Cash: Saving a Little Bit at a Time

Living Legend Florence King’s firm teaches financial literacy

By James Cullum

ALEXANDRIA, VA-It doesn’t take much to get back on track financially, just $10 here and there and before you know it, the nest egg is secure. That’s the simplified savings plan of Alexandria Living Legend Florence King, who teaches financial literacy all over the region. The trick, though, is not spending what you’ve saved.

“Most people you run across live way beyond their means. Folks are afraid of their finances more than they’re afraid of going to the dentist,” King said. “Financial phobias run deep. But it’s like exercising if you’re out of shape. If you go to the gym and work out too hard you’re going to be sore the next morning and you might not go back. You have to start slow, and the same thing goes with your finances.”

King owns FMK Credit Education Center and the nonprofit FMK Financial Literacy Center, which are both located at 100 Daingerfield Rd. near the King St. Metro station. She is also the chair of the regional council of the United Way, and until recently was the chair of the Alexandria Commission on Employment. Last year she was honored as a Living Legend of Alexandria, and her photo and story are currently featured in an exhibit of fellow African American Living Legends at the Alexandria Black History Museum.

“I teach my students that – even if they laugh at you – go into the bank and put $5 in your bank account, and the next payday you go to double that to $10. And the next payday, double it to $20, and then $40 the pay period after that,” said King, who is also a financial advisor at McLean Bible Church. “My clients come in and are excited about it, because it’s easy, and before you know it, you get to the end of the year and you have a few thousand dollars in the bank.”

King founded her financial literacy company in 1991 after spending 17 years working in the federal government. A native of Fairfax County, she called upon her early days working at Equifax after graduating with a degree in business administration from George Mason University. She has helped more than 10,000 clients get financially stable over the past 28 years.

Florence King’s next session will be held at FMK Financial Literacy Center, 100 Daingerfield Rd., and tickets are $25. Find out more and register for the event at https://www.fmkinc.com.