Black-owned · New York · Est. 2020

Money,
made plain.

I'm Sam — a Certified Financial Education Instructor and life-insurance agent. No shame, no judgment, no jargon. Just the four steps that build a real foundation.

250+
Families, students & audiences reached
17+
Years leading teams & people
#1
Amazon bestseller (Personal Finance)
"Closing the wealth gap, one family at a time."
Shakira 'Sam' Moran, financial coach, smiling against studio lighting
Shakira "Sam" Moran, CFEI
As featured · As trusted
Certified Financial Ed. Instructor Amazon Bestselling Author Fordham · John Jay NYC DOE Workshops Faith-rooted Coaching 17+ yrs Operations / HR
The framework

Four steps to a financial
foundation that actually holds.

Personal finance isn't a one-size-fits-all checklist. It's four building blocks — done in order — that hold up everything else: a budget you can keep, savings against the unexpected, credit that opens doors, and protection for the people who depend on you.

01

Budget

Build a spending plan that fits your income, your life, and your goals — not someone else's spreadsheet.

Inside the workshop →
02

Save & repay

A strategy for emergency savings and a smart order of operations for paying down debt.

Inside the workshop →
03

Credit

How to build it, how to repair it, and how to keep it healthy without obsessing over a number.

Inside the workshop →
04

Protect

Life and disability insurance, so a single setback doesn't undo a decade of progress.

Inside the workshop →
What I offer

Coaching for individuals,
workshops for institutions.

See full services →
45 min

Life Insurance Planning

Term, whole, indexed — explained in plain English. Get the right protection for your family.

Schedule →
$150 · 1 hr

Financial Literacy Workshops

For schools, churches & community orgs. Custom curriculum, real outcomes.

Bring me to your team →
My promise

"No shame. No judgment.
Just raw, practical information — delivered in a way that meets you where you are."

Shakira "Sam" Moran
Founder, SM Planning LLC · CFEI · Author
Read my story →
Sam standing, ready to speak
★★★★★
"Our students were locked in the entire hour."
Workshop host · NYC high school
For partners

Bring financial literacy to your school, church, or team.

Workshops delivered in classrooms, sanctuaries, and community centers across New York — custom-built around your audience and your goals.

  • Curriculum tailored to your audience (teens, adults, parents, staff)
  • Single sessions, multi-week series, or annual partnerships
  • Honoraria, grant-friendly invoicing, sliding scale for community orgs
Request a workshop →
The book

The 4-Step Guide to
Building Your Financial Foundation.

The Amazon bestseller — and the curriculum behind every workshop. Built for the reader who isn't a finance person and never wanted to be.

Each chapter walks through one step with worksheets, real-world examples, and the same plain-English voice you'd hear in a one-on-one session.

Buy on Amazon → See inside the book
The 4-Step Guide to Building Your Financial Foundation, by Shakira Moran
#1 in Personal Finance
Wealth Talks w/ Sam

Free, weekly,
and built for your scroll.

Short episodes that break down one money concept at a time — the kind your bank, your parents, or your high-school econ class probably skipped.

▶ Watch on YouTube
Wealth Talks with Sam — YouTube series cover
Latest episode
"How a $0 budget actually works"

Why your credit score moved 40 points

▶ 7 min

Term vs. whole life, in plain English

▶ 9 min

The 50/30/20 rule, when it breaks

▶ 6 min

One useful money email,
every Sunday.

No spam, no upsells. Unsubscribe with two clicks.