reasonably confident, since I've been saving systematically for years","type":"hoarder","points":0},{"key":"e","emoji":"heart","label":"I think making a difference with one's life is much more important than money","type":"monk","points":0}]


section: Money Personalities
prompt: If I won a hundred million shillings, my first reaction would be to…
type: choice
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","emoji":"heart","label":"Feel guilty, thinking about people who have nothing","type":"monk","points":0},{"key":"b","emoji":"shield-check","label":"Feel relieved that my future was now secure","type":"hoarder","points":0},{"key":"c","emoji":"meh","label":"Be totally overwhelmed. I would have no idea how to handle it","type":"avoider","points":0},{"key":"d","emoji":"trending-up","label":"Start thinking about ways to make it grow and use it for my own enjoyment","type":"amasser","points":0},{"key":"e","emoji":"sparkles","label":"Be wildly excited, realising that from now on I could buy anything I wanted","type":"spender","points":0}]


section: Governance
section_feedback: Good. Now, the money itself.
prompt: Does your chama have a written constitution that members actually follow?
type: choice
dimension: governance
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","emoji":"check-circle","label":"Yes, written, signed, and referenced when disputes arise","points":3},{"key":"b","emoji":"file-text","label":"It exists somewhere, but nobody has read it in years","points":1},{"key":"c","emoji":"x","label":"No, we run on trust and vibes","points":0}]


section: Governance
prompt: How are leaders chosen, and changed?
type: choice
dimension: governance
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","emoji":"check-circle","label":"Regular elections with defined terms","points":3},{"key":"b","emoji":"users","label":"The founders lead, it's never really been discussed","points":1},{"key":"c","emoji":"alert-triangle","label":"One person controls everything","points":0}]


section: Governance
prompt: What happens when a member wants to leave?
type: choice
dimension: governance
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","emoji":"check-circle","label":"Clear written exit process, valuation, timeline, payout","points":3},{"key":"b","emoji":"meh","label":"We negotiate case by case, it usually gets tense","points":1},{"key":"c","emoji":"alert-triangle","label":"Nobody leaves. It's complicated","points":0}]


section: Money Handling
section_feedback: Almost there. Two more areas: paperwork and growth.
prompt: Who can move the chama's money?
type: choice
dimension: money
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","emoji":"shield-check","label":"Bank account with multiple signatories, no single person can transact","points":3},{"key":"b","emoji":"phone","label":"Treasurer's mobile money or personal account","points":1},{"key":"c","emoji":"eye-off","label":"Honestly, we're not sure","points":0}]


section: Money Handling
prompt: How do members see the records?
type: choice
dimension: money
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","emoji":"chart-bar","label":"Regular statements, every contribution and expense visible to all","points":3},{"key":"b","emoji":"file-text","label":"Records exist but you have to ask the treasurer","points":1},{"key":"c","emoji":"x","label":"Records? The treasurer's memory is the record","points":0}]


section: Money Handling
prompt: What happens when someone misses contributions?
type: choice
dimension: money
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","emoji":"check-circle","label":"Written penalty rules, applied the same to everyone","points":3},{"key":"b","emoji":"meh","label":"Depends who it is, some members are \"untouchable\"","points":1},{"key":"c","emoji":"alert-triangle","label":"Nothing. Arrears just pile up quietly","points":0}]


section: Legal Standing
prompt: Is the chama formally registered?
type: choice
dimension: legal
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","emoji":"badge-check","label":"Yes, registered (self-help group, society or company)","points":3},{"key":"b","emoji":"hourglass","label":"Registration is \"in progress\"\u2026 for a while now","points":1},{"key":"c","emoji":"x","label":"No, it's informal","points":0}]


section: Legal Standing
prompt: Assets the chama buys (land, shares, equipment) are held in…
type: choice
dimension: legal
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","emoji":"shield-check","label":"The chama's registered name","points":3},{"key":"b","emoji":"users","label":"A trusted member's name \"for convenience\"","points":0},{"key":"c","emoji":"meh","label":"We don't own assets yet","points":2}]


section: Growth & Strategy
prompt: Does the chama have a written investment strategy?
type: choice
dimension: growth
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","emoji":"target","label":"Yes, goals, risk rules and timelines we review yearly","points":3},{"key":"b","emoji":"lightbulb","label":"We invest in whatever sounds good at the meeting","points":1},{"key":"c","emoji":"landmark","label":"We only save, the money sits in the account","points":1}]


section: Growth & Strategy
prompt: Last one, how are big investment decisions made?
type: choice
dimension: growth
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
options:
  [{"key":"a","emoji":"check-circle","label":"Documented vote after research is shared in advance","points":3},{"key":"b","emoji":"users","label":"Whoever talks loudest in the meeting wins","points":1},{"key":"c","emoji":"alert-triangle","label":"The chairperson decides, the rest discover later","points":0}]


# assessment_bands

label: The Fresh Starter
emoji: sprout
color: #f59e0b
headline: Every expert was once a beginner, and you just took the hardest step.
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
message:
  Your money is currently running the show, and that's exhausting, the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle, the borrowing to bridge gaps, the avoidance. Here's the truth: none of this means you're bad with money. It means nobody ever showed you a system. That changes today.

advice:
  ["Start with ONE habit: track everything you spend for 7 days, no judgement, just awareness.","Open the Debt Payoff Planner and list every debt. Naming the number takes away its power.","Save something weekly, however small. The habit matters infinitely more than the amount."]


label: The Foundation Builder
emoji: layers
color: #58b9e6
headline: You've started building, now let's make the foundation solid.
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
message:
  You're trying, and it shows: some saving here, some planning there. But your system has gaps, and money slips through them, an emergency wipes out your savings, a loan creeps in, a goal stays a dream. You don't need more discipline. You need a tighter system.

advice:
  ["Build your emergency fund to 1 month of expenses before anything else, use the Emergency Fund tool to set the target.","Automate your saving: have it leave your account the day money comes in.","Clear mobile-loan debt completely, it's the most expensive money on the continent."]


label: The Wealth Builder
emoji: building
color: #36498b
headline: You're ahead of most, now make your money work as hard as you do.
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
message:
  Solid habits, a real safety net, debt under control, you've done the hard part. Your next frontier is growth: investing deliberately, diversifying beyond the familiar, and connecting your money to your bigger goals so it's not just sitting safe, it's building your future.

advice:
  ["Run the Compound Growth calculator, see what your current monthly saving becomes in 10 years if invested.","Diversify past one asset: money market, bonds, equities, matched to each goal's timeline.","Put your goals in writing with amounts and dates, vague goals get vague results."]


label: The Money-Wise
emoji: crown
color: #1c2b5f
headline: Exceptional. You manage money the way we wish everyone did.
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
message:
  You have the habits, the cushion, the plan and the protection. For you, the conversation shifts from building wealth to multiplying and preserving it, legacy, estate planning, giving with purpose, and possibly teaching others the way you've mastered.

advice:
  ["Pressure-test your protection: is your cover, will and estate plan current?","Explore wealth preservation, diversification across asset classes and borders.","Multiply your impact: mentor someone, or bring financial wellness to your workplace."]


dimension: hoarder
label: The Hoarder
emoji: shield-check
color: #1c2b5f
headline: Security is your love language, just don't let it become a cage.
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
message:
  You save, you budget, you sleep well because you planned well. Money means safety to you, and that discipline is genuinely rare. Your blind spot is enjoyment and growth: money parked "safely" quietly loses to inflation, and saying no to every treat can leave you, and the people you love, feeling deprived in a life you could actually afford.

advice:
  ["Give yourself a guilt-free \"enjoyment\" line in your budget, spending it is part of the plan.","Move idle savings beyond the bank: a money market fund or investments so inflation doesn't erode them.","Run the Compound Growth tool to see what staying 100% \"safe\" costs you over 10 years."]


dimension: spender
label: The Spender
emoji: sparkles
color: #58b9e6
headline: You know how to enjoy money, now teach it to stick around.
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
message:
  Money is happiness, generosity and living fully, and you're great at the living part. The world needs people who enjoy what they earn. Your blind spot is the future: when spending outpaces saving, one rough season can undo years of good ones, and debt creeps in quietly. The goal isn't to stop enjoying money, it's to enjoy it without borrowing from tomorrow.

advice:
  ["Pay yourself first: automate savings on payday, before the fun money is available to spend.","Use a 24-hour rule on any non-essential buy, sleep on it, then decide.","Build your plan in the Budget Builder so every shilling has a job and the fun is guilt-free."]


dimension: monk
label: The Money Monk
emoji: heart
color: #36498b
headline: Money isn't the opposite of your values, it can fund them.
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
message:
  You sense that money can corrupt, so you keep it at arm's length and give generously. That integrity is a gift. But the blind spot is real: money avoided is money that can't grow, and a monk who never builds security can become unable to help the very people and causes they care about. Wealth, in the right hands, yours, is simply fuel for good.

advice:
  ["Reframe it: money is a tool for the impact you want, the more you steward, the more good you can do.","Invest in line with your values (ethical and socially responsible options exist and work).","Build a secure base so your generosity is sustainable, not a source of your own future strain."]


dimension: avoider
label: The Avoider
emoji: compass
color: #2787b8
headline: Avoiding money doesn't make it go away, but simple beats perfect.
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
message:
  Money feels overwhelming, so you put off the budgeting, the records, the decisions, and hope it works out. You're far from alone. The blind spot is that avoidance quietly costs you: missed deadlines, late fees, no plan for emergencies, and a low hum of anxiety. The fix isn't becoming a finance nerd overnight, it's a few simple systems that run without you.

advice:
  ["Start with one small step today, the free Financial Health Check shows you exactly where you stand.","Automate everything: savings, bills and contributions move on their own so you don't have to decide monthly.","Set up your numbers once in the Budget Builder, then just glance at it, clarity kills the dread."]


dimension: amasser
label: The Amasser
emoji: trending-up
color: #1d5a7b
headline: You're built to grow money, make sure it's growing a life too.
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
message:
  Money is power, freedom and a scoreboard, and you play to win, investing, compounding, always moving it forward. That drive builds real wealth. Your blind spot is "enough": when net worth becomes the measure, it's easy to overwork, over-risk, and sideline rest, relationships and meaning. The wealthiest amassers decide what the money is FOR before chasing more of it.

advice:
  ["Define your \"enough\" number and what the money is ultimately for, then invest toward that, not infinity.","Protect the base: keep a secure, untouchable cushion so a bold bet can never wipe you out.","Budget time and money for relationships, giving and rest, returns you can't measure on a statement."]


label: The Drama Waiting to Happen
emoji: alert-triangle
color: #f43f5e
headline: Your chama runs on goodwill, and goodwill always runs out.
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
message:
  Right now the group works because nothing has gone wrong yet. But every famous chama collapse, the vanished treasurer, the disputed plot, the founder who "borrowed" the kitty, started exactly here: no constitution, no transparency, assets in personal names. The good news? Every fix is straightforward, and starting them this month protects every shilling members have contributed.

advice:
  ["Write a one-page constitution this month: leadership terms, exit process, penalty rules. Sign it together.","Open a group bank account with at least 3 signatories, retire the personal mobile-money wallet immediately.","Start sharing a simple monthly statement: money in, money out, balance. Transparency kills suspicion."]


label: The Solid Hustle
emoji: layers
color: #f59e0b
headline: The foundation is real, now close the gaps before they're tested.
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
message:
  Your chama has structure where it counts, and that already puts you ahead of most. The gaps you have are the quiet kind: the exit process nobody wrote down, the asset in a member's name, the strategy that lives in the chairperson's head. Groups rarely notice these gaps until a dispute, a death or a windfall tests them, and by then it's expensive.

advice:
  ["Formalise the missing piece your score flagged, usually registration or the written exit process.","Move any assets held in personal names into the chama's registered name now, while everyone is friends.","Write a one-page investment policy: what you invest in, what you never touch, and how you vote."]


label: The Institution
emoji: building
color: #1c2b5f
headline: This isn't a chama anymore, it's an investment firm in the making.
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
message:
  Governance, transparency, legal standing, strategy, your group has the bones of something that can outlive its founders. Groups like yours are how family wealth and even SACCOs begin. Your next frontier is scale: professional-grade investments, possibly converting to a formal investment company, and onboarding the next generation without diluting the discipline.

advice:
  ["Explore bigger vehicles: treasury bills and bonds via your central bank's retail portal, REITs, or a managed group portfolio.","Consider formal conversion (investment co-op or limited company) for tax and liability advantages.","Document your \"operating system\" so new members inherit the discipline, not just the WhatsApp group."]


