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Financial problems can feel endless, but a Kansas City financial consultant is working to provide solutions for her community.
Dr. Christal Johnson, a financial consultant and former college professor, frequently volunteers at the Palestine Senior Citizens Activity Center.
Tuesday, she held a lunch and learn to educate seniors on financial literacy.
Johnson previously taught advertising and public relations at Howard University and Syracuse University before resigning to focus on her community back home in Kansas City, Missouri.
"I saw that there was a need, and I’m here to fill it," Johnson said. "There is such a need to share financial literacy in the city.”
The presentation tackled topics like saving money for emergencies, budget planning, estate planning and investing in a life insurance policy.
She explained her "strong financial house" diagram, which has seven levels: income protection, emergency account, protection management, budgeting, debt elimination, education/retirement, and goals and dreams.
Johnson said people often fail financially for three main reasons: a lack of information or misinformation, not having a game plan and lacking an accountability partner.
Her motto focuses on education, empowerment and mobilization.
"Unfortunately, in our community, we have been sold a lot of things, but not educated," Johnson said. "I call myself a hope dealer. So people feel like, ‘I don’t have hope because I’m too old or I don’t have enough money.’ I’m like, listen, I’m a hope dealer. I’m here to give you hope.”
Seniors Marion Goodloe and Terri Tapp attended the presentation.
The two friends are in different financial situations.
"My house is paid off, and I have another house," Tapp said.
Tapp, who was diagnosed with dementia, said she had to reroute her brain and schedule to do things she was accustomed to doing.
She emphasized the importance of applying the financial advice.
"If you don’t put it to use, then you’ll be back in here listening to the same thing until you get it right," Tapp said.
Goodloe said her financial situation brings a lot of worry and pressure.
"I just purchased a home that I shouldn’t have purchased, but I did," Goodloe said.
Goodloe said the presentation resonated with her, particularly the information about estate planning and life insurance.
"I feel more relieved now because I received that information personally, and it seemed like it was really talking to me," Goodloe said. "At my age, you would think, ‘Ah, I don’t need this, I’m leaving here anyway.’ But then, you have to think about how much longer. I may have 10 more years left. I thought that once you’re gone, you’re gone, and everything else is wiped away, too. But I found out today, it’s not true. I have to remember you’re never too old to learn.”
Johnson trains people Tuesday through Saturday and said she knows her community is hungry for solutions.
"Hearing people say, ‘Oh, there are a lot of things that I didn’t know that I learned,’ like that is music to my ears," she said. "Like, mission accomplished. That’s what financial literacy is about. I’m here to help people eat for a lifetime."
You can learn more about Johnson's work here.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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