I CAME OUT OF THE WOMB KNOWING EXACTLY HOW TO MANAGE MONEY…SAID NO ONE EVER.

If you’re straight up lost when it comes to this whole money game, you’re in the right spot!

We’re Akeiva and Meshack Ellis, a husband and wife duo on a mission to help young adults like us make sense of money.

AKEIVA’S STREET CRED:

I’m a bit of a unicorn in the financial planning world (less than 2% of us are Black & less than 6% are under 30). I spent most of my career advising ultra high net worth families - I’m talking the top .01%.

I wanted to find a way to share my knowledge with my community. You know - regular folk & those with a little bit more melanin - and thus, The Bemused was born.

Here’s what all the letters after my name mean:

  • Master of Science in Financial Planning (MSFP) - 2018

  • Certified Public Accountant (CPA) - 2018

  • Personal Financial Specialist (PFS) - 2018

  • CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) - 2019

  • Chartered Special Needs Consultant® (ChSNC®) - 2021

TLDR: I’ve done a lot of schoolin’ about money.

Akeiva M. Ellis, MSFP, CPA/PFS, CFP®, ChSNC®

HERE ARE SOME OF THE PLACES I’VE BEEN QUOTED:

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Meshack J. Ellis, MBA

Meshack J. Ellis, MBA

MESHACK’S STREET CRED:

I’m a human resources pro - which means, I get down and dirty with taxes, compensation, benefits, and the like. I also nerd out on money things like credit cards and finding new, creative ways to save some moolah.

I love The Bemused because it is an opportunity to educate members of my community on such an important topic in their lives. Since its inception, The Bemused has allowed me to have tough but necessary money talks with my family and friends that otherwise might not have happened. The Bemused is important because it sheds light on something in life we all use but may not have gotten little or no guidance on managing. If what we do impacts even one person, I believe it would all be worthwhile.

Here’s what the letters after my name mean:

  • Master of Business Administration (MBA) - 2018

OUR PERSONAL MONEY WINS INCLUDE:

  • Becoming homeowners at the ages of 23 and 25, respectively

  • Paying off $30,000 of student loan debt in 9 months

  • Growing our combined net worth by $180,000 in 3 years

  • Saving up a five figure cash cushion so we’re secured for a rainy day (or global health pandemic, whichever)

  • Increasing our credit scores fast (Akeiva increased hers by 94 points in three months!)

  • Paying off a car note almost three years early

  • Steadily building an investment portfolio for our future

  • Cash flowing our $40k+ wedding without going into debt

… and we did all of this while facing a mountain of student loan debt, giving away 10% of our gross income, and working regular (not six-figure) jobs.

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FUN FACTS ABOUT US:

  • Akeiva’s favorite TV show is NCIS, and she’ll bust out the Sound of Music or Hamilton soundtracks on a regular old Tuesday.

  • Meshack took tap dancing classes for 3 years as a kid and, unlike Akeiva, practically never knows the words to any song you throw at him.

  • We’re travel junkies. So far, we’ve visited 14 countries, with hopes to see many more! In fact, watch this video to see how we paid NOTHING for our 12 day honeymoon to Dubai & the Maldives!