As 2025 comes to a close, the TFG crew sits down for an honest, introspective conversation about growth, lessons learned, and the moments that shaped them over the past year. Through shared reflections and personal insights, they look inward at how they’ve evolved—individually and together—while setting intentions for the road ahead. It’s a thoughtful year-end check-in about progress, perspective, and moving forward with purpose.

Wait, what's a Financial Griot?

The Financial Griot is a play on two words (Finance + Griot) that hold significance in closing the wealth gap while embracing our differences. Alainta Alcin, Lovely Merdelus, and Lawrence Delva-Gonzalez share their perspectives on current events that impact your personal finances and wealth mindset. In the New York Times, Bankrate, and other publications, the hosts share the stories that others don't.

Stories about growth, opportunity, and even Wars. Beyond that, we tie it back to how it reflects on your finances. Specifically, we teach you how to become financially literate, incorporate actionable steps, and ultimately build generational wealth.

Can you imagine being a Millionaire in 20 years or less?

Yeah, it's possible. Eighty percent of millionaires are first-generation, meaning they didn't inherit wealth. We teach you how. Join a community of subscribers who welcome a fresh take on money.

So there you have it, The Financial Griot, or TFG for short. The hosts amassed over $3 million in wealth in about eight years and are on track to retire early. We will gladly share the secrets if you want them, since the opportunity is abundant and a Win-Win.

Find the TFG Crew Hosts on Instagram:

• Alainta Alcin - Blogger, Travel and Money Enthusiast https://www.linkedin.com/in/alaintaalcin
• Lawrence Delva-Gonzalez, Financial Foodie and Travel Blogger @theneighborhoodfinanceguy
• Lovely Merdelus - Entrepreneur and Small Business Growth Specialist @lovelymerdelus

Everyone’s talking about the “affordability crisis”—but what does that actually mean? In this episode, we dig into the numbers, the headlines, and the lived reality of trying to make ends meet in 2025. From rent hikes to grocery bills to the myth of the “latte problem,” we explore whether the crisis is as bad as it sounds—or if something deeper is driving the feeling that everything’s out of reach.

Wait, what's a Financial Griot?

The Financial Griot is a play on two words (Finance + Griot) that hold significance in closing the wealth gap while embracing our differences. Alainta Alcin, Lovely Merdelus, and Lawrence Delva-Gonzalez share their perspectives on current events that impact your personal finances and wealth mindset. In the New York Times, Bankrate, and other publications, the hosts share the stories that others don't.

Stories about growth, opportunity, and even Wars. Beyond that, we tie it back to how it reflects on your finances. Specifically, we teach you how to become financially literate, incorporate actionable steps, and ultimately build generational wealth.

Can you imagine being a Millionaire in 20 years or less?

Yeah, it's possible. Eighty percent of millionaires are first-generation, meaning they didn't inherit wealth. We teach you how. Join a community of subscribers who welcome a fresh take on money.

So there you have it, The Financial Griot, or TFG for short. The hosts amassed over $3 million in wealth in about eight years and are on track to retire early. We will gladly share the secrets if you want them, since the opportunity is abundant and a Win-Win.

Find the TFG Crew Hosts on Instagram:

• Alainta Alcin - Blogger, Travel and Money Enthusiast https://www.linkedin.com/in/alaintaalcin
• Lawrence Delva-Gonzalez, Financial Foodie and Travel Blogger @theneighborhoodfinanceguy
• Lovely Merdelus - Entrepreneur and Small Business Growth Specialist @lovelymerdelus

The crew is back together again. And yes, Lawrence, I'm still furloughed, still figuring it out. In this episode, he shares updates from his extended time off and what it’s taught him about work, purpose, and the strange calm of uncertainty. Meanwhile, New York City makes history by electing its first millennial mayor, Mamdani. We dive into what this generational shift in leadership could mean for the city’s future—and for the rest of us trying to navigate change in our own lives.

Wait, what's a Financial Griot?

The Financial Griot is a play on two words (Finance + Griot) that hold significance in closing the wealth gap while embracing our differences. Alainta Alcin, Lovely Merdelus, and Lawrence Delva-Gonzalez share their perspectives on current events that impact your personal finances and wealth mindset. In the New York Times, Bankrate, and other publications, the hosts share the stories that others don't.

Stories about growth, opportunity, and even Wars. Beyond that, we tie it back to how it reflects on your finances. Specifically, we teach you how to become financially literate, incorporate actionable steps, and ultimately build generational wealth.

Can you imagine being a Millionaire in 20 years or less?

Yeah, it's possible. Eighty percent of millionaires are first-generation, meaning they didn't inherit wealth. We teach you how. Join a community of subscribers who welcome a fresh take on money.

So there you have it, The Financial Griot, or TFG for short. The hosts amassed over $3 million in wealth in about eight years and are on track to retire early. We will gladly share the secrets if you want them, since the opportunity is abundant and a Win-Win.

Find the TFG Crew Hosts on Instagram:

• Alainta Alcin - Blogger, Travel and Money Enthusiast https://www.linkedin.com/in/alaintaalcin
• Lawrence Delva-Gonzalez, Financial Foodie and Travel Blogger @theneighborhoodfinanceguy
• Lovely Merdelus - Entrepreneur and Small Business Growth Specialist @lovelymerdelus