In our final week of Financial Literacy Month, Tela Holcomb joins us to discuss the stock market in plain English. Yes, we asked her about Bitcoin! But first, Tela is a stocks and options trader, mom, and wife who is focused on spending the most of her time living the life she loves. Before achieving this freedom, like many of you, she was dependent on a paycheck from the 9 to 5 to pay her bills. That was cool, but she wanted to have more time to spend with her family, friends, and travel not just climb someone else's corporate ladder. Her escape plan? In 2009 she started teaching herself how to trade the stock market. Just 5 years later, she reached financial freedom and escaped the corporate matrix! On today's show she will help you learn: An easy way to use stock charts to rebalance your 401k/IRA to maximize your returns Tips for managing your emotions so you can choose a proven investment system that will make you more money Investment Tools for setting up your investment journey to maximize the success of your short- and long-term financial goals The difference between active and passive investment and how both can help you achieve your financial goals Using your personality to determine the risk tolerance and investment type best suited for your lifestyle and how to answer the question: do I want to trade or invest? Websites, tools, and resources you can use to safely practice investing before using your own money [bctt tweet="Do you want to be a trader or investor? When you make an informed decision it's not gambling, it's a smart investment decision. - @TelaHolcomb" username="PayBalances"] Financial Literacy Month: Tela's recommended Action Items: Get Smart on your 401k. Meet with your company or financial advisor or use Tela's investment hacks to ensure your 401k is properly balanced and aligned with your financial goals. Pay Off Debt. If you're tired of the 9-to-5, reducing your debt is a great start to turning the hobby or side-hustle into your next full-time job. Don't allow debt to hold you back from your dreams any longer. Find Your People! Surround yourself with like-minded people that are interested in seeing you improve. This can be online (groups, forums, etc.) or off-line (networking, conferences, etc.) but be sure to find people that support and push you towards your goals rather than distract or discourage.   References Mentioned in this Show Tela Holcomb Free Course: TelaHolcomb.com/blog Twitter: @TelaHolcomb Facebook: facebook.com/telaholcomb Instagram: instagram.com/telaholcomb YouTube: telaholcomb.com/youtube Blog: telaholcomb.com Trade Your 9 to 5: tradeyour9to5.com Book Recommendation: The Complete TurtleTrader Investment Tools: Motif Investing - Motif Investing is an investment company that allows you to pick a portfolio that aligns with not only your financial goals but your values as well. StockPile Ally TD Ameritrade - Think or Swim PersonalCapital.com Investopedia.com - a website focusing on investing education and financial news National Financial Literacy Month April 2018 – Learn More at FinancialLiteracyMonth.com Announcements If you're a Mint user or considering signing up, check out Marcus' piece for GoBankingRates and featured on YahooFinance.com, I Used Mint Wrong for Years and You Probably Are Too. We’ve created a new free guide exclusively for our email subscribers: The 15 Minute Paychecks and Balances Money Plan: Your Guide to Financial Freedom. The free document includes “15-minute” plans for creating a budget, starting your debt freedom plan, and finding your FIRE number. Sign-up to get your free guide today and see why just 15-minutes may change the next 15 years of your own journey to reach financial independence. Thank You for the Support We’ve partnered with NerdWallet for all your personal finance needs at PaychecksAndBalances.com/Tools Looking for more free career development and debt freedom tips? Join our email list at PaychecksandBalances.com/email for ex