Hi, I’m AJ, and I have a lot of opinions about money
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“I didn’t grow up talking about money.”
Here’s the dirty secret: no one did. We have thirst-trapped and swiped and dating-diaried our way past most taboos, but talking about money still makes most of us squirm. The result is that people think they’re bad with money when they’re actually on the same page as everyone else – but no one’s talking about it.
So let’s talk about it.
I’ve noticed that people on the internet who talk about personal finance like to focus on the wrong things when it comes to money: credit card points, credit scores, and what stocks to pick. It’s easy to like things that come with a leaderboard and feel like a game, but unfortunately, none of those things really matter all too much. My goal is to get you to focus on what does matter.
Hey, I’m AJ
I’m Ally Jane Ayers. I’m a former book editor and music journalist who fell in love with finance and co-founded a pretty successful (if I do say so myself) financial planning firm called Brooklyn Fi. We manage people’s money, file their taxes, plan their lives, and much more.
I spend all day talking with people about money. And I watch my friends and clients get the same things wrong over and over again. For years, I’ve held my tongue, I’ve been gentle, and I’ve tried to nudge people in the right direction.
I’m not holding my tongue anymore.
This newsletter is for my unvarnished opinions about how we should live with money. And I’m sharing because it matters: money truly does change everything, whether or not we let it.
Who this newsletter is for
The title of this newsletter comes from Cindi Lauper’s 1983 song “Money Changes Everything.” Unfortunately, the lyrics aren't deep, so the inspiration ends with the title. But this newsletter is about how money and wealth change us. Ignoring money’s influence on your life is just not an option.
The US economy is hands down the most potent money-making machine ever created. To choose not to participate in that prosperity is idiotic.
Whether you’re already wealthy or on your way, I’m here to get you to think about making positive money changes.
Let’s name the elephant in the room: we live in an incredibly unequal and often unfair society. Hardship is real, and so is privilege. Over half of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, and we need real, systemic help to make their cost of living more manageable. While personal finance isn’t going to fix a broken system, there are some really great resources out there for how to navigate that system if you’re at the very beginning of your financial journey (I personally really like Paco de Leon’s Finance for the People).
But there are a lot of people who fit somewhere between living paycheck-to-paycheck and billionaire who still don’t know what to do about money and feel a lot of shame about it. They aren’t sure if they can call themselves rich. They are suspicious that everyone around them has secret family money, and they may have some of their own. They still have debt, but they vacation in Europe. Stability and financial freedom always feel one windfall or one raise away.
If any of that sounds like you – buckle up, and let’s go for a ride. This newsletter is for you.
Further reading
Wall Street Journal: The Money Behind the Sopranos
Here are some things people have said about me on the internet…
