Michele Rankin, MBA Financial Coaching

10/16/2026

Some fun fall activities for you, gazelle intense, budgeters out there! 🍁

10/10/2026

💸

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to estate planning. We take the time to understand your family, your priorities, and your future, creating a personalized plan that provides confidence today and peace of mind for tomorrow.

The best time to plan is before you need it.

📍 Hartville, Ohio
📞 (330) 494-9077
🌐 www.starkeylawfirm.com

10/09/2026

All you need is a plan, patience, and the willingness to start.💸

Visit my website and schedule your free personal financial consultation. Today is a good day to start.

10/06/2026

When is the best time to talk to your kids about money?💸

Right now!

Your kids will learn about money from someone. Don’t let it be from an out-of-control celebrity on social media. You have the opportunity to be the positive example in their lives and the guiding voice they can trust.

Here are some tips for talking to your kids about money.

1. Start slow.
According to a 2017 T. Rowe Price survey, 69% of parents have some reluctance when it comes to talking about money with their children. And only 23% of kids say they talk with their parents frequently about money. There’s no need to schedule a five-hour lecture presentation to review bank account balances and retirement plan contributions. Start by simply answering your kids’ money questions at an age-appropriate level.

2. Be honest.
If you regret going into debt or not saving more for college, tell your kids. Parents so rarely have open, honest moments with their children. Kids can handle it—really.

3. Talk values, not figures.
If you’re hesitant about disclosing your salary and major expenses to your kids, don’t sweat it. The good news is your kids don’t really want (or need) to know that stuff. They need concepts like saving, budgeting, paying down debt, and giving.

To help your kids get an idea of what real-world budgeting looks like, encourage them (when age-appropriate) to download the EveryDollar app. They can use the tool to track spending habits and see just how far their money is going. Soon, establishing a budget will feel like second nature. And if they stick with it, they’ll be well ahead of the curve by the time they hit the college campus.

4. Set family goals.
Let your children sit in on and contribute to family budget committee meetings. Just remember you and your spouse are the adults. Only mom and dad make the final decisions. If you are paying off debt or saving for the future, let the kids join in as you celebrate reaching milestones along the way.

So go ahead and open up about the family finances, but keep it simple. Start the conversation, be honest, and teach and lead by example.

09/24/2026

💸Millionaire Loophole💸

1. Open a Trump account for your newborn.
2. Let that $1k ride until they’re out of college.
3. At 23 years old convert that $10k into a Roth IRA. Their tax bracket should be pretty low at this time.
4. Watch that $10k grow tax free at 10% return until they reach 65 and they will have ~ $655k.

Now imagine if you simply contributed $100 a month…this account grows to millions!

09/17/2026

If you are getting a late start, then you need to shift your budgeting mindset to a retirement savings focused budget and follow this order: give, save, spend. Every dollar gets assigned before the month begins, and retirement investing is a non-negotiable line item, not an afterthought.

1. Give first — 10% off the top. Generosity is the first line of the budget, not the last. This is a heart discipline that keeps money in its proper place.

2. Invest 15% of gross household income for retirement. This goes in before any discretionary spending. It's not what's left over — it's the second line item. Use your 401(k) up to the employer match first, then max a Roth IRA, then back to the 401(k) for the remainder.

3 Cover the Four Walls. Food, utilities, shelter, transportation — these come next. Essentials before lifestyle.

4. Budget everything else to zero. Every remaining dollar gets a name. When income minus all expenses equals zero, you've built a zero-based budget. Nothing is wasted.

This is a budgeting mindset shift: retirement investing is savings, not spending. Most people budget their expenses first and hope something is left over for investing. That's backwards. When you budget investing as a fixed commitment — just like rent — it actually happens.💸

The 15% Rule in Dollars @ 40 yrs Old
On an $80,000 household income, 15% = $1,000/month invested. In good growth stock mutual funds over 25 years, that could grow to over $1.5 million by age 65.

09/11/2026

You’re ready to sign up for an FPU class if …

😤 you’re sick of living paycheck to paycheck
💸 you make good money, but still feel broke
🤔 you wonder if you could be doing better
✝️ you want to honor God with your finances

Aka, FPU is for everyone! Get the details on my FPU class in the comments. 👇

09/09/2026

One of the biggest sources of stress in people’s lives—including their spiritual lives—is 💰.

Our church is hosting a Financial Peace University class starting on Monday, September 14th at 6pm.

This is a nine-week class, taught by Dave Ramsey and his team of experts, where we’ll walk through biblical principles of how to handle 💰.

You’ll learn how to master a budget, pay off debt, invest for the future, and become a more generous giver.

This class is for anyone who wants to manage their money better and become a good steward of their money for God’s glory. Link to sign up for the class is in the comments.

🙏 ❤️ #💸

09/07/2026

Happy Labor Day! 🇺🇸

🇺🇸 #🇺🇸labordayweekend🎉🎉🪩

08/31/2026

Today’s devotional was so good! Take a listen. 💸

I also highly recommend Randy Alcorn‘s book, money, possessions, and eternity. 📕 

A Proper Place for Possessions
By Boyd Bailey

Possessions are not an end in themselves. If your motive is more stuff, that is not a healthy motive. If your security lies in what you have acquired and own, you are insecure. The goal of life is not to buy more stuff but to give away and share God's love with others.

Read more: wisdomhunters.com/a-proper-place-for-possessions