# courses

slug: investable
title: Investable
emoji: trending-up
cover_path: images/card-investable.jpg
level: all
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
subtitle:
  Take the mystery out of investing and creating wealth, a step-by-step plan for informed, confident investment decisions.

description:
  Investable goes beyond picking investments. You get a framework that links your values, goals and aspirations to your investment choices, so you can adapt as your life changes.

  Whether you're starting with a little or a lot, we get practical: real case studies, real African investment options, and a clear action plan you build as you go.

outcomes:
  ["Create an investment plan that works for your income, goals and lifestyle","Confidently evaluate any investment opportunity, and spot the scams","Diversify your portfolio so your eggs are never in one basket","Link your values and goals to every investment decision you make"]


slug: debt-free-blueprint
title: The Debt-Free Blueprint
subtitle: A focused short course: clear every loan, mobile, bank or family, with a system that sticks.
emoji: unlink
cover_path: images/stock/debt-free.jpg
level: beginner
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:17
outcomes:
  ["A written payoff plan with your debt-free date","The snowball vs avalanche decision, settled for your situation","A relapse-proof system so the debt never comes back"]


slug: budgeting-mastery
title: Budgeting Mastery
subtitle: Build a budget that survives real African life, family asks, school fees, and the unexpected.
emoji: calculator
cover_path: images/stock/budget-table.jpg
level: beginner
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
outcomes:
  ["A monthly budget you'll actually follow","A family-support line that's generous AND sustainable","Automated saving that happens before you can spend it"]


slug: diaspora-investor
title: The Diaspora Investor
subtitle: Build wealth back home from abroad, with verification, structure and zero horror stories.
emoji: globe
cover_path: images/stock/diaspora.jpg
level: intermediate
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
outcomes:
  ["The due-diligence playbook for land and property at a distance","Investment vehicles you can run entirely from abroad","A two-economy money structure: emergency funds, currencies, remittances"]


slug: money-foundations
title: Money Foundations with Rina Hicks
emoji: play
cover_path: images/stock/learning.jpg
level: beginner
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
subtitle:
  A free video masterclass, the core money lessons Rina has taught 5,000+ people, straight from the Money-Wise channel.

description:
  Start here. This free course pulls the most important lessons from the Money-Wise YouTube channel into one guided path, from the mindset that builds wealth, to managing your salary, escaping debt, and your first real investments.

  Every lesson is a short, jargon-free video you can watch at your own pace. By the end you'll have the foundation every other Money-Wise course builds on.

outcomes:
  ["Understand what money really means to you, and the mindset that builds wealth","Make the most of every salary with a system for saving and multiple income streams","Break the debt cycle for good and rebuild on solid ground","Take your first confident steps into SACCOs, money market funds and investing"]


slug: retirement-benefits-options
title: Retirement Benefits Options
subtitle: with Joseph Njuguna, architect financial dignity with pensions, annuities and drawdowns.
emoji: landmark
cover_path: images/stock/retired-couple.jpg
level: all
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
description:
  Welcome to Architecting Financial Dignity: The Essential Retirement Planning Blueprint. This course is for anyone at any stage of working life, just starting out, self-employed, or nearing retirement, who wants to replace uncertainty with intentional choices.

  We go beyond simply "saving money" to set realistic goals based on your lifestyle, health and housing needs, and build income using pensions, annuities and drawdowns, while avoiding costly mistakes around taxation and cash withdrawals.

  Included: guided video lessons in clear, practical language; simple tools to estimate retirement income and targets; and frameworks for choosing between cash, annuities and income drawdown.

outcomes:
  ["What retirement benefits really involve, beyond simply \"saving money\"","How to set realistic goals based on lifestyle, health and income needs","Build and grow retirement income using pensions, annuities and drawdowns","Reduce costly mistakes around taxation, cash withdrawals and retirement decisions","Choose between cash, annuities and income drawdown with a practical framework","Build a retirement plan whether you are employed, self-employed or nearing retirement"]


slug: planning-for-retirement
title: Planning for Retirement
subtitle: with Dr. Edward Odundo, retire with dignity, health and financial stability.
emoji: shield-check
cover_path: images/stock/hero-family.jpg
level: all
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
description:
  The Blueprint for a Dignified Retirement is a practical guide for anyone, whether in your 20s or rapidly approaching retirement, who feels overwhelmed or unsure about the future.

  It moves beyond "saving money" to a holistic approach: medical cover, steady monthly income, and strong personal relationships. You'll understand how pensions, annuities, drawdowns and provident funds work in practice, why post-retirement medical cover must be planned early, and how to secure reliable income rather than just a lump sum.

  Included: guided video lessons based on real Kenyan retirement experiences, simple planning frameworks, and reflection prompts to fit decisions to your life.

outcomes:
  ["Think about retirement from a real-life view: health, liquidity, lifestyle and family","Why post-retirement medical cover is essential and how to plan for it early","How pensions, annuities, drawdowns and provident funds work in practice","Plan for steady monthly income, not just lump sums, and avoid common mistakes","Use real Kenyan retirement experiences to make decisions for your own life and income","Replace retirement uncertainty with intentional choices, dignity and peace of mind"]


slug: analyzing-financial-statements
title: Analyzing Financial Statements (Stocks) 101
subtitle: with Eleanor, CFA, evaluate companies and invest with confidence, not guesswork.
emoji: trending-up
cover_path: images/stock/phone-chart.jpg
level: intermediate
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
description:
  An introduction to strategic financial statement analysis for stock investing, for anyone who wants to invest in equities with clarity, moving beyond tips, hype and headlines.

  We demystify what financial statements actually reveal about a company's health: how to connect the income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement, spot red flags like rising debt or shrinking margins, and read key ratios like profitability and return on equity. The goal is to shift stocks from "quick-money" tools to components of a diversified portfolio.

  Included: guided video lessons led by experienced professionals, real Kenyan market examples, and simple step-by-step frameworks for analysing companies.

outcomes:
  ["Read and connect the income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement","Compare companies in an industry and spot meaningful trends over time","Understand key ratios: profitability, return on equity, debt levels and valuation","Identify red flags and reduce fear, hype and emotional decision-making","Assess whether a business is growing, stable, overvalued or struggling","Use stocks as part of a diversified portfolio instead of a quick-money tool"]


slug: crypto-basics
title: Crypto Basics
subtitle: with Timothy Mruttu, understand blockchain and crypto without the hype.
emoji: coins
cover_path: images/stock/man-laptop.jpg
level: beginner
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
description:
  An introduction to cryptocurrency and blockchain essentials, for anyone curious but unsure, intimidated or cautious about where to start.

  We give plain-language explanations of how Bitcoin, Ethereum and smart contracts work, the difference between store-of-value assets and speculative tokens, real-world uses of blockchain beyond trading, and the key risks: volatility, regulation, security and scams. The aim is decisions driven by understanding, not fear of missing out.

  Included: guided video lessons led by experienced practitioners, beginner-friendly explanations, and simple frameworks to assess risk, purpose and suitability.

outcomes:
  ["What blockchain and cryptocurrency actually are, beyond the headlines","How crypto works in simple terms, Bitcoin, Ethereum and smart contracts","Where crypto fits (or doesn't) in a broader financial plan","Key risks to understand: volatility, regulation, security and scams","Distinguish store-of-value assets from speculative tokens","Assess real-world blockchain uses and make decisions without fear of missing out"]


slug: core-values-and-your-money
title: Core Values & Your Money
subtitle: with Frank Kitonga, align your money decisions with what you truly value.
emoji: compass
cover_path: images/stock/woman-smile.jpg
level: all
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
description:
  The Financial Integrity Blueprint: Aligning Money with Core Values, for anyone who struggles with financial discipline or feels stuck in repeating patterns like debt cycles and overspending.

  We look beyond budgeting tips to the "why" behind your money behaviour, and why financial success is 80% behaviour and values rather than technical knowledge. You'll identify your core values, see how they silently drive spending, debt and lifestyle choices, and learn practical tests to validate what you truly value, so your money serves a bigger purpose: family, faith, integrity, impact and legacy.

  Included: the full live-session recording, real-life case stories, a values identification exercise, and a values hierarchy framework you can reuse to test future decisions.

outcomes:
  ["Why money behaviour is 80% values and behaviour, not knowledge","Identify your core personal values and how they were formed","Recognise how values silently drive spending, debt and lifestyle choices","Apply practical tests so money decisions get easier, faster and more consistent","Separate nice-to-have values from the values that guide you under pressure","Use money, time and competitive-disadvantage tests to validate core values"]


# course_modules

title: Chapter 4 – Investing Options Based on your Goals
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
summary:
  In this chapter, we introduce the main asset classes and show you how you can potentially classify all the assets you own within three distinct baskets that we covered in Chapter 3.

  We explain cash and cash like assets and how to use them

  Fixed Income Investments

  Equities

  Alternative Investments

  We review the assets would be allocated to each of the baskets and how to deal with the different needs and goals we have.

  Additional Resources:

  We build on the workbook from Chapter 3 to categorize your goals into baskets, and create an investment plan. 

  The Investable Wealth Management tool will help you keep track of your investments.

  A compound interest calculator that you can tinker with to figure out how much you should invest to get to your goal.

  A glossary to help break down the technical terms.

  A short quiz to help you confirm whether you have understood the concepts shared.

  Desktop 

  PDF Buddy

  Mobile & Tablet

  Xodo PDF Reader & Editor

  PDFelement Android App - best for iOS

  Online

  Using Google Docs

  Small PDF

  Sejda

  DocFly PDF Editor

  Adobe Fill and Sign

  Foxit MobilePDF

  OfficeSuite : Free Office + PDF Editor

  AbleWord PDF Editor

  Using Microsoft Word

  Tip: Here are some free resources you can use to write notes on the PDFs


title: Chapter 5 – Making It Practical
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
summary:
  Let’s get practical!

  We break down case studies to help you understand how to make investment decisions in different circumstances, and as your life changes.

   We break down 2 case studies:

  Dan Kazi

  Josephine Ninja

  These case studies are designed to help you understand how to make investment decisions in different circumstances and as your life changes.

  Additional resources: 

  Download notes to go along with each case study in the downloadable section.

