Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimaria Howard.

Hi Kimaria, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.

I had my daughter when I was 18 years old. I had to grow up very quickly because I knew that it was my job to give her the life she deserved. As a teen mom, I went through many financial ups and downs and learned the hard way on a lot of things, so when I found a job at a bank as a Banker, I jumped at every chance possible to learn how finances worked and how to apply it to mine and my Community’s lives. In 2020, I was blessed enough to build my own financial team that helped me buy my first home as a single mother, making 56k a year and Legacy became the most important thing for me to build next. It meant a lot to me to know that not only would my child get to grow up in a home of her own, but she would be able to use that home’s equity one day to follow her own dreams and potentially take care of her own family one day.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?

In 2021, we suddenly lost 4 family members in a year, the last being my grandmother, my best friend, and none of them had life insurance, but my great grandmother left us her home. You don’t realize how much comes with inheritance until you experience it and it was then that I realized that I wanted to be a part of the solution going forward. Between family fighting and debts still needing to be paid, I was a tough time recovering from the loss of our loved ones.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?

I am a Financial Advisor at Modern Woodmen of America and help people create sound financial plans to reach their goals. People in my Community need to feel safe in having financial conversations and I knew I could be that. I joined a Financial Firm that year and absorbed what Wholistic Financial Planning really looked like, got my own Estate Planning in order, life insurance and my daughter’s life insurance as well and started working! I am but one person, but I wholeheartedly believe in “Each One Teach One” and I love that I now have the opportunity to go to different organizations and community events and talk to people about simple steps to protect their family and grow wealth, both inside and outside of the market. I hate seeing GoFundMe posts for things that life insurance could have covered and taken away some stress for the family, so I am shouting at the top of my lungs to anyone who will listen, about how important just starting the conversation is! I pray that I can impact people as often as possible and that lives are changed for the better, as my Legacy when I am gone.

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?

I learned that my “why” is to make a difference for others as I wish my lost loved ones would have had before they passed. Everyone should know that anything is possible with proper planning!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://reps.modernwoodmen.org/khoward/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KimariaHowardMWA/
• Other: https://www.essence.com/news/money-career/credit-card-debt-consolidation/

Image Credits

Photo of 4 women: 4 of the 5 generations I had in my family before 2 passed in 2020/2021. My mother- Kimberly Howard, Great Grandmother- Inez Walden, Grandmother- Lynette Jackson Tate, Me as a baby- Kimaria Howard

Photo of 3 people- My adopted daughter- Sarita Watkins, Me- Kimaria Howard, My birth daughter- Kimaya Lewis Ealy