Ya’ll don’t know this…yet, but Cynthia is the bomb!! I kept quiet about my coaching services(which I will be rolling out in the summer. Super stoked!!) for a while because I wanted to make sure that anything that I do, seriously, is useful and in service of the money AND spirit. Seriously, getting out of debt is as much as the spirit and soul as it is about spreadsheets and line items. For real. So when speaking with Cynthia about getting out of debt, I saw that her spirit was ready to receive support. She owned the challenge of eliminating debt while staying optimistic about her personal aspirations and her desire to share her story with others. With that combination, that is why she is here sharing her story, #winning, and being an all-around BADASS. #courageousgirlsrock

-K

by Cynthia Lubin

I like to consider myself a financial services expert and on paper, I actually have a pretty decent resume to back it up too. I have my MBA and CPA. I have over 10 years of combined experience in financial services and accounting. I have worked as a loan officer and personal banker helping people of various economic backgrounds qualify for mortgages and assisting them with their different bank accounts. I have worked as an auditor for one of the nation’s top 4 accounting firms and I currently work as an accountant for a Fortune 50 corporation preparing and analyzing financial results.

I say this not to brag but just to show why I could be considered an “expert” to some. I, on the other hand, would argue that it isn’t my credentials that make me an expert but something more valuable than book or job knowledge.

When people hear my credentials they think that I live in a lofty home, drive a swank car, and wear nothing but the finest clothes. Truth is I probably could have all these things but the reality is as much as I have done in my efforts to help people I often had trouble helping myself. It wasn’t until I reached rock-bottom of my own financial journey dealing with my $100,000+ in student loans that forced me to look at my own spending habits and learn some important lessons.

I can talk about 401Ks, investments, budgeting, etc. all day but I learned that until you learn the following three lessons it will be very difficult to build a foundation of financial wealth for yourself.

Lesson 1: You are enough

I LOVE helping people, I love numbers and I love money! I dream of one day starting a financial services firm devoted to building wealth in low-income communities however in the back of my mind I did not feel that I was qualified. I kept telling myself if I just learned one more thing then I’d be ready to start my business. Even when I went to different financial workshops and knew as much or more than the speakers I still found a way to tell myself that I still had to learn more. This experience taught me, I had the knowledge to start my business all along. I did not need to take out $100k in student loans to look smart just like you don’t need a new outfit every time you go out with your girls to look cute. You already are. Use your innate skills and talents to achieve success and build off of that.

Lesson 2. Do the work

We live in a microwave society. We want instant money chasing instant gratification. Instead of saving my money, I relied on credit cards to buy status symbols I thought I needed like new clothes, new cars, and new bags. I had a timeline for what I needed to have by a certain age and saving was taking too long. As a result, I have struggled with credit card debt for most of my adult life for things I never even used. I learned that all things worthwhile take time to develop. Had I taken the time to save, not made impulsive purchases, and invest my money in the right vehicles I would have been able to save the money to buy my dream home by this time.

Lesson 3. Ask for help

For many years I was too embarrassed to ask for help financial advice since I felt I was supposed to help others. Asking for help meant that I was not the authority I claimed to be and in turn reminded me that I still had not reached the level of success that I had aspired. It wasn’t until I went to a “Frugal Fab 5” financial workshop and heard the story of Kara “the Frugal Feminista” Stevens paying off her $40,000 in student loans that I realized that I needed help. Her story showed me it was possible but I did not know-how. When I spoke with Kara, she gave me some excellent suggestions on what I should do to accelerate paying off my student loans. Ideas in all my years of school and work I had not heard of.

Most importantly for me, she did not laugh at my story but actually encouraged me to share and use it to help others. In the end, what I learned was asking for help doesn’t make you weak it actually makes you stronger. Now with the information, I have gained from Kara I am better equipped to handle my financial journey.

They say that experience is the best teacher. I would agree. Even though I am still working on digging myself out, I am finally ready to share my experiences to help others with their own financial journeys.

Cynthia Lubin, CPA is an all-around financial services professional. Since she was a child she has always had a passion for helping people, numbers, and money upon which she ultimately built her career having over 10+ combined years in Financial Services and Accounting. She has worked as a loan officer, qualifying individuals and couples for various home financing programs. She later went on to become a personal banker helping people manage their banking, retirement, and certain investment products.

Cynthia faired quite well in these roles developing lasting relationships with her clients due to her direct yet caring approach. It was in these roles, where Cynthia started to observe the economic disparities between races and even genders and wanted to do her part to close the gaps. With her passion to help others build financial wealth growing, Cynthia decided to obtain her MBA from Rutgers University in 2010 and ultimately her CPA to learn more about the economy and finance. After attaining her MBA, Cynthia went on to work for one of the nation’s top accounting firms, Deloitte & Touche LLC. auditing several of the firms’ multi-million dollar clients and helping identify cost-saving opportunities. Cynthia currently works as an accountant for a Fortune Top 50 company where she prepares financial statements and analyzes financial results of one of the company’s several subsidiaries among other tasks.

Cynthia has never given up on her passion for helping build people build wealth. In 2014, she decided to step out on faith and start her financial consulting business “Cyn”sationally ”You” where she will work with clients to improve their current financial situations and make them “Cyn”sational!

Feel free to contact Cynthia at Cynthia.lubin@gmail.com or 973-908-8318 to find out about her services.

“If you’re drowning in student loan debt and want support, strategy, and guidance on how to accelerate your student loan repayments, then join our 5-Day Slay Sallie Mae Challenge.