  Tip: Here are some free resources you can use to write notes on the PDFs

  Desktop

  Using Microsoft Word

  PDF Buddy

  AbleWord PDF Editor

  Mobile & Tablet

  OfficeSuite : Free Office + PDF Editor

  Xodo PDF Reader & Editor

  Foxit MobilePDF

  PDFelement Android App - best for iOS

  Adobe Fill and Sign

  Online

  DocFly PDF Editor

  Using Google Docs

  Sejda

  Small PDF


# lessons

title: The Principle of Seed & Fruit
slug: the-principle-of-seed-fruit-25
video_url: https://fast.wistia.net/embed/iframe/3zmcrdiiac
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
body:
  The ultimate goal is for you to end up creating wealth that lives beyond you, enabling you to leave an inheritance for your grandchildren. 

  Here is what you will learn:

  The income that you receive is seed. To have a harvest, we must first sow seed, and on good soil. You will learn how to fund your lifestyle.

  You will discover the earning curves that exist

  We will take you through Rose’s story as an example of how one can generate cash flows that can fund their lifestyle.

  Additional resources: 

  Click here to listen to Rose tell her story. 

  A short quiz to help you confirm whether you have understood the concepts shared.


title: Earning Curves Explained
slug: earning-curves-explained-27
video_url: https://fast.wistia.net/embed/iframe/60fvk8p609
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
body:
  Earning Curves – these are curves that we use to show typical changes in income levels with age. There are 3 main earnings curves.

   Curve #1 – is where one receives a high income while young and the income reduces with age. This curve would typically be seen in those who inherit money, entertainers (music, film) fashion models, professional athelets and sports men and women. These people generally earn a lot of money early in life, and when their career comes to an end, if they have not invested well, or if they manage their finances poorly, their money dwindles over time.

  Curve #2 – This curve represents the typical earning cycle of majority of people who are employed. Those who are employed earn most of their money while working. Then when they retire, their earnings drop significantly. Millions of people have jobs that they rely on day to day, month to month with very little savings to fall back on. Unfortunately, most Africans invest in their children’s education and hope that their children and other family members will take care of them financially when they are unable to do so themselves.

  Curve #3 – Those who have this earning curve begin with nothing and their wealth increases every passing year. Although they may have ups and downs, their wealth increases even after they stop working and they often leave generational wealth for their families. 

  Those who have this earning curve begin with nothing and their wealth increases every passing year.


title: Rose’s Story
slug: roses-story-29
video_url: https://fast.wistia.net/embed/iframe/t6fo63fz0r
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
body:
  Rose grew up in a loving home with three sisters, but her life changed dramatically when her father was paralyzed in a work-related accident in Zambia, which led to family challenges and financial strain.

  Her investment strategy involved careful due diligence, including verifying land ownership, praying for guidance, and finding affordable payment plans.

  Today, Rose owns land in various locations and is worth over 100 million Shillings, which funds her lifestyle and allows her to run an organization supporting orphans without drawing a salary.

  Her key lessons include finding your purpose, conducting thorough due diligence, preserving capital, and investing long-term to generate sustainable income.


title: Discovering Your Why
slug: discovering-your-why-31
video_url: https://fast.wistia.net/embed/iframe/pzdvfsl1r9
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
body:
  This chapter will help you identify your values and your big ‘WHY’.  If you don’t examine the correspondence of your actions with your values, you may end up having your actions controlled by immediate concerns and instant gratification instead.

  In this chapter you will, 

  Have an opportunity to reflect on your life and go through an exercise that will help you clarify what your values are. So that you can choose values that are incorporated into the fabric of who you are.

  Discover that staying true to your values will renew your passion and give you a filter to make better decisions.

  Carry out an exercise that will help you discover your values, which is the first step in discovering your purpose. 

  Additional resources:

  Values clarification exercise that helps you narrow down your core values.

materials:
  [{"label":"Values clarification exercise","url":"\/academy\/Values-Clarification-Exercise_Edited.pdf"}]


title: Stay True to Your Values: Live Authentically
slug: stay-true-to-your-values-live-authentically-33
video_url: https://fast.wistia.net/embed/iframe/nkq44ylc9x
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
body:
  In this lesson, we dive deep into the crucial concept of living authentically by staying true to your core values. Through a powerful personal narrative, Rina shares her own journey of prioritizing family over conventional expectations, demonstrating how understanding and honoring your values can lead to profound life changes and personal fulfillment.

  Drawing from her experience of moving closer to work to spend more quality time with her children, she illuminates the importance of aligning your daily actions with your deepest beliefs.

  The video offers practical wisdom on discovering your purpose, making intentional decisions, and creating harmony between your ideal self and real self. Learners will be challenged to reflect on their own life choices, understand that money is merely a tool for achieving their mission, and learn how embracing their core values can provide clarity, peace, and a renewed sense of passion.


title: Categorizing your Goals into Baskets
slug: categorizing-your-goals-into-baskets-36
video_url: https://fast.wistia.net/embed/iframe/7d1yi9fnbx
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
body:
  In this chapter we discuss the importance of thinking about our assets as one full strategy, including evaluating risks in the different opportunities that you are considering. 

  Here is how we will approach answering the question “Where do I begin when it comes to investing?”:

  You will learn how to align your financial life and investments to your goals

  You will understand the three things that your portfolio of assets must achieve to ensure a secure future

  We share a framework that you can use to think through your goals in an easy and structured way so nothing gets forgotten

  We practically review how to create a strategy to ensure that you select investments that are aligned to your needs

  Additional resources

  We have a workbook that you can use to list your goals, prioritize them and begin to create your own investment profile. 

  Spend some time thinking through your goals and if you are married, ask your partner to also think through theirs and take sometime to discuss and align your goals so that you can develop one united strategy for all your goals.

  A short quiz to help you confirm whether you have understood the concepts shared.

  Tip: Here are some free resources you can use to write notes on the PDFs

materials:
  [{"label":"Goal Setting and Creating an Investment Plan","url":"\/academy\/Goal-Setting-and-Creating-an-Investment-Plan.pdf"},{"label":"Investable Wealth Management Worksheet","url":"\/academy\/Investable_Wealth_Management_Worksheet.xlsx"}]


title: Investing Options Based on Goals
slug: investing-options-based-on-goals-40
video_url: https://fast.wistia.net/embed/iframe/cwbup3c00v
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
materials:
  [{"label":"Investable Wealth Management Worksheet","url":"\/academy\/Investable_Wealth_Management_Worksheet.xlsx"},{"label":"Risk -Return Graph","url":"\/academy\/Risk-Return-Graph.pdf"},{"label":"Goal Setting and Creating an Investment Plan","url":"\/academy\/Goal-Setting-and-Creating-an-Investment-Plan.pdf"},{"label":"Investable Glossary","url":"\/academy\/Investable-Glossary.pdf"},{"label":"compound interest calculator","url":"https:\/\/africaspocket.com\/calculators"},{"label":"Small PDF","url":"https:\/\/smallpdf.com\/edit-pdf"},{"label":"Sejda","url":"https:\/\/www.sejda.com\/"},{"label":"DocFly PDF Editor","url":"https:\/\/www.docfly.com\/edit-pdf"},{"label":"Adobe Fill and Sign","url":"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.adobe.fas"}]


title: Dan Roleplay
slug: dan-roleplay-52
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
materials:
  [{"label":"Dan Kazi Investment Profile","url":"\/academy\/Investment-Profile-1_-Dan-Kazi.pdf"},{"label":"Adobe Fill and Sign","url":"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.adobe.fas"},{"label":"DocFly PDF Editor","url":"https:\/\/www.docfly.com\/edit-pdf"},{"label":"Sejda","url":"https:\/\/www.sejda.com\/"},{"label":"Small PDF","url":"https:\/\/smallpdf.com\/edit-pdf"}]


title: Josephine Roleplay
slug: josephine-roleplay-54
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
materials:
  [{"label":"Josephine Ninja Investment Profile","url":"\/academy\/Investment-Profile-2_-Josephine-Ninja.pdf"}]


title: Core Values & Your Money
slug: core-values-your-money-1996
video_url: https://fast.wistia.net/embed/iframe/jn87df4mzr
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
materials:
  [{"label":"Values Clarification Exercise (PDF)","url":"\/academy\/Values-Clarification-Exercise_Edited.pdf"},{"label":"Interactive Values Clarification Tool","url":"\/tools\/values-clarification"}]


# testimonials

name: Keziah
context: course
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
quote:
  My favourite part was discovering how my values affect how and where I invest. I always set goals according to what was trending, now I have set goals for ME. I feel a sense of ownership. I have taken the first step and started building the assets in my safety basket.


name: Sharon
context: course
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
quote:
  Before Investable, I thought I knew almost everything about investing, but my knowledge was shallow. The case studies made every lesson practical. I now feel properly equipped to make the right investments according to my goals.


name: Tonee Ndungu
context: coaching
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
quote:
  Rina was a turning point. Being coached did more than highlight gaps in my financial knowledge, it changed my outlook on financial aptitude, and by extension, my outlook on life.


name: James Mworia
role: CEO, Centum Investment Company
context: book
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
quote:
  The important contribution of this book is that it sees the individual as the source of wealth, and that wealth creation is both a consequence and a part of achieving our individual purpose.


name: Lucy
context: course
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
quote:
  When I started, I thought I would simply be told where to put my money. I never imagined it connected to my goals and values. The course was eye-opening, deciding where to invest, and for what, is now so much easier.


name: Victoria
context: course
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
quote:
  Initially I had no investment plan at all. Now I've started with the money market fund for my security basket.


name: Tony
context: course
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
quote:
  I had no strategy, I risked a lot and lost a great amount in the forex market. Now I have a clear view of where I'm headed, with a vehicle launched towards my long-term goals and purpose.


name: Mwende
context: coaching
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
quote:
  I was able to make great strides within a short time. The coaching was attentive to my needs, personal preferences and financial habits.


name: Kevin
context: course
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
quote:
  I learned how to set my goals into baskets based on my values. I now have a roadmap towards investing to meet my goals. Asante!


# posts

title: How to Make a Budget in 5 Easy Steps
slug: how-to-make-a-budget-in-5-easy-steps
category: Budgeting
cover_path: images/blog/cover-2.jpg
published_at: 2026-07-07 05:23:18
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
excerpt:
  A budget isn't a punishment, it's permission. Here's how to build one you'll actually stick to, in five honest steps.

body:
  A budget isn't a straightjacket. It's you, telling your money where to go, instead of wondering where it went.

  **Step 1: Know your real income.** Not your gross salary, what actually lands. Include side hustles, but only the consistent part.

  **Step 2: Track one month, honestly.** Before changing anything, just watch. Go through M-Pesa and bank statements. Most people find 10-15% of spending they can't explain, that's not failure, that's information.

  **Step 3: Give every shilling an assignment.** Essentials (rent, food, transport, fees), then future-you (savings, debt payoff, investments), then life (family support, church, fun, yes, fun gets a line).

  **Step 4: Automate the important parts.** Savings should leave your account the day money arrives. What you don't see, you don't spend.

  **Step 5: Review monthly, adjust without guilt.** A budget that survived contact with reality and got adjusted is a working budget. One that got abandoned in week two was just a wish list.

