For many, the topic of personal finance feels like a restrictive lecture on what not to do – don’t buy the latte, don’t eat out, and save until it hurts.
But for Adrienne Taylor, an Accredited Financial Counselor (AFC®) and the founder of Tailored WealthSaver®, financial freedom isn’t about deprivation; it’s about alignment.
Since launching her firm in 2019, Taylor has been on a mission to bridge the massive gap in financial literacy, particularly within Black communities. Her approach is a far cry from the “microwave society” of quick-fix credit repair or rigid “gurus.” Instead, she offers a personalized, education-first model designed to dismantle financial trauma and build lasting legacies.
Beyond the numbers: Addressing financial trauma
In the Black community, the hurdle to wealth-building is often more than just a lack of math—it’s history. During her counseling sessions, Taylor frequently finds herself peeling back layers of “unrealized trauma” that stem from decades of systemic exclusion.
“When we talk about the Black community, especially back in the ’40s or ’50s, Black people had life insurance policies or money in a bank, but there were bank failures or policies wouldn’t pay out,” Taylor explains.
This history has led to a deep-seated distrust of financial institutions. “I have people that put money under a mattress… we have to deal with those traumas,” she said.
Taylor’s goal is to move clients from a survival mindset—where money is either hidden or hoarded out of fear—to a growth mindset. She notes that while “Wealth Saver” is her business name, “you cannot save your way to wealth.” By addressing the fear of investing and the reality of inflation (using the rising price of eggs as a relatable metric), she helps families transition from just “existing” to actually growing their net worth.
No two wallets are alike
The name Tailored WealthSaver® isn’t just a play on her last name; it’s her core philosophy of the business she runs with her partner, Christopher Bell. Taylor rejects the “one-size-fits-all” plans common in the industry. Her process begins with a deep dive into the last three months of a client’s spending, but only after she asks one crucial question: What are your goals?
“I’m not a person that’s gonna tell you, ‘Hey, you can’t go out to eat,'” Taylor says. “If that’s something important to you, let’s work that in. But let’s be mindful of what we’re doing at the same time.”
This personalization is especially vital for the “sandwich generation” of Black millennials, who often navigate high student loan debt while simultaneously trying to support family members. Taylor identifies a key distinction that frequently escapes her clients: The difference between a spending problem and an income problem.
- Income Problem: You cannot afford basic necessities.
- Spending Problem: You can’t afford your lifestyle because of “wasteful” leaks like forgotten subscriptions.
Credit as a tool, not a trap
While many were raised to fear credit cards as a gateway to debt, Taylor, who holds a degree in Economics, views credit as a powerful tool for wealth preservation. She advocates for maintaining high credit scores not just for loans, but also for reducing daily costs, such as auto insurance.
“Having a higher credit score, you’re gonna pay a little bit less than the person with the lower credit score,” she notes.
However, she is a fierce critic of “quick-fix” credit repair companies. Under the Credit Repair Organization Act (CROA), she educates her clients that there is nothing a repair company can do that an individual can’t do for themselves for free. Her focus remains on the “Big Three” of credit health:
- Payment History: Paying on time, every time.
- Utilization: Keeping balances below 30% of the limit.
- Understanding Limits: Knowing exactly how much “tool” you have to work with.
The literacy crisis
The stakes for Taylor’s work are higher than ever. According to a Fortune report, nearly two-thirds of Americans cannot pass a basic financial literacy test, which Taylor views as a systemic failure. If given the power to rewrite the script, her prescription for the nation is three-fold:
- Mandatory Education: “Everyone knows pi is 3.14,” Taylor says, “but do they know their interest rates?” She advocates for personal finance to be a graduation requirement.
- Teacher Empowerment: It isn’t enough to add the class; educators must be specifically equipped and trained to teach the nuances of money management.
- Family Integration: Taylor believes money management should be taught at home with the same consistency as basic manners. For parents who feel unequipped, she provides resources like the WealthSaver Planner to help them learn alongside their children.
Closing the gap
Taylor’s expertise was honed in the military, where she saw the stark contrast in financial habits between junior enlisted members and high-ranking officers. This taught her that “it’s not necessarily how much you’re making… It’s what are you doing with what you’re making.”
By combining historical context with radical transparency about her own past mistakes, Adrienne Taylor is doing more than just “fixing” credit scores. She is providing the roadmap for Black families to move from financial uncertainty to generational stability.
“Personal finance is a skill that can be honed,” Taylor says. Through Tailored WealthSaver®, she is ensuring that for her clients, that skill becomes a permanent family heirloom.
Tailored WealthSaver®: https://www.tailoredwealthsaver.com
