"...and all at once... Summer collapsed into Fall" - Oscar Wilde

September… one of my favorite months. Not only does my skin look and feel better in the Fall, it’s my birthday month!!! September also means summer is coming to an end. My question to you is “how do you plan to wrap up your summer goals?” A personal goal of mine is to buy at least 10 shares of apple this month and purchase my very first investment property. Why Apple? Because they just did a stock split! Why not indulge?!! In this month’s post, I plan to discuss a starting point for beginners who’d like to invest, important holidays & events, racial injustice and a few other topics. Let’s dig in!

Create a Stock Watch List | For the month of September, I think it would be a great idea to create a stock watch list. This list contains stocks that you’re interested in by Company Name and the Ticker Symbol. It may be a good idea to include the price and notes on why you’re watching that stock. For example, a few stocks on my watch list are:

Apple (AAPL) $134.18 - sustainable company, constant growth over the years, strong balance sheet.

Beyond Meat (BYND) $135.24 - huge fan of their products, continuous partnerships to expand business, etc.

Tesla (TSLA) - $475.05 - very volatile company, stock split has influenced buying power.

Walt Disney Co (DIS) $133.55 - this company have been around decades, definitely a good long term investment.

There are multiple apps available for a watch list, like robinhood, Yahoo Finance, cash app, and fidelity. Once you have a solid list, begin doing some research on those companies. Make note of the reasons why you think that company is sustainable and have a look at their financials to confirm their financial stability.

National Blood Cancer Awareness Month | For those of you that know me, you‘d know that I lost one of my big sisters to Leukemia. Leukemia is cancer of the body's blood-forming tissues, including the bone marrow and the lymphatic system. I’d like to celebrate this month by spreading awareness and helping LLS raise money to abate blood cancer. Donate to the cause to help thousands of families in need! Keep in mind that you could write this off on your taxes!

National 401K Day | September 11, 2020 is 401K Day! I had the opportunity to teach a financial literacy class during the month of August and one of my topics were to specifically discuss 401Ks. Most individuals contribute to their 401K through their employer, but remember… you can also contribute to a solo 401K if you’re self employed. If you’re employed like myself, make sure you are taking full advantage of your companies match! When an employer matches your contributions, they add a certain amount to your 401(k) account based on how much you contribute annually. Don’t leave free money on the table, especially not during a pandemic!

Racial Injustice | Unfortunately, there has been another shooting of an unarmed black man by a police officer in Kenosha, Wisconsin. By the grace of GOD, Jacob Blake is in a stable condition but is now paralyzed from the waist down after being shot seven times. These type of actions will continue to happen until new laws are put into place. Which brings me to voting during this upcoming election. We have to go to the polls and understand who we are putting into office in order to see real change. #gotothepolls Im praying for Jacob and his family and most importantly I am saddened that this occurred… especially in front of his children. What are you doing to take accountability in your actions to make our system a better one?

Wakanda Forever | I am still in shock by the passing of Chadwick Boseman. He was a hero that we all lost too soon. Chadwick was an inspiration for both children in adults as not only being a Marvel Super-hero that represented The Black Community in a beautiful light, but a Hero in real life. You’ve touched many lives Chadwick. You will forever be in our hearts.

Thanks you for taking the time to read this month’s article and I hope you guys start that watch list! It’s never too late to begin investing! Feel free to reach out to me directly with any questions you may have. I’d be more than happy to answer! Until next time :)