  Ready to make yours? Our interactive Budget Builder does the math while you drag the sliders.


title: How to Get Out of Debt, and Stay Out
slug: how-to-get-out-of-debt
category: Debt
cover_path: images/blog/cover-3.jpg
published_at: 2026-06-27 05:23:18
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
excerpt:
  Debt steals more than money, it steals peace. Here's the step-by-step way out, whether it's Fuliza, app loans or bank debt.

body:
  Debt in Kenya is expensive, and mobile money has made borrowing so frictionless that many people are locked in a cycle of borrowing from one lender to pay another. Here's the way out.

  **First: face the number.** List every single debt, Fuliza, app loans, SACCO, bank, family. Amount, interest rate, minimum payment. Yes, it's uncomfortable. Naming the number takes away its power.

  **Second: stop the bleeding.** No new debt from today. If Fuliza is a monthly habit, the budget needs fixing first, a budget gap is the root, debt is the symptom.

  **Third: pick your strategy.** The *snowball* (smallest debt first, quick wins, motivation) or the *avalanche* (highest interest first, mathematically cheapest). Mobile loans are usually both the smallest AND most expensive, so in Kenya the two strategies often agree: kill the app loans first.

  **Fourth: protect the plan.** Build a small emergency buffer (even KES 5,000) at the same time, otherwise the next emergency sends you straight back to borrowing.

  **Fifth: celebrate milestones.** Every cleared loan is a victory. Mark it.

  Our free Debt Payoff Planner builds your personalised plan, and shows you your debt-free date.


title: The Top Frequently Asked Questions on Investing
slug: top-faqs-on-investing
category: Investing
cover_path: images/blog/cover-1.jpg
published_at: 2026-06-17 05:23:18
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
excerpt:
  "Where do I even start?" "How much do I need?" "What about scams?", the questions we hear every single week, answered without jargon.

body:
  **"How much money do I need to start investing?"**
  Less than you think. Money market funds in Kenya start from as little as KES 100-1,000. The amount matters far less than the habit.

  **"Where should I put my money?"**
  Wrong first question, the right one is *what is the money for, and when will you need it?* Short-term goals (under 2 years) want safety: money market funds, treasury bills. Long-term goals (5+ years) can ride out ups and downs for growth: equities, bonds, real estate.

  **"How do I avoid scams?"**
  Three rules. If returns are 'guaranteed' and high, walk away. If you feel pressure to act *now* before the window closes, walk away faster. If you can't explain how the money is made, it's not an investment, it's a gamble.

  **"Should I pay off debt or invest first?"**
  Expensive debt (mobile loans, credit cards) first, always, no investment reliably beats those interest rates. Cheap debt (a reasonable mortgage) can coexist with investing.

  **"What if I don't understand finance?"**
  That's not a disqualification, it's the starting line. Everything we build at Money-Wise is jargon-free by design. Start with the free Financial Health Check and we'll show you your next step.


title: Building Financial Resilience When Everything Costs More
slug: building-financial-resilience
category: Saving
cover_path: images/stock/market-vendor.jpg
published_at: 2026-06-02 05:23:18
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
excerpt:
  Prices rise, incomes lag. Resilience isn't about earning more, it's about building a money system that bends without breaking.

body:
  Resilience is not a savings balance, it's a system with shock absorbers.

  **Absorber 1: the buffer.** One month of essential expenses, parked where you can reach it in days. This single cushion converts most emergencies into inconveniences.

  **Absorber 2: the flexible budget.** Know your survival number, the bare minimum month. When shocks come, you switch to it without drama, because you've already defined it.

  **Absorber 3: multiple taps.** A side income, however small, changes the maths of a job loss completely. One client who braided hair on weekends survived a six-month job gap without borrowing a coin.

  **Absorber 4: insurance before you need it.** Health cover is the difference between a hospital bill and a financial catastrophe.

  Start with absorber 1 this month. The Emergency Fund calculator sizes it in 90 seconds.


title: Help! My Partner and I Can't Agree About Money
slug: partners-money-conflict
category: Family
cover_path: images/stock/budget-table.jpg
published_at: 2026-05-18 05:23:18
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:18
excerpt:
  Money fights are rarely about money. Here's how couples move from blame to a shared plan, without a single spreadsheet ambush.

body:
  Most money fights are values fights wearing money's clothes. The saver isn't stingy, they value security. The spender isn't reckless, they value joy and connection. Until you see the value behind the behaviour, you'll keep fighting the behaviour.

  **Step 1: take the personality test, both of you.** Two Money Personality results side by side turn 'you always…' into 'oh, that's why you…'. The conversation changes instantly.

  **Step 2: agree on the non-negotiables.** Rent, fees, the emergency fund. These get funded first, automatically, before either of you touches the rest.

  **Step 3: personal money, no questions asked.** Each partner gets an agreed amount monthly that the other never audits. Most conflict dies right here.

  **Step 4: a monthly money date.** Thirty minutes, no phones, no blame. Review the plan, not each other.

  Shared values, separate personalities, one plan. That's the formula.


title: Investing Through Life's Seasons: 20s, 30s, 40s and Beyond
slug: investing-through-life-seasons
category: Investing
excerpt: The right investment at 25 can be the wrong one at 45. A field guide to investing by life stage.
cover_path: images/stock/retired-couple.jpg
published_at: 2026-05-03 05:23:18
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:19
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:19
body:
  **Your 20s: buy habits, not assets.** Your biggest asset is time. Automate any amount into a money market fund, learn the vocabulary, make your mistakes small. A modest monthly amount started at 23 beats a large one started at 35, compounding is rude like that.

  **Your 30s: buy growth.** Income rises, responsibilities rise faster. Fight lifestyle inflation by automating raises into investments before you feel them. This is the decade for equities, education funds that mature with your children, and the home deposit plan.

  **Your 40s: buy balance.** Peak earning years. Max out retirement vehicles, diversify across asset classes, and across borders if you can. Start shifting some growth assets toward income-generating ones.

  **50s and beyond: buy certainty.** Capital preservation beats growth chasing. Bonds, income funds, paid-off property. The question changes from 'how much can this grow?' to 'how reliably does this pay?'

  Whatever your season: the Wealth & Goals planner puts your numbers on your timeline.


title: Six Money Habits That Quietly Build Wealth
slug: six-money-habits
category: Budgeting
excerpt: No hacks, no hustle-porn, six boring, compounding habits that separate builders from spenders.
cover_path: images/stock/mother-child.jpg
published_at: 2026-04-18 05:23:18
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:19
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:19
body:
  **1. Pay yourself first.** Savings leave your account the day money arrives, before the world starts asking. What you don't see, you don't spend.

  **2. Track weekly, not daily.** Daily tracking burns out; monthly tracking forgets. A ten-minute Sunday review is the sustainable rhythm.

  **3. The 48-hour rule.** Any unplanned purchase above a set amount waits 48 hours. Half the urge evaporates; what survives was probably worth it.

  **4. Automate the boring.** Standing orders for savings, investments and bills. Willpower is for emergencies, not infrastructure.

  **5. One in, one out for subscriptions.** New streaming service? Something else gets cancelled. Subscriptions are where budgets go to leak.

  **6. An annual money day.** Once a year: review insurance, renegotiate bills, rebalance investments, update the will. One day that pays for the other 364.

  Pick ONE habit. Run it for 30 days. Then add the next, compounding works on habits too.


title: The Day Aisha Opened the Red File
slug: the-day-aisha-opened-the-red-file
category: Family & Money
cover_path: images/stock/budget-table.jpg
published_at: 2025-07-21 09:00:00
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:19
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:19
excerpt:
  For seventeen years, Aisha let someone else handle the money. Then one Thursday changed everything. A story about why love should never leave one person financially invisible.

body:
  Nobody wakes up expecting to become a financial detective. Especially not after seventeen years of marriage, and not when you have spent those years saying, "Babe, si you handle those things better than I do."

  Aisha was that wife. Not lazy. Not careless. Just comfortable. Whenever money came up at chama, she would laugh. "My husband enjoys those things. My job is to spend it well, to motivate him to make even more." Everyone laughed. She laughed the loudest.

  If the bank called, she passed him the phone. Insurance renewal? "Honey." School fees? "Honey." Land rates, KRA, passwords? "Honey." Even when relatives asked who owned the Karen plot, she would answer confidently, "We do." The truth was she could not tell you where the title deed was.

  Their life looked beautiful. Instagram beautiful. The children wore blazers with badges people recognised. The holiday photos had hashtags. #Blessed. #Grateful. And she believed it, because there was always fuel in the car, the fridge was full, the mortgage was "sorted," and fees were paid before the reminders came. Safe. Solid. Certain. Or so she believed.

  Then one Thursday afternoon, everything changed. For some, it is an accident and the silence that follows a funeral. For others, it is two packed suitcases, a quiet "I'm tired," and a front door that closes. Either way, the same thing follows: silence.

  Three weeks later, the international school called. Not to ask how she was coping, but to ask why the fees had not reflected. She laughed. "There must be a mistake." There wasn't. Then the bank called about the mortgage. Then insurance. Then the SACCO. Then KRA. Then people she had never met, calling about money she never knew existed. Every ring was another piece of a marriage she had never actually understood.

  She found herself in the supermarket holding a block of the imported parmesan her children loved. She looked at the price, put it back, and walked away. Five minutes later her middle child quietly picked it up and said, "Mum, I know it's expensive. We don't really need it." Children notice faster than adults think.

  At church, everybody hugged her, everybody prayed, everybody said, "You're so strong." Nobody asked how she was really doing. One aunt whispered, "Surely he left you comfortable." Aisha smiled, because sometimes dignity is simply refusing to collapse in public.

  The red file was not frightening because of what was inside. It was frightening because of what was missing. Her name. For seventeen years she had signed birthday cards, school diaries and permission slips, but almost nothing that actually built the family's financial future. She had lived inside a business she thought was called marriage without ever reading the books.

  Months later, Aisha was no longer afraid of the red file. She was afraid of something else: that one of her daughters would grow up believing love means never asking questions. So she did something she had never done before. She sat all four children around the dining table, opened the red file, and said, "We're going to learn this together." Because trauma does not have to become tradition.

  ## 3 Truths

  ### 1. Trust and understanding are not the same thing.
  Many couples divide responsibilities, and that is healthy. But sometimes delegation quietly becomes disappearance. "I don't know." "He handles that." "She deals with those things." Those sentences sound harmless, until life changes. Knowledge is not about suspicion. It is about resilience.

  ### 2. Financial security is not the same as financial awareness.
  A beautiful home can hide confusion. Nice cars can hide uncertainty. Luxury schools can hide fragile foundations. Many families do not have a money problem, they have an information problem. If one person disappears from the equation, does the other know how to keep it going?

  ### 3. Love should never leave one person financially invisible.
  The strongest partnerships do not require both people to do everything, but they do require both people to understand everything. Life is unpredictable. Preparedness is not pessimism. It is love expressed practically.

  ## 2 Questions

  - **If life changed tomorrow, would I know where everything is?** Not roughly. Exactly. The accounts, the debts, the policies, the investments, the passwords, the obligations. Or would I be opening a red file for the first time?
  - **Have I mistaken familiarity with my lifestyle for understanding my finances?** Those are not the same thing.

  ## 1 Move

  This week, have one conversation. Not about money, about knowledge. Ask your spouse or partner, "If something happened to either of us tomorrow, would the other know exactly what to do?" If the answer is no, start fixing it. Not because you expect tragedy, but because you are building resilience.

