What I Talk About
Financial aid including student loans, grants and scholarships
Budgeting and paying off debt
The basics of financial literacy
Managing financial behaviors
Why I Care about Financial Literacy
Unlike other speakers, I know what it’s like to learn about financial literacy the hard way. I immigrated to the U.S. from Ukraine when I was four. I watched my parents figure out the American financial system. They shared their mistakes and lessons so I learned first-hand how money worked.
When I graduated from college, I had $28,000 in student loans - and a $28,000 salary. Suddenly, I had to learn how to manage my money by myself. That’s when I decided to pay off my student loans in three years - and to start blogging about it.
And in November 2014 - three years after making my first payment - I made my last student loan payment. A few months later, I quit my job to work as a full-time personal finance writer.
As a speaker, I share my message about financial literacy, whether that means educating high school students about the FAFSA to discussing the importance of compound interest to young adults.
Want to book me for your next gig?
Send me a note at zina@zinakumok.com
Where I’ve Spoken
“Zina spoke to our Advanced Algebra with Financial Applications class about student loans. She taught our high school students about various strategies to pay for college. She is extremely knowledgeable about student loans and personal finance. I highly recommend her as a guest speaker for all Financial Literacy classes and FAFSA information sessions.”
“We brought in Zina to support our Financial Literacy class discussions. She was very articulate and easy for students to relate to. She was passionate and attentive. Students were better informed from her contributions.”
“Zina was funny, pragmatic, and so knowledgeable about her subject. Our community talked about her message for days, and all of our students wanted follow-up resources to start learning to manage their own money. They were so much more engaged by Zina’s message than anyone expected. You won’t be disappointed!
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“Zina was a pleasure to work with both prior and during our conference. She was professional, organized and most importantly our attendees enjoyed her session!
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“Zina was fun, genuine, and had the whole crowd laughing and cheering through her talk. She is a talented speaker who quickly connected with the audience and left everyone inspired and wanting more.”