Harris Financial Coaching Blog

Train travel has a way of slowing you down before you even reach the destination. For this trip, we started in Chicago and took Amtrak’s City of New Orleans route to Memphis. This was the first leg of our journey before continuing on to New Orleans two days later. Since there were three of us, we booked two roomettes instead of one bedroom. This ride was a reminder that comfort, cost, space, and expectations all matter when deciding what type of travel experience is worth

A lot of people visit Chicago for the skyline, the food, the shopping, and the big attractions downtown. And yes, those things are worth seeing. But this trip reminded me that Chicago is much more than the postcard version. There is history here. There is culture here. There is leadership here. There is Black legacy here. For my family and me, this was not just a sightseeing trip. It was a chance to experience a side of Chicago that felt deeper, more grounded, and more rea

Looking for financial coaching in Jacksonville, FL? Accredited Financial Counselor Annette Harris helps families, veterans and individuals with budgeting, debt, saving and personalized financial strategies.

I read books that helped me understand Black history not as a separate topic, not as something boxed into one month, and not as something disconnected from everyday life. I read these books because history does not stay in the past. It shows up in where people live. It shows up in how schools are funded. It shows up in who gets access to jobs. It shows up in how laws are enforced. It shows up in who gets believed, who gets protected, and who has to keep proving they belong.

You can work hard, pay your bills, stay out of trouble, and still feel like your family is one emergency away from falling behind. That feeling is real for many households. It is not because Black families do not work hard enough. It is not because they do not care about money. The bigger issue is that many Black families have been trying to build wealth without the same starting point.