  Over dinner tonight, see whether the two of you could confidently answer five questions: Where does our income come from? What do we owe? What do we own? Where are the important documents? Who do we call first? If even one answer is "I'm not sure," tonight might be the perfect night to start talking.

  > Real financial security is not knowing someone will take care of everything. It is making sure the people you love would know what to do if one day they had to. — Rina Hicks

  The greatest act of financial love is not providing. It is making sure the people you love are never left in the dark.


title: The Weight Nobody Can See
slug: the-weight-nobody-can-see
category: Money & Mindset
cover_path: images/stock/man-laptop.jpg
published_at: 2025-07-14 09:00:00
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:19
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:19
excerpt:
  He earned more than he ever dreamed, yet had KSh 2,417 to his name. The quiet cost of being the one everyone depends on.

body:
  Most people think rock bottom looks like bankruptcy. Sometimes it looks like a seasoned Regional Operations Director sitting in his office parking basement, having a quiet panic attack, because he has KSh 2,417 left. Not until payday. Until tomorrow.

  David checked again. KSh 2,417. He laughed. Actually, he snorted. Because two hours earlier he had finished presenting East Africa's quarterly performance to executives in London. Targets exceeded. Record growth. A standing ovation. The board chair even joked, "David, whatever you're doing in Kenya, bottle it." If only they knew.

  For twenty years, forty-six-year-old David had been everyone's unit of success. The first born. Brilliant in school. The child who would "change the family." The dependable one. The fixer. The ATM. His father's retirement plan. His siblings' insurance policy. His mother's answered prayer. Nobody said those words out loud. They did not have to. David heard them anyway.

  When his first bonus came, his sister went back to university. When he was promoted, his parents moved into a better house. When he became Regional Director, his youngest brother finally started "that business." A niece's fees, a cousin's hospital bill, funerals, weddings, harambees, emergencies. David. David. David. Someone once joked, "We don't even pray first anymore, we just call David." Everybody laughed. David laughed too. That was the problem.

  The irony is that David earned more than he ever imagined growing up in Kipipiri, Nyandarua. But for the first time in his life, he could not answer one simple question: "If you lost your job today, how long would your own family survive?" He opened his laptop and started calculating. Thirty minutes later he closed it, because the answer embarrassed him.

  Twenty-three years of promotions, increments and bonuses. Regional Ops Director. And not one retirement plan. No meaningful investments. No emergency fund. Nothing substantial in his own name that could outlive a salary. Just receipts. School fees, hospital bills, rent, transfers, sacrifices. Evidence that he had built everyone else's future except his own.

  David realised he was not the architect of his family's future. He was the scaffolding. Strong enough to hold everyone else up, but never meant to become the building. A week later his son asked something ordinary: "Dad, when you retire, will you still live here?" David opened his mouth. Nothing came out. For the first time, he genuinely did not know.

  Nobody ever sat David down and said, "You are responsible for all of us." It happened differently. One successful child. One emergency. Then another. Then another. Eventually helping stopped being something David did. It became who David was. And identities are much harder to say no to than requests.

  ## 3 Truths

  ### 1. Being dependable can quietly become part of your identity.
  Our brains love approval. Being the person who always solves problems feels good, it gives us purpose. But there is a hidden danger. When your identity becomes "the one everyone depends on," saying no starts to feel like becoming a different person. So you say yes when your budget says no, you rescue before you recover, and you carry burdens that were never meant to be yours. Slowly you become indispensable to everyone else while becoming invisible in your own financial plan.

  ### 2. Guilt is one of the most expensive currencies in the world.
  Nobody sends you an invoice for guilt. You just keep paying it. Every time you ignore your retirement to solve today's emergency. Every time you postpone investing because someone else's crisis feels more urgent. Every time you tell yourself, "Mine can wait." Here is the uncomfortable truth: a life spent constantly rescuing others often leaves no one available to rescue you.

  ### 3. Not every sacrifice creates freedom.
  Some sacrifices build futures. Others simply become permanent expectations. The people who love you do not always realise what your "yes" is costing you, sometimes because you have never told them, sometimes because you have made carrying everything look effortless. But strength without boundaries does not create peace. It creates exhaustion. And exhaustion eventually starts making financial decisions for you.

  ## 2 Questions

  - **If I stopped solving everyone else's financial emergencies for six months, who would I become?** Would you feel relieved, or guilty? Your answer may reveal more than you expect.
  - **Have I mistaken being needed for being secure?** Those two lives look remarkably similar from the outside, but only one lets you sleep.

  ## 1 Move

  This week, do not say yes immediately. The next time someone asks you for financial help, do not answer on the spot. Simply say, "Let me think about it and get back to you." That's it. Not because you will not help, but because your future deserves to be part of the conversation too.

  > Some people spend their entire lives becoming everyone else's safety net, only to discover they never built one for themselves. — Rina Hicks

  Pay attention to the moments when guilt makes a financial decision before wisdom gets a chance.


title: The Life You've Been Rehearsing
slug: the-life-youve-been-rehearsing
category: Money & Mindset
cover_path: images/stock/phone-chart.jpg
published_at: 2025-07-07 09:00:00
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:19
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:19
excerpt:
  Sammy researched everything and started nothing. How preparation quietly becomes the safest form of procrastination.

body:
  Funny how seasons work. They spend weeks preparing us before they actually arrive. And it made me wonder: how many of us have been preparing for financial freedom without ever stepping into it?

  Thirty-two-year-old Sammy did not think of himself as someone who procrastinated. His colleagues would call him "the prepared one." He researched everything. Twenty browser tabs for a laptop. Every spec before a phone launched. The cheapest flights and the seats with extra legroom for a group holiday. Preparation was his superpower. Or so he thought.

  One evening, stuck in traffic on Waiyaki Way, his phone reminded him: "Investment Account - Reminder." He smiled, dismissed it, and said, "I'll sort it this weekend." He had been telling himself that for almost three years. Not because he never had money, some months he genuinely did. The problem was quieter. Sammy loved the feeling of almost starting. Podcasts saved. Books bookmarked. Webinars registered. Notes titled "Financial Goals." He could explain compound interest better than some advisors. He had beautiful, colour-coded spreadsheets. The only thing missing was movement.

  One Saturday, over nyama choma with university friends, the conversation went where these always go. Someone had bought land. Another had started a business. One had cleared a loan. Someone admitted a terrible investment. Another was going through a gruelling divorce. Everyone compared scars, lessons and victories. And Sammy noticed something: nobody had made perfect decisions, but everyone had made decisions. Except him.

  On the drive home, a thought landed so quietly it almost felt rude. "I've spent so much time preparing for my future that I forgot my future only responds to action." That night he opened his laptop, not for another spreadsheet or video, and took one small step. Nothing dramatic. Nobody applauded. Nobody even knew. But for the first time in years, Sammy stopped rehearsing and started living.

  ## 3 Truths

  ### 1. Preparation can become one of the safest forms of procrastination.
  Researching feels productive. Planning feels responsible. Learning feels wise. And all of those matter. But there is a subtle trap: preparation can become the perfect hiding place, letting us feel like we are making progress without risking failure. Another course. Another podcast. Another month. Another excuse. Meanwhile, years quietly disappear while inflation, opportunity and time keep moving without us.

  ### 2. Most people are not waiting for more money. They are waiting for a feeling.
  "I'll start when I feel ready." "When life settles." "When work is less busy." "After this one expense." But life rarely sends an invitation that says, "Congratulations. Everything is finally perfect. You may begin." Readiness is not a destination, it is usually a reward for starting. Waiting for confidence before acting is like waiting to get fit before going to the gym. It sounds sensible, until you realise it keeps you standing at the entrance forever.

  ### 3. The future does not reward intention. It rewards repetition.
  Nobody builds financial freedom in a single afternoon. It is built on ordinary Tuesdays. Tiny decisions. Boring habits. Quiet consistency. The world celebrates dramatic transformations, but life usually changes through unremarkable ones. The people who eventually look "lucky" often spent years doing things nobody noticed, including themselves.

  ## 2 Questions

  - **Am I actually preparing for my future, or have I become addicted to the comfort of preparation?** Sit with that one. It might explain more than your bank statement ever could.
  - **If this month ended exactly the way last month did, what financial story would I still be telling myself a year from now?**

  ## 1 Move

  Do not make a five-year plan. Do not download another budgeting app. Do not promise to "be more disciplined." Choose one financial action you have been postponing, and complete it within the next 24 hours. Not because it is big, but because your brain needs evidence that you are someone who acts. Behaviour changes identity, and identity changes lives.

  > One of the most expensive places to live is "almost." Almost ready. Almost starting. Almost changing. Eventually, almost becomes a lifetime. — Rina Hicks

  This week, notice how often you tell yourself, "I'll do it later." Because sometimes "later" is not a date. It is a hiding place.


title: The Thief Called Comparison
slug: the-thief-called-comparison
category: Money & Mindset
cover_path: images/stock/city-life.jpg
published_at: 2025-06-30 09:00:00
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:19
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:19
excerpt:
  From the outside Brian was winning. Inside, comparison was quietly running his finances, and his life.

body:
  Brian was sitting in traffic on Waiyaki Way when his fiancee sent him a message. "Babe, I'm so proud of the man you're becoming." He stared at it, then looked away. Because he was not entirely sure she knew who he really was anymore. Not the real Brian. The one lying awake at 2 a.m. calculating debts. The one moving money between accounts before dates. The one saying "things are good" when they weren't. The one quietly panicking whenever someone mentioned weddings, land, investments or retirement.

  From the outside, Brian looked like he was winning. Good job. Good apartment. Nice car. Beautiful fiancee. Weekend brunches. The occasional airport selfie. The kind of life people double-tap on Instagram. The problem was that half of it was not really Brian. It was comparison.

  It started innocently. A classmate bought land. Another built a house. Someone got married at a venue that looked like a film set. Friends posted from Zanzibar, Dubai, Cape Town. Every scroll felt like evidence that everyone else was moving faster, growing faster, living better. So Brian did what many people do when comparison enters the room. He started performing. He upgraded things he was not ready to upgrade. He spent money he had not planned to spend. He chased milestones that were not even his. And slowly he stopped asking, "What do I want?" and started asking, "What will people think?"

  The cruel thing about comparison is that it rarely announces itself. It does not say, "I've come to ruin your finances." It arrives sounding reasonable. Everyone else is buying. Everyone else is travelling. Everyone else is getting there. Until one day Brian realised the people he was comparing himself to were not comparing themselves to him. They were too busy comparing themselves to someone else. Suddenly the whole game looked ridiculous.

  At 34, Brian was not behind. He was simply distracted. Distracted from his own journey, his own goals, his own values, his own life. Comparison had become so loud he could barely hear himself think. That was the day things started to change. Not because his income increased, but because his attention shifted.

  ## 3 Truths

  ### 1. Comparison does not just steal your money. It steals your identity.
  The longer you compare yourself to others, the harder it becomes to recognise what you actually want.

  ### 2. Most financial pressure is not financial. It is emotional.
  The pressure to keep up. To belong. To look successful. To prove something. That pressure spends very real money.

  ### 3. Comparison is expensive.
  Not because of what it shows you, but because of what it convinces you to do. Cars. Holidays. Homes. Schools. Weddings. Entire financial decisions get made to impress people who do not even notice, because they are too busy managing their own situations.

  ## 2 Questions

  - If nobody could see my life, would I still make the same financial decisions?
  - What financial goal have I been chasing simply because everyone around me seems to have it?

