Lynnette Khalfani-Cox
Encyclopedia
Lynnette Khalfani-Cox is an American personal finance expert, radio and television personality, and New York Times best-selling author. Known nationwide as “The Money Coach,” Khalfani-Cox is the founder of TheMoneyCoach.net, a financial education website. Her parents are Lucille Darrell and Michael Darrell. Her father is an actor who appeared in the Steven Spielberg
film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
in the role as the Van Driver.
Khalfani-Cox has contributed
to Essence (magazine)
, Health
and Black Enterprise
magazines.
She has been featured in publications ranging from the Washington Post and USA Today
to Smart Money
and Redbook Magazine. Additionally, Khalfani-Cox has appeared on Oprah
Are You Ready for a Windfall 2006, the Dr. Phil Show Where'd the Money Go,
the Tyra Banks Show, Rachael Ray
, and on numerous news programs on networks
ranging from CNN
and MSNBC
to FOX Business Network
and BET
. Lynnette has also appeared on reality television shows such as Oprah's Big Give
and the Emmy Award
winning TV series Starting Over
. In 2008, Lynnette started giving personal finance tips on Russ Parr
, a nationally syndicated radio station based in Maryland.
Khalfani-Cox maintains an active presence on many social networks including Facebook, where she answers personal finance questions from her fans and followers. Lynnette also uses Twitter to let her followers know when she is going to appear on television or radio.
and a Master of Arts in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Southern California
. While earning her graduate degree in Journalism, Khalfani-Cox began her career in 1992 as a reporter for the Associated Press
in Los Angeles, where she covered local news, community re-development and business activities in the aftermath of the L.A. riots. In 1993, she moved to Philadelphia,
serving as a correspondent for the Philadelphia Inquirer by day, and at night working as a writer/assistant producer for the FOX 10 O’Clock News in the City of Brotherly Love.
Khalfani-Cox joined Dow Jones & Co. in 1994 as a reporter covering the brokerage industry, corporate
finance and deal-making activities on Wall Street. During her tenure of nearly a decade at Dow Jones, Khalfani-Cox rose through the ranks, holding positions of increased responsibility. She was a Special Writer,
Philadelphia bureau chief, Personal Finance Columnist, and Deputy Managing Editor for Dow Jones Newswires, as well as a Wall Street Journal reporter for CNBC, a position she held until 2003.
After leaving her on-air reporting job at CNBC, Khalfani-Cox launched her brand as The Money Coach in 2003,
and created an independent publishing company, Advantage World Press.
To date, Khalfani-Cox has written six personal finance books for adults, and has co-authored The Millionaire
Kids Club, a series of four money-management books for youngsters between the ages of 5 and 12. Khalfani-Cox is perhaps best known for her New York Times best-seller,Zero Debt: The Ultimate Guide to Financial Freedom, which she wrote in 2004 after paying off $100,000
in credit card debt in just three years.
In addition to giving motivational speeches and financial seminars nationwide, Khalfani-Cox is on the board
of directors of WorldofMoney.org, a New York City-based non-profit agency
that teaches financial literacy skills to underprivileged teenagers.
On July 7, 2007, she married Earl Cox, who is also her literary agent and business manager. In 2009, the couple launched and underwrote The Zero Debt Tour, a national financial literacy campaign featuring free financial workshops and complimentary copies of Khalfani-Cox’s books for churches, non-profit agencies and
their constituents. Lynnette launched the tour during an appearance on Fox and Friends on the Fox News Channel
.
Khalfani-Cox and her husband live in northern New Jersey with their three children.
In 2009, Khalfani-Cox and co-author
Susan Beacham received an Excellence in Financial Literacy
Education (EIFLE) Award from the Institute for Financial Literacy for
The Millionaire Kids Club. The Institute recognized the first three
books in the series as Retail Book of the Year, in the category of money-management
books for children.
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a 1982 American science fiction film co-produced and directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Melissa Mathison and starring Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, and Peter Coyote...
in the role as the Van Driver.
Khalfani-Cox has contributed
to Essence (magazine)
Essence (magazine)
Essence is a monthly magazine for African-American women between the ages of 18 and 49. The magazine covers fashion, lifestyle and beauty with an intimate girlfriend-to-girlfriend tone.-History:...
, Health
Health (magazine)
Health is an American magazine focused on women's health. It was purchased by Time Inc. in 1991. The company now operates as a part of Time's Southern Progress Corporation. The magazine's topics range from diet and recipes to fashion tips and dealing with life issues such as stress...
and Black Enterprise
Black Enterprise
Black Enterprise is a monthly U.S. magazine which describes itself as "the premier business news and investment resource for African Americans" and claims a readership of 3.7 million. It was founded in 1970 by Earl G. Graves, Sr.. The publication is known for its annual listing of the largest...
magazines.
