Financial knowledge is freedom: sterling investment management is educating the financially challenged and disadvantaged. (Black Wealth Initiative).

MONEY IS NEVER JUST ABOUT MONEY. IF IT WAS, WE would all be rich. It's about how people approach money, their relationship with it, and for many people that relationship needs serious work, says Jacquette M. Timmons, president and CEO of Sterling Investment Management Inc., a full service investment education and consulting firm in New York City with less than $100,000 in revenues last year. So why isn't everyone wealthy? It comes down to two things: choice and information. Everyday, people make spending decisions that impact their financial health, whether it's eating dinner at a trendy restaurant or buying another electronic gadget.

That's where Sterling Investment Management comes in. The company provides investment education services, particularly its customized "Stop Treating Your Money So Poorly" workshop to corporations, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations and its "Meet Your Money" workshop for individuals. Timmons also offers group and individual coaching. Through her workshops and one-on-one sessions, she helps people face their money demons. "For example, we have people create an income statement, cash flow statement, and balance sheet. We use those business instruments to help people discover their story," she says.

The numbers reveal the facts, the facts tell a story, and a story gives clues about what to do next, she explains. But what's uncovered may not be all that pretty. Lifestyle adjustments are usually needed to meet newly defined goals, says Timmons, 37.

Timmons is especially dedicated to working with nonprofits. In fact, she offers nonprofits a 30% discount. "For me, it's an effective way to share my message with people who wouldn't be able to afford me or the services of Sterling," she says.

Timmons started her firm in 1995 as a fee-based, independent, nonregistered investment advisory firm. But the asset management side of the business wasn't satisfying. "Ironically, we had been doing the workshops since 1996, but we never looked at them as a business; we just enjoyed doing them," Timmons says. By 1999, 80% of her company's revenues came from educational endeavors. In 2000, she made the complete switch to investment education.

Her part is to spread the money gospel; the rest is left to her clients. Timmons often ascribes to the quote: "Knowledge is created by the learner, not given by the teacher," signifying the positive effects of employing Declaration of Financial Empowerment principle No. 2: to be a proactive and informed investor. The following advice can help you enrich your life:

* LEARN THE TOOLS OF THE TRADE

There are plenty of places to turn for schooling on financial matters. You can supplement your knowledge of a company by reading industry trade publications such as Investor's Business Daily (www.investors.com), as well as annual reports, stock and bond guides, and financial newsletters. Novice investors should also get a free copy of the BLACK ENTERPRISE Wealth Building Kit (877-WEALTHY; www .blackenterprise.com).

* STUDY VARIOUS INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Read in-depth profiles of companies that reveal their philosophies and culture--important things to know if you are investing in a particular company. Timmons especially likes Washington Post columnist James Glassman's book, The Secret Code of the Superior Investor: How to Be a Long-Term Winner in a Short-Term World (Crown Publishing; $14) and Jim Collin's Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap ... and Others Don't (Harper Collins: $27.50). Other great reads: Black Enterprise Guide to Investing by James A. Anderson (John Wiley & Sons Inc.; $19.95) and The Millionaire's Club by Carolyn M. Brown (John Wiley & Sons Inc.; $19.95).

* TAKE WORKSHOPS OR COURSES

Timmons obviously recommends attending seminars like those she offers of even taking courses on investing at a local college. There are also seminars sponsored by groups such as the American Association of Individual Investors (800-428-2244; www.aaii.com) in Chicago. For a $49 annual membership fee, investors can receive guidance on investments and tax issues.

* UNDERSTAND UNIVERSAL INVESTING STRATEGIES

Make sure that your investment matches your goals and time horizon. "If you want to buy a home in five years, you wouldn't invest that money in stocks because it's too short of a time frame," explains Timmons. "I would put the money in either a money market or a CD because the principal is protected, and it's going to earn a higher level of interest than it would in a regular savings account."

Timmons says, too often, people don't want to do the work, whether it's following a budget or reviewing financial statements. That's because a lot of people just don't get it: "How much you put into something determines how much you'll get out of it."

Declaration Of Financial Empowerment

From this day forward, t declare my vigilant and lifelong commitment to financial empowerment. I pledge the following:

1 To save and invest 10% to 15% of my after-tax income

2 To be a proactive and informed investor

3 To be a disciplined and knowledgeable consumer

4 To measure my personal wealth by net worth, not income

5 To engage in sound budget, credit, and tax management practices

6 To teach business and financial principles to my children

7 To use a portion of my personal wealth to strengthen my community

8 To support the creation and growth of profitable, competitive, black-owned enterprises

9 To maximize my earning power through a commitment, to career development, technological literacy, and professional excellence

10 To ensure that my wealth is passed on to future generations