  ## 1 Move

  This week, unfollow five accounts that consistently make you feel behind. Not inspired. Behind. Then spend that reclaimed time reviewing your own progress instead.

  > Comparison convinces us we are behind, when often we are simply on a different road. — Rina Hicks


title: The Gift of Small Beginnings
slug: the-gift-of-small-beginnings
category: Investing
cover_path: images/stock/savings.jpg
published_at: 2025-06-23 09:00:00
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:19
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:19
excerpt:
  Ten years ago Quinter almost skipped a KSh 2,000 decision. It turned out the amount was never the secret. Time was.

body:
  Ten years ago, Quinter sat at a cafe in Nakuru staring at a double caramel latte she could not really afford. Not because the coffee was expensive, but because of what it represented. Freedom. Adulthood. Finally having her own money. She was 26, fresh into her first job as a bank teller. For the first time she was not asking anyone for fare, and she could order what she wanted without counting the days to month-end. Life felt like it was finally beginning.

  Around her, friends were living, or at least it looked that way. One was planning a Diani trip. Another had upgraded her phone. Someone was talking about Naivasha. Instagram was full of rooftop brunches and captions about "soft life." Meanwhile Quinter was arguing with herself over KSh 2,000. A colleague had suggested she start investing. "Even KSh 2,000," he said. She almost laughed into her coffee. KSh 2,000 was a weekend out. A dress she had been eyeing. Fuel for a road trip. The difference between feeling like everyone else and feeling left behind.

  And that is what nobody tells you about starting. The hardest part is not finding the money. It is feeling like you are missing out while everyone else enjoys theirs. For weeks she postponed. Then one evening, scrolling past photos from a holiday she could not join, a strange thought crossed her mind: "What if the people I envy today are also wishing they had started something ten years ago?"

  The thought stayed long enough to change something. The following month she invested the KSh 2,000. Nothing dramatic happened. No fireworks. Just KSh 2,000 quietly leaving her account. Then she did it again. And again. And again.

  Fast forward ten years. Quinter is 36. The road trips happened. The brunches happened. Life happened, with its weddings, funerals, promotions, heartbreaks, economic shocks and unexpected bills. There were moments she paused and had to start again. But through it all, one thing kept growing quietly in the background, not just her investments, her confidence. Today she drives a debt-free car, has an emergency fund, and holds investments she actually understands. She has options. And she no longer feels trapped by money.

  When people hear her story, they assume the secret was the amount. Quinter knows better. The secret was time. Because KSh 2,000 was never really KSh 2,000. It was a decision to stop waiting for a future version of herself before building the life she wanted.

  ## 3 Truths

  ### 1. Small beginnings feel insignificant because we judge them by today's results.
  But wealth is usually built by what compounds quietly, not by what impresses immediately.

  ### 2. Perfectionism is procrastination wearing expensive clothes.
  Many people are not waiting for the right opportunity. They are waiting for a version of reality where beginning finally feels comfortable.

  ### 3. Future regret grows surprisingly fast.
  The decisions we postpone today often become the ones we wish we had made years earlier.

  ## 2 Questions

  - What have I been refusing to start because the first step feels too small?
  - If I keep waiting for the perfect time, where might I be ten years from now?

  ## 1 Move

  Choose one financial action you have been postponing because it feels insignificant, and start it this week. Not next month. Not when things settle down. This week. Even if the amount feels embarrassingly small. Especially then.

  > The greatest advantage of starting small is that time gets to join your side. — Rina Hicks


title: Maybe Your Best Years Are Not Behind You
slug: maybe-your-best-years-are-not-behind-you
category: Rebuilding
cover_path: images/stock/retired-couple.jpg
published_at: 2025-06-16 09:00:00
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:19
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:19
excerpt:
  What if this is as good as it gets? The dangerous question Peter almost believed, and the truth that set him free.

body:
  There is a question that terrifies more people than they would ever admit: "What if this is as good as it gets?" Nobody says it out loud. But many people think it. At 33. At 43. At 53. Even at 63. After the business struggles, the divorce, the job loss, the bad investment, the debt, the years that disappeared faster than expected. You wake up one morning and life looks very different from the one you imagined. And then a quieter, more dangerous thought arrives: "Maybe I've missed my chance."

  Most people never say those words. They just start living as if they are true. They stop trying. Stop dreaming. Stop learning. Stop investing. Stop believing things can change. And slowly they build a life around disappointment.

  Peter came dangerously close to doing exactly that. If you have followed his story, you will remember him. 53. Successful once. Travelled the world. Built a career. Then he lost his footing and spent years trying to maintain a version of life that no longer matched reality. And then came the rebuilding. The smaller decisions. The uncomfortable choices. The slow progress. The days when nothing seemed to change and he wondered if rebuilding was even worth it.

  Then one afternoon, over tea with an old friend who had known him for decades, the conversation drifted to old trips, old opportunities, old achievements, the life Peter used to have. And for the first time, Peter noticed something strange. He was not nostalgic. Not angry. Not grieving. Because suddenly he could see something he had missed for years. The Peter from ten years ago looked successful, but he was not at peace. He earned more, but worried more. Owned more, but slept less. Looked impressive, but felt fragile.

  Somewhere along the way Peter realised something profound: the life he had been desperately trying to recover was not actually the life he wanted anymore. He did not want to impress people, he wanted freedom. He did not want appearances, he wanted peace. He did not want to look wealthy, he wanted to be financially secure. For years he thought he was rebuilding his old life. The truth is he was building a better one.

  ## 3 Truths

  ### 1. You cannot move forward while worshipping your past.
  Many people are not trapped by failure. They are trapped by comparison to who they used to be, what they used to earn, what life used to look like. But your future cannot compete with a version of your past that only exists in memory. At some point, rebuilding requires letting go, not because your past was bad, but because your future deserves your attention.

  ### 2. Real wealth feels different than most people expect.
  Peter spent years chasing what looked successful. Today he values something different: options, peace of mind, emergency savings, manageable debt, investments he understands, and a life he can actually sustain. The older Peter chased status. The wiser Peter chose stability. One made him look rich. The other let him sleep.

  ### 3. Your next chapter does not care how late you start.
  One of the most expensive lies people tell themselves is, "It's too late." Too late to save, to invest, to learn, to recover, to start again. But the calendar does not care when you begin. Compounding does not care when you begin. The only thing that matters is that you do.

  ## 2 Questions

  - Am I building my future, or am I still mourning my past?
  - What would change if I stopped measuring my life against a version of success that no longer fits who I am?

  ## 1 Move

  Take a piece of paper and write at the top, "Five years from now." Then answer honestly: what kind of financial life do I actually want? Not what should impress people. Not what looks good online. Not what someone else expects. Then identify one action you can take this week that moves you closer to that vision. Clarity creates momentum, and momentum changes lives.

  > One of the greatest financial mistakes is believing your best opportunity existed in the past. The future has a way of rewarding those who keep showing up. — Rina Hicks

  This story was never really about Peter. It was about all of us. The seasons we have lost. The mistakes we have made. The identities we have outgrown. The dreams we have postponed. The fear that maybe we are too late. But we are not. Sometimes the chapter that feels like an ending is simply life forcing us to write a wiser beginning.


title: The Part Nobody Talks About After a Setback
slug: the-part-nobody-talks-about-after-a-setback
category: Rebuilding
cover_path: images/stock/nairobi.jpg
published_at: 2025-06-09 09:00:00
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:19
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:19
excerpt:
  Rebuilding is quiet, slow and often lonely. Peter discovered the first brick is not money. It is honesty.

body:
  Last time, I told you about Peter. 53. A man who had once travelled the world, built a successful career, raised his family well, and lived a life many admired. Then life happened. And eventually Peter had to confront a painful truth: the image he was maintaining had become more expensive than the life he could actually afford.

  A few months later, Peter attended a wedding. Nothing unusual, except that halfway through the reception he found himself avoiding eye contact with people he had known for years. Former colleagues. Old friends. People who remembered him from a different season, when business was thriving and nobody worried about the price of anything before ordering it.

  As he smiled politely through conversations, almost everyone said a version of the same thing. "Peter, you've disappeared." "We must catch up." "You must be doing very well these days." "You were always the sharp one." And every time, a knot tightened in his stomach. Because none of them knew. They were talking to a version of Peter that no longer existed, the one who still lived in a beautiful house, still travelled, still looked effortlessly in control.

  The Peter sitting in that tent knew a different story. The debts. The sleepless nights. The decisions he wished he could take back. The pressure of maintaining a life that no longer matched reality. For a moment he considered telling the truth, just once, just saying, "Actually, things have been difficult." But he could not. Not because he was dishonest, but because he was ashamed. And shame is expensive. It convinces us to keep performing. It keeps us trapped in lifestyles we can no longer afford. It whispers, "Just hold on a little longer. Don't let people see. Things will somehow work themselves out."

  So Peter kept smiling and nodding until he left early, got into his car, closed the door, and sat in silence. Not because he did not know how to rebuild, but because for the first time he was not sure who he was rebuilding for. Himself, or everyone else? What hurt most was not the financial pressure. It was the loss of identity. Because sometimes we become attached to who money makes us become, and rebuilding requires letting go of that person, not because they failed, but because they can no longer take us where we need to go.

  ## 3 Truths

  ### 1. The first brick in rebuilding is honesty.
  Peter's recovery did not begin when his finances improved. It began when he stopped negotiating with reality. No more pretending. No more hoping the numbers would magically change. Because you cannot solve a problem you refuse to acknowledge. Many people are not financially stuck. They are emotionally avoiding the truth.

  ### 2. Slow progress is emotionally offensive, but slow and steady wins the race.
  Nobody posts the screenshot that says, "Debt reduced by 2%." Nobody celebrates, "Saved consistently for six months." Nobody brags about saying no repeatedly. But that is what rebuilding actually looks like. Quiet. Ordinary. Repetitive. And painfully slow. Most people do not fail during rebuilding. They get impatient.

  ### 3. Every shortcut has a hidden invoice.
  Peter was tempted more than once. Opportunities appeared. Promises were made, quick returns, easy money, fast recovery. But he realised every shortcut demanded something: attention, peace, risk, or money he could not afford to lose. The slow road was frustrating. But it was honest.

  ## 2 Questions

  - What financial reality am I still refusing to fully accept?
  - Am I rebuilding my future, or protecting an image?

  ## 1 Move

  Draw three columns: Keep, Stop, Start. Under Keep, write one financial habit that is helping you. Under Stop, write one habit or expense quietly hurting you. Under Start, write one small action your future self will thank you for. Not five things. Just one. Because rebuilding rarely happens through dramatic decisions. It happens through repeated ones.

  > Rebuilding feels slow because we compare it to how quickly life changed. But the strongest recoveries are usually built one ordinary decision at a time. — Rina Hicks


title: The Courage to Start Again at 53
slug: the-courage-to-start-again-at-53
category: Rebuilding
cover_path: images/stock/home-keys.jpg
published_at: 2025-06-02 09:00:00
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:19
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:19
excerpt:
  Peter's income fell but his lifestyle did not, because he could not afford what people might say. Starting over begins when denial ends.

body:
  Not long ago, I sat with a gentleman I will call Peter. Peter is 53. If you met him today, you might never guess the journey he has been on. In his thirties, life was good. Very good. He traversed the globe on work assignments with an enviable per diem. Lived in beautiful homes. Drove nice cars. His children attended wonderful schools and went on foreign school trips. He was respected. Successful. Established. From the outside, Peter looked like he had figured life out.

