Financial Literacy for Women

Welcome, and thank you for visiting this website. I’m Manisha Thakor, and I’m on a mission to inspire women around the globe to “own your finances & own your life.” I’m a female personal finance expert and a passionate advocate for women and financial independence. Through my BOOKS, BLOG, keynote SPEAKING and corporate work, along with TV, radio, and print MEDIA appearances, I encourage women to take charge of their money. While I love all things women and money related – if forced to pick I’d say that saving & budgeting, investing & finding a financial adviser, and how to talk money with your honey would be my favorite personal finance topics to discuss.

What qualifies me to talk about personal finance for women?

Good question! Money is such a personal and important subject. As such, you deserve to know the full scoop about “Professional Manisha” so you can decide if I’m someone you want to listen to. Here’s a summary of my academic, work, and media experience…

ACADEMIC

I earned my MBA from Harvard Business School in 1997, my BA from Wellesley College in 1992, and am a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder.

WORK

Prior to devoting myself full time to what I truly believe is my Dharma (or calling) of helping women master their money, I spent 15 years working in the financial services industry. At various points in my corporate career I worked as an analyst, portfolio manager, and client relations executive for institutional money management firms with billions in assets under management.

MEDIA

My financial literacy advocacy work has been featured in national publications such as: The New York Times, BusinessWeek, US News & World Report, Glamour, Real Simple, and Women’s Day. My national TV appearances on the subject of women and financial independence include: ABC’s Good Money, CNN’s Your Bottom Line, CNBC’s Power Lunch & Squawk on The Street, Fox Business News, NBC Nightly News, and PBS’s Nightly Business Report. I am also a regular personal finance blogger on The Huffington Post, contributor to the nationally syndicated show on NPR, “51% – The Women’s Perspective,” and a monthly columnist for Military.com.

Ten Things to Know About “Personal Manisha”

1. Guilty pleasures: cappuccino, dark chocolate covered marzipan, Law & Order reruns
2. Nickname for my fabulous husband: Honeybuns
3. Inspirational female icons: Coco Chanel, Katherine Hepburn, Princess Di
4. In constant battle with: weight, acne, depression, time-management
5. Favorite historical authors: Virginia Woolf & Edith Wharton
6. Dream job: Global feminist financial guru
7. Favorite fast food: McDonalds & Dunkin’ Donuts
8. Home base: Split time between Houston TX & Santa Fe NM
9. Common misspellings of Manisha: Minisha, Menisha, Maniska, Miniska, Minasha
10. Common misspellings of Thakor: Thacker, Thackor, Thakar, Takor, Talkor