Erica & Haizl Voelkel

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Erica Voelkel is a determined advocate for learning to be financially secure as early in life as possible. She grew up in a family that lived week to week on her father’s low railway laborer’s income in regional Australia, and there was no luxury spending and absolutely no opportunity for travel and recreation.

Erica married young and became immediately involved in the family business of her husband, gaining grass-roots experience in managing and marketing. She eventually grew a successful family business, and failing was never an option.

Opting for more independence, Erica moved on to workplace training and found her niche in adult education, compliance, and standards. That served as a stepping stone to the field of financial services. She worked part time for a finance broker for a time, and that led her to an offer of business partnership. It was in this arena that Erica discovered that she has a talent for financial strategy, which she put to use in helping marginalized borrowers source mortgages to buy or save their homes. The more she helped, the more there were to help.

Word-of-mouth exploded their business. That was great for Erica, but it signified a deeper tragedy: Too many adults were drowning in financial disaster, either unable to keep up with their mortgages or financial commitments or simply unaware of how to successfully manage their financial paths. Countless individuals were not going to be able to fulfill that great Australian dream of owning their own home.

It took the bewildered question of Erica’s daughter, Haizl Voelkel, just 16 years old at the time, as well as a trainee in Financial Services at AFD Loans, to bring some answers to the forefront. After an interview with a 21-year-old begging for help, contemplating suicide because his finances were in such turmoil, she asked, “Why don’t they know what to do?”

Erica wondered why, indeed, our young adults are not taught to save, spend intelligently and manage their money without relying on credit and payday lenders. To answer this question and offer solutions, #MONEYPLAN was developed, a book that will proactively educate a whole new generation and potentially protect them from financial ruin and ideally, help them to realize every single one of their dreams.

Erica and Haizl now spend their time speaking, delivering key elements of their book to people all over Australia, from young millennials to baby boomers. Every year 10, 11, and 12 student is given a free copy of #MONEYPLAN, because Erica’s passion is to help young people see that they can and should achieve whatever they want to accomplish in life.