  Then life happened. Business challenges. Pay cuts. Poor decisions. Economic realities. Responsibilities that kept growing while opportunities became fewer. Slowly, the numbers stopped making sense. The income reduced. His lifestyle did not.

  Peter knew he needed to make changes. Move to a smaller house. Sell some things. Cut expenses. Simplify. But there was one problem: he could not bring himself to do it. Not because he could not afford to, but because he could not afford what people might say. "What will my friends think?" "My children cannot adjust to a regular school." "What if people think I've failed?"

  So he kept trying to maintain a life that no longer matched his reality, until one day he realised something profound: the people he was working so hard to impress would never carry the burden he was carrying. They would not pay his bills. They would not clear his debt. They would not rebuild his future. They would simply talk, and eventually move on.

  That was the day Peter began again. Not from pride. From truth. His truth. And there is something deeply powerful about a person willing to start again.

  ## 3 Truths

  ### 1. Pride is often more expensive than poverty.
  Many people are not struggling because they lack solutions. They are struggling because they refuse to make the changes those solutions require. Sometimes the biggest breakthrough begins when we stop performing success and start pursuing stability.

  ### 2. Rebuilding requires honesty before it requires money.
  Before you can improve your finances, you must first tell yourself the truth. The real numbers. The real debt. The real pressure. Clarity is uncomfortable, but confusion is far more costly.

  ### 3. People will talk no matter what you do.
  They talked when you succeeded. They will talk when you struggle. They will talk when you rebuild. So you might as well make decisions that serve your future instead of protecting your image.

  ## 2 Questions

  - What financial reality have I been avoiding because I do not want to disappoint people?
  - What would improve in my life if I stopped making money decisions based on appearances?

  ## 1 Move

  This week, conduct a personal financial reset. Take a few minutes and write down every debt, every income source, every recurring expense, every obligation. No judgement. No excuses. Just facts. Then ask, "If I were starting from zero today, what is one financial decision I know I should make immediately?" Start there. Not dramatically. Honestly. Because rebuilding does not begin when conditions improve. It begins when denial ends.

  > Sometimes the first sign of financial maturity is not earning more. It is having the courage to live according to reality. — Rina Hicks


title: The Lie That Keeps Many People Financially Stuck
slug: the-lie-that-keeps-many-people-stuck
category: Money & Mindset
cover_path: images/stock/graduate.jpg
published_at: 2025-05-26 09:00:00
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:19
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:19
excerpt:
  From KSh 110 a day to a senior leader. The unglamorous truth is that most transformation looks painfully ordinary while it happens.

body:
  Some years ago, Larry Liza was earning KSh 110 a day at a bakery in Kisumu. KSh 110. Not for pocket money. Not for something small on the side. For survival. Around him: grief, pressure, responsibility and uncertainty. He had lost his mother young, was helping care for his siblings, and life was deeply challenging. And yet somehow he kept moving. Quietly. Slowly. Painfully. But consistently. Today, Larry serves as a Chief Manager at the Kenya Revenue Authority.

  This is not one of those stories people clap for quickly online, because they only see the ending. The real lesson is not "look how successful he became." It is that most transformation looks painfully ordinary while it is happening. And that is where many people lose the plot.

  Because today, many people want confidence before starting, certainty before movement, fast returns before discipline, visible success before consistency, motivation before responsibility. But real financial change is usually built quietly, slowly, repetitively, and often without applause.

  Social media has made ordinary progress feel like failure. You save KSh 2,000 consistently and feel embarrassed because someone online claims to have made four million trading forex from a bedsitter. You start investing slowly and suddenly feel behind. You begin learning and feel too old. And so, instead of starting small, many people do something worse. They stop entirely.

  ## 3 Truths

  ### 1. Many people are not stuck because they lack opportunity.
  They are stuck because they keep postponing their future, waiting for "better timing." "I'll save when I earn more." "I'll invest later." "I'm still researching." "I'm too behind already." Meanwhile, years quietly pass. And time compounds too, either for you or against you.

  ### 2. Consistency is emotionally uncomfortable.
  Repetition feels boring before it becomes rewarding. Saving slowly. Learning slowly. Saying no repeatedly. Building quietly while others appear ahead. None of it looks impressive at first. But quiet consistency changes lives long before success becomes visible.

  ### 3. Social media has distorted our understanding of progress.
  Everyone wants instant wealth, instant visibility, instant breakthroughs. But most meaningful lives are built quietly, painfully, repeatedly, and often without recognition. The people who change their finances are rarely the loudest. They are usually just the most consistent.

  ## 2 Questions

  - What excuse have I repeated so often that it now feels true?
  - Where could I be financially today if I had simply stayed consistent instead of stopping every time progress felt slow?

  ## 1 Move

  Choose one small financial action and repeat it consistently for the next 21 days. Roughly 21 days is long enough to begin interrupting old patterns, long enough for saving to feel normal, for tracking money to feel less painful, for discipline to become a system. Maybe it is saving a fixed amount daily, tracking every expense honestly, reading ten pages of a financial book, or saying no to impulse spending. Because most people do not radically change their lives overnight. They quietly change their habits, and their habits change their lives.

  > Most people underestimate what consistency can do, because the beginning never looks impressive. — Rina Hicks


title: You May Not Be Bad With Money, Just Emotionally Trapped
slug: you-may-not-be-bad-with-money
category: Money & Mindset
cover_path: images/stock/woman-smile.jpg
published_at: 2025-05-19 09:00:00
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:19
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:19
excerpt:
  Atieno's struggle did not begin in her bank account. It began in her heart. What happens when fear has been quietly making your money decisions.

body:
  Not long ago, I sat with a friend I will call Atieno. On the surface, she was holding it together. But as we talked, the cracks quietly showed. She was carrying significant debt: a land purchase that was supposed to be an investment, a mortgage, mounting school fees arrears, and loans she had taken to support her parents upcountry. The numbers were heavy.

  But as we kept talking, I realised the real weight had nothing to do with the numbers. Atieno was afraid of being seen as a failure unless she maintained a certain lifestyle. She was terrified of disappointing her parents, of not giving them the comfortable life she felt they deserved after all they had sacrificed. She had spent years making financial decisions not from a plan, but from a place of deep, quiet fear.

  Her struggles, as she slowly discovered, had not begun in her bank account. They had begun in her heart. Fear had shaped every move. It was only when she stopped trying to carry everything alone, when she finally let go and trusted that her breakthrough lay not in straining harder but in releasing, that something shifted. Her point of victory was not having more answers. It was loosening her grip on what she had been holding too tightly. Atieno is not unusual. In fact, she is most of us.

  ## 3 Truths

  ### 1. Fear does not always look dramatic. Sometimes it looks responsible.
  "I'm just being careful," we say. But slowly, careful becomes never starting, never investing, never asking questions, never negotiating, never charging what you are worth, never believing more is possible. Fear becomes a personality trait.

  ### 2. You can be exhausted long before you are broke.
  Survival mode is expensive, not just financially but emotionally. When you are constantly worrying, carrying, firefighting, helping everyone else and afraid of making mistakes, you can earn well and still live tense around money. Comfort is not the same as peace.

  ### 3. You cannot build wealth while constantly trying to emotionally survive.
  Wealth requires calm, consistency, patience and a long-term view. But fear pushes us toward avoidance, panic decisions, overworking and self-sabotage. Eventually life becomes about surviving money instead of building freedom.

  ## 2 Questions

  - What financial fear has quietly been making decisions for me, for years?
  - What would actually change if I stopped letting fear lead?

  ## 1 Move

  This week, stop solving financial problems emotionally. Not every emergency deserves your savings. Not every opportunity deserves your money. Not every guilt deserves your sacrifice. Pause before saying, "It's okay, I'll sort it," or "Let me just send it." Instead, choose one decision this week that protects your future too. Maybe that means setting aside a small amount without touching it, finally opening that investment account, or simply saying, "I can't afford that right now." Small boundaries, practised consistently, create powerful freedom over time.

  > You do not need to become fearless with money. You need to become more aware, because wealth is often less about intelligence and more about emotional discipline. — Rina Hicks


title: Freeze, Flight, Fight, Fawn: Which One Controls Your Money?
slug: freeze-flight-fight-fawn
category: Money & Mindset
cover_path: images/stock/investing.jpg
published_at: 2025-05-12 09:00:00
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:19
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:19
excerpt:
  Smart people still struggle financially. Often it is not logic making the call, it is a nervous system response in disguise.

body:
  Some people have researched investing for four years. Watched every video. Saved every finance reel. Joined every webinar. And invested absolutely nothing. Others panic-sell after one scary headline. Others hear that an investment is "giving millionaire" and by 4 p.m. they have already withdrawn school fees to join. And then there is the "but they said it was a sure bet" kind of investor.

  The truth is that money is far more emotional than most people realise. Sometimes what looks like caution, procrastination, confidence or "wisdom" is actually a nervous system response. Let us talk about the four emotional responses people unknowingly bring into investing: freeze, flight, fight and fawn. You may recognise yourself immediately.

  ## 3 Truths

  ### 1. Some people are not lazy financially. They are frozen.
  They want to invest, they really do. But the fear of making the wrong decision keeps them stuck in endless research mode. They tell themselves, "I'm still learning." Meanwhile, years pass. Inflation does not wait for your confidence, and neither does time.

  ### 2. Fear can look responsible, while quietly becoming expensive.
  Some people avoid all investment risk completely. Everything stays in a current account or SACCO savings, untouched, "safe." But safety without growth has its own cost. Fear protects money today while often weakening tomorrow.

  ### 3. Not every confident investor is wise.
  Some people are financially fighting. Every week it is a new thing: crypto, forex, the latest scheme with guaranteed returns. Aggression is not always a strategy, and hype is not the same as wealth building. Calm consistency quietly beats emotional intensity most of the time.

  ## 2 Questions

  - Which emotional response shows up most in my financial decisions: freeze, flight, fight or fawn?
  - Am I building wealth intentionally, or reacting emotionally?

  ## 1 Move

  This week, do one honest thing. Write down your biggest financial fear. Not the polished answer, the real one. Sometimes clarity is the beginning of better decisions. And if you have been frozen for years, start ridiculously small. Even small, consistent movement breaks financial paralysis.

  > Fear sounds wise, until you calculate how many years it cost you. — Rina Hicks


title: For the Woman Who Carries Everything
slug: for-the-woman-who-carries-everything
category: Women & Money
cover_path: images/stock/mother-child.jpg
published_at: 2025-05-05 09:00:00
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:19
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:19
excerpt:
  Between school runs and everyone else's needs, you quietly disappear from your own priority list. A gentle reminder that you matter in the plan too.

body:
  There is a particular kind of tea only mothers drink. The one that has been reheated three times, forgotten on the counter, then remembered somewhere between solving five other people's problems. Between school runs, work calls, shopping lists and "Mum, where is my...?", you quietly disappear from your own priority list. You carry so much. Today, let us talk about you.

  ## 3 Truths About Mothers and Money

  ### 1. Mothers are often the strongest, and the most financially exposed.
  You hold the home together. You know, almost telepathically, when your child is unwell. You stretch every shilling and make things work. But in the middle of caring for everyone else, your own financial future quietly waits. Strength has kept everything going. But strength alone is not a plan.