She has been featured in publications ranging from the Washington Post and USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
to Smart Money
Smart Money
Smart Money is a 1931 film starring Edward G. Robinson and James Cagney, the only time Robinson and Cagney made a movie together, despite being the two leading gangster actors at Warner Brothers studios all through the 1930s...
and Redbook Magazine. Additionally, Khalfani-Cox has appeared on Oprah
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
Are You Ready for a Windfall 2006, the Dr. Phil Show Where'd the Money Go,
the Tyra Banks Show, Rachael Ray
Rachael Ray
Rachael Domenica Ray is an American television personality, businesswoman, celebrity chef and author. She hosts the syndicated talk and lifestyle program Rachael Ray and three Food Network series, 30 Minute Meals, Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels and $40 a Day...
, and on numerous news programs on networks
ranging from CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
and MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
to FOX Business Network
Fox Business Network
Fox Business Network is an American cable news and satellite news television channel that began broadcasting on October 15, 2007. It is owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation...
and BET
Bet
Bet or BET may refer to:* A wager in gambling* Basic Economics Test * Bet , the second letter in many Semitic alphabets, including Aramaic, Hebrew, Phoenician and Syriac* Brunauer-Emmett-Teller isotherm. See BET_theory...
. Lynnette has also appeared on reality television shows such as Oprah's Big Give
Oprah's Big Give
Oprah's Big Give is a reality television series that aired Sunday nights at 9:00 PM Eastern/8:00PM Central on ABC, and is hosted by Nate Berkus. The Big Give is produced by Harpo Productions, and created and produced by Oprah Winfrey, and also produced by Bert Van Munster and Elise Doganieri...
and the Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
winning TV series Starting Over
Starting Over (TV series)
Starting Over is an American reality TV show that follows the lives of women who are experiencing difficulty in their lives and want to make changes, with the help of life coaches. It was the first reality TV show to be nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award. Six women at a time work to overcome...
. In 2008, Lynnette started giving personal finance tips on Russ Parr
Russ Parr
Russ Parr is an American radio and television personality.-Career:Parr began as a Production Services Director at ABC TV....
, a nationally syndicated radio station based in Maryland.
Khalfani-Cox maintains an active presence on many social networks including Facebook, where she answers personal finance questions from her fans and followers. Lynnette also uses Twitter to let her followers know when she is going to appear on television or radio.
Biography
Born in Manhattan, New York and raised in Los Angeles, California, Khalfani-Cox holds a BA in English from the University of California, IrvineUniversity of California, Irvine
The University of California, Irvine , founded in 1965, is one of the ten campuses of the University of California, located in Irvine, California, USA...
and a Master of Arts in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. While earning her graduate degree in Journalism, Khalfani-Cox began her career in 1992 as a reporter for the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
in Los Angeles, where she covered local news, community re-development and business activities in the aftermath of the L.A. riots. In 1993, she moved to Philadelphia,
serving as a correspondent for the Philadelphia Inquirer by day, and at night working as a writer/assistant producer for the FOX 10 O’Clock News in the City of Brotherly Love.
Khalfani-Cox joined Dow Jones & Co. in 1994 as a reporter covering the brokerage industry, corporate
finance and deal-making activities on Wall Street. During her tenure of nearly a decade at Dow Jones, Khalfani-Cox rose through the ranks, holding positions of increased responsibility. She was a Special Writer,
Philadelphia bureau chief, Personal Finance Columnist, and Deputy Managing Editor for Dow Jones Newswires, as well as a Wall Street Journal reporter for CNBC, a position she held until 2003.
After leaving her on-air reporting job at CNBC, Khalfani-Cox launched her brand as The Money Coach in 2003,
and created an independent publishing company, Advantage World Press.
To date, Khalfani-Cox has written six personal finance books for adults, and has co-authored The Millionaire
Kids Club, a series of four money-management books for youngsters between the ages of 5 and 12. Khalfani-Cox is perhaps best known for her New York Times best-seller,Zero Debt: The Ultimate Guide to Financial Freedom, which she wrote in 2004 after paying off $100,000
in credit card debt in just three years.
In addition to giving motivational speeches and financial seminars nationwide, Khalfani-Cox is on the board
of directors of WorldofMoney.org, a New York City-based non-profit agency
that teaches financial literacy skills to underprivileged teenagers.
On July 7, 2007, she married Earl Cox, who is also her literary agent and business manager. In 2009, the couple launched and underwrote The Zero Debt Tour, a national financial literacy campaign featuring free financial workshops and complimentary copies of Khalfani-Cox’s books for churches, non-profit agencies and
their constituents. Lynnette launched the tour during an appearance on Fox and Friends on the Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
.
Khalfani-Cox and her husband live in northern New Jersey with their three children.
Awards and recognition
Khalfani-Cox was a two-time recipient of the Dow Jones International News Award (in 1996 and 1998) for her reporting of financial scams and Wall Street trends.In 2009, Khalfani-Cox and co-author
Susan Beacham received an Excellence in Financial Literacy
Education (EIFLE) Award from the Institute for Financial Literacy for
The Millionaire Kids Club. The Institute recognized the first three
books in the series as Retail Book of the Year, in the category of money-management
books for children.