  ### 2. Love sustains a home. Money sustains its future.
  You love deeply. You give fully. You sacrifice without announcement. But love does not pay future school fees. Love does not fund retirement. Love does not replace income when life shifts. Both matter, and one should never replace the other.

  ### 3. "I'll think about it later" is the most expensive sentence mothers tell themselves.
  Later sounds responsible. Later sounds patient. Later even sounds like love. But later becomes years. And one day the children are grown, the house is quieter, and you are left asking questions you wish you had answered earlier.

  ## 2 Questions

  - If something changed tomorrow, would you and your children be financially protected?
  - What have you postponed for years that actually matters for your future?

  ## 1 Move

  Not everything. Just one thing. Move any amount of money into a savings or investment account this week. KSh 500. KSh 5,000. It does not matter. This is not about the amount. It is about the moment you decide, "I matter in this plan too."

  > You have carried everyone else with strength. Carry your future with the same intention. — Rina Hicks


title: Who Is Your Anchor?
slug: who-is-your-anchor
category: Resilience
cover_path: images/stock/community.jpg
published_at: 2025-04-28 09:00:00
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:19
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:19
excerpt:
  Storms do not only test roofs, they test foundations. Three truths for uncertain times, and one move to steady yourself.

body:
  There are seasons when life feels calm, and then there are seasons when everything seems to shake at once. Fuel prices rise. Plans change. The news feels heavy. Income stretches thinner. Peace becomes harder to protect. In moments like these, one question matters: what is anchoring you? Because storms do not only test roofs. They test foundations.

  ## 3 Truths

  ### 1. Storms reveal what calm seasons hide.
  When life is smooth, weak systems can look strong. Pressure exposes what was neglected: no emergency cushion, spending without intention, dependence on a single income stream, anxiety where preparation should have been. A storm does not create weakness. It often simply reveals it.

  ### 2. Panic is expensive.
  Fear makes people do costly things: buying emotionally, borrowing unnecessarily, ignoring wise decisions, chasing shortcuts, freezing when action is needed. Calm is not accidental. It is usually built through planning and wise habits long before pressure arrives.

  ### 3. Simplicity creates strength.
  When times tighten, clarity becomes wealth. Know what truly matters: food, rent, school fees, health, essential transport, peace of mind. Everything else should justify its place. Wise people simplify early. Struggling people simplify late.

  ## 2 Questions

  - If my income paused for 90 days, what would hold me up? Savings? Multiple income streams? Family support? Or just hope?
  - What am I currently funding that adds no real value? A habit, an image, convenience, impulse spending? Sometimes freedom is hidden inside one expense you no longer need.

  ## 1 Move

  Take 15 minutes today and create an anchor list. Write two columns. Must Keep: food, rent, school fees, health, transport, core obligations. Can Cut or Reduce: non-essentials, waste, subscriptions, fuel-heavy habits, impulse spending. Then move one amount, however small, into savings this week. Even KSh 500 is a vote for stability.

  > When storms come, people look for rescue. The wise had already built an anchor. — Rina Hicks


# guides

slug: debt-free-playbook
title: The Debt-Free Playbook
category: Debt
description: The step-by-step system for clearing mobile loans, bank loans and family debts, for good.
cover_path: images/stock/debt-free.jpg
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:19
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:19
pages:
  [{"title":"Why debt wins (until today)","body":"Debt doesn't win because you're weak. It wins because it's a system, automated, compounding and patient, while your repayment is usually a mood.\n\nThis playbook replaces mood with system. Five short chapters, one decision each. By the last page you'll have a written plan with a date on it."},{"title":"Step 1, Face the number","body":"List every single debt: mobile loans, bank, SACCO, employer, family. For each one write the balance, the interest rate, and the minimum payment.\n\nAdd it up. Look at it. Say it out loud.\n\nThat discomfort you feel? That's the debt losing its biggest weapon, vagueness. A named number can be killed."},{"title":"Step 2, Stop the bleeding","body":"No new debt from today. Not 'less debt', none.\n\nIf mobile loans are a monthly habit, the problem is a budget gap, not a borrowing gap. Find the leak: track 7 days of spending and one category will confess.\n\nDelete the loan apps. Seriously. The 30 seconds it takes to reinstall one is often enough for the urge to pass."},{"title":"Step 3, Pick your weapon","body":"Snowball: pay minimums on everything, throw every extra coin at the SMALLEST debt. Quick wins, unstoppable momentum.\n\nAvalanche: same, but target the HIGHEST INTEREST debt first. Mathematically cheapest.\n\nAcross Africa, mobile loans are usually both the smallest AND the most expensive, so both strategies agree: kill the app loans first."},{"title":"Step 4, Protect the plan","body":"Build a small emergency buffer at the same time, even one month of basic expenses.\n\nWithout it, the next emergency sends you straight back to borrowing and the plan dies. With it, emergencies become inconveniences.\n\nKeep it in a money market fund: close enough for real emergencies, far enough to survive impulses."},{"title":"Step 5, Make it official","body":"Open the Debt Payoff Planner at moneywise.co.ke\/tools\/debt-payoff. Enter your debts, choose your strategy, and meet your debt-free date.\n\nDownload the PDF. Stick it where you'll see it. Tell one person you trust.\n\nEvery cleared loan is a celebration. Mark each one, you're not just clearing debts, you're changing your family's story."}]


slug: first-investment-guide
title: Your First Investment
category: Investing
description: From "where do I even start?" to your first money market fund, in five honest pages.
cover_path: images/stock/investing.jpg
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:19
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:19
pages:
  [{"title":"The lie that keeps you waiting","body":"\"I'll invest when I have real money.\"\n\nThat sentence has cost more African wealth than any scam. The truth: investing is a habit, not an amount. The person investing the smallest amount monthly is wealthier, in habit, knowledge and momentum, than the one waiting for a windfall.\n\nThis guide gets you started this week."},{"title":"Before you invest one coin","body":"Two prerequisites, no exceptions:\n\n1. No expensive debt. Mobile-loan interest beats any investment return. Clear it first, the Debt-Free Playbook is the companion to this guide.\n\n2. A starter emergency fund, one month of expenses. Without it, your first emergency becomes a forced withdrawal at the worst time."},{"title":"Where first money belongs","body":"The money market fund (MMF): the training ground of African investing.\n\nWhy it's first: low minimums, withdrawals in days not years, returns that beat every bank account, and regulated custody.\n\nIt won't make you rich, it makes you an investor. The habit, the statements, the watching it grow: that's the education."},{"title":"How to choose your MMF","body":"Compare three things:\n\n1. The effective annual yield (after fees), published monthly.\n2. The minimum investment and top-up amounts.\n3. Withdrawal speed and process.\n\nChoose a regulated, well-known manager in your market. Ask: is this fund licensed by my market's capital markets authority? If the seller gets cagey, walk."},{"title":"The 90-day plan","body":"Week 1: open the MMF account with the minimum.\nWeek 2: set an automatic monthly transfer, payday, before you can spend it.\nMonth 2: read your first statement; understand every line.\nMonth 3: increase the amount by any raise you can manage.\n\nThen come back to moneywise.co.ke\/learn, goals, baskets and beyond. You're an investor now. Act accordingly."}]


slug: emergency-fund-blueprint
title: The Emergency Fund Blueprint
category: Saving
description: How much, where to keep it, and how to build it without feeling the pinch.
cover_path: images/stock/savings.jpg
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:19
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:19
pages:
  [{"title":"The fund that buys you sleep","body":"An emergency fund isn't an investment. Its job isn't growth, it's peace.\n\nIt's the difference between an emergency being a bad week and a debt spiral. Between taking the first job and choosing the right one. Between panic and a plan.\n\nFour pages from now you'll know exactly how to build yours."},{"title":"Your number","body":"Essential monthly expenses \u00d7 the right multiplier:\n\n\u2022 Stable salary: 3 months\n\u2022 Mixed income: 6 months\n\u2022 Hustle or freelance: 9 months\n\n'Essential' means survival mode: rent, food, transport, school fees, family support. Not lifestyle mode.\n\nCalculate yours precisely at moneywise.co.ke\/tools\/emergency-fund."},{"title":"Where it lives","body":"The fund needs to be close enough to reach in days, far enough to survive temptation:\n\n\u2022 80-90% in a money market fund, earning real returns, withdrawable in 2-4 days.\n\u2022 10-20% in a mobile-money savings vault, same-day access for true emergencies.\n\u2022 0% in your everyday account, it will quietly become airtime and weekend plans.\n\u2022 0% in shares or land, emergencies don't wait for the right price."},{"title":"Building it painlessly","body":"1. Automate a fixed amount the day money arrives, what you don't see, you don't spend.\n2. Bank every windfall: bonuses, refunds, side-hustle spikes. Pretend they never happened.\n3. Sell something. Most homes hold a month of expenses in unused things.\n4. Direct one expense you cut (one subscription, one habit) straight into the fund.\n\nSpeed matters less than direction."},{"title":"The rules of use","body":"Touch it only for true emergencies: medical, job loss, urgent family crisis, critical repairs.\n\nNot emergencies: sales, weddings, holidays, 'opportunities'. An opportunity that requires your safety net is a risk you can't afford yet.\n\nAfter every use: pause investing if needed and refill the fund first. The net goes back up before the acrobatics resume."}]


slug: group-investing-starter-kit
title: The Group Investing Starter Kit
category: Chama & Groups
description: Chama, stokvel, susu or esusu, the governance kit that keeps friendship and money alive together.
cover_path: images/stock/community.jpg
created_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:19
updated_at: 2026-07-17 05:23:19
pages:
  [{"title":"Why groups beat individuals","body":"Across Africa, group saving is a superpower: discipline through community, scale through pooling, and access to deals no individual could touch.\n\nIt's also where friendships go to die, when structure is missing.\n\nThis kit is the structure. Five pages, five fixes, zero drama."},{"title":"The constitution","body":"One page, written, signed by every member:\n\n\u2022 Purpose: saving? investing? both?\n\u2022 Leadership: roles, terms, how leaders change.\n\u2022 Money rules: contribution amount, due date, penalties, applied to EVERYONE equally.\n\u2022 Exit: how a member leaves, how their share is valued, how fast they're paid.\n\nDo this while everyone is still friends. That's the whole trick."},{"title":"The money rules","body":"\u2022 Group bank account with 3+ signatories. The treasurer's personal wallet is not infrastructure.\n\u2022 Monthly statement to every member: money in, money out, balance. Transparency kills suspicion before it grows.\n\u2022 Penalties applied automatically, the moment 'special cases' appear, the group has started dying.\n\u2022 Records in writing. The treasurer's memory is not a ledger."},{"title":"Going legal","body":"Register the group, self-help group, cooperative or company, whatever fits your market.\n\nWhy it matters: the group can own assets in its OWN name. Land bought in a 'trusted member's' name is a heartbreak with a title deed.\n\nRegistration also unlocks: group bank accounts, formal investments, loans against group assets, and continuity when members change."},{"title":"From saving to investing","body":"Once governance is solid, graduate the money:\n\n1. Park contributions in a money market fund, not a dormant account.\n2. Write a one-page investment policy: what you invest in, what you never touch, how you vote.\n3. Research before the meeting, decide at the meeting, document after the meeting.\n\nScore your group honestly at moneywise.co.ke\/assessments\/chama-health, then fix what the score flags."}]


