Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Jovan Jackson
Dr. Jovan, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’m still blown away when I think about how far I’ve come. From leaving corporate nearly 20 years ago to becoming a five-time published best-selling author and one of the few Black female-owned investment advisory firms managing millions in assets.
But what most people don’t know is that my journey wasn’t always this successful. There was a time when the rug was pulled right from under me.
Back in 2008, after the real estate market crashed, I lost nearly everything. Foreclosure, bankruptcy, repossessions, and even divorce became my reality. I was broke, embarrassed, alone, and pregnant, with no clear path forward.
How did I get here?
I was working 10- to 12-hour days, doing everything I thought was right. Tithing at church, being responsible with my finances, and following what I had been taught. Yet, there I was, watching my world crumble.
During the Christmas holiday that year, I found myself sitting on the edge of my grandmother’s bed, desperate for answers. That’s when I decided to read a book called Tax-Free Retirement by Patrick Kelly.
As I read, I had a profound realization:
I wasn’t struggling because I didn’t know anything about money.
I was struggling because I hadn’t learned enough.
I had been operating with 70% of the knowledge I needed, but it was the missing 30% that was costing me dearly. Had I known then what I had just learned, I would have made very different financial choices.
That’s when I made a decision. I wasn’t going to let my lack of knowledge dictate my future any longer. I committed to educating myself, surrounding myself with people who truly understood money, and rebuilding my life from the ground up.
I had always known how to make money, but I had never learned how to leverage and preserve it. And the hard truth? If you don’t have a real plan to grow and sustain your wealth, you can quickly find yourself in a dark, tough place—no matter how much you earn.
Through that journey, I found my purpose. I became a messenger of Good News, determined to help others avoid the same pitfalls I faced.
Today, I am committed to empowering pre-retired entrepreneurial executives, helping them cross the T’s, dot the I’s, and eliminate financial blind spots so they can step into their retirement with confidence and security. Because at the end of the day, what we all truly want and deserve is more joy, peace, and financial freedom.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My journey hasn’t been easy, far from it! I’ve faced challenges that could have easily made me give up, but instead, they fueled my determination to build something greater.
One of my biggest setbacks came during the 2008 real estate bust, when I lost nearly everything. I went from thriving to facing foreclosure, bankruptcy, and financial devastation. At the same time, I was pregnant with my first child and going through a painful separation, which eventually led to divorce.
Starting over was tough, but my biggest leap of faith came when I decided to launch my own investment advisory firm, starting with zero dollars under management. That’s almost unheard of in this industry. Most RIA firms don’t even think about starting unless they have at least $5 million in assets under management.
On top of that, the financial services industry remains a white male-dominated space—one where Black women are significantly underrepresented. Breaking into this industry and building a successful firm wasn’t just about business for me; it was about creating equity and opportunity in a space where people like me are often overlooked.
I’ve been in this industry full-time for over 15 years, earning my insurance license in 2010 and later obtaining my securities license in 2021. That’s when I made the bold decision to start my own Registered Investment Advisory (RIA) firm.
But even that came with obstacles. After working hard to get my securities license, I was told I couldn’t affiliate with an existing RIA firm because of the bankruptcy I had filed nearly a decade earlier—a direct result of the real estate market collapse. That moment could have been another setback, but instead, I chose to create my own table rather than wait for a seat at someone else’s.
Ignorance was bliss at the time, I had no idea how rare it was to start an independent RIA firm from scratch. But here I am, less than four years later, running a profitable firm with over $3 million in assets under management—not even counting the insurance side of my business.
And this is just the beginning.
I have a vision—a bold, unapologetic vision—to become the #1 Black female-owned firm in the top 10% of all investment advisory firms by 2033, managing multi-billions in assets. But it’s not just about numbers. It’s about making a real impact—closing the wealth gap that continues to exist in America today.
Because financial freedom shouldn’t be a privilege, it should be accessible to everyone. And I am committed to making that vision a reality.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Good News Financial & Investment Advisors LLC?
At Good News Financial & Investment Advisors, we specialize in crafting financial pathways for individuals, businesses, and corporations. Led by Jovan Jackson, CEO & Founder, we are a veteran and woman-owned firm, proudly holding certifications such as MDOT~MBE/SBE/DBE and Federal Certs #WOSB #VSBE.
Our comprehensive services for individuals include retirement income strategies, wealth management, annuities, investments, and debt elimination.
🔹 For Pre-Retired Entrepreneurial Executives – We help clients grow savings, reduce taxes, and establish financial security through a personalized, holistic approach.
🔹 For Corporations – We provide transformative financial workshops that simplify complex financial concepts, offering customized guidance to foster a culture of financial wellness.
Our goal is to help businesses retain loyal, engaged employees by implementing financial wellness strategies that boost productivity, ensure ERISA compliance, and reduce costs linked to healthcare and absenteeism.
At Good News Financial, we turn financial challenges into opportunities and transform stress into confidence. Whether you’re an individual seeking financial clarity or a corporation investing in employee financial wellness, we’re here to help.
Connect with us today to start your journey toward financial empowerment.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
People often ask me how and when I got into finance, and the truth is—it started when I was a kid.
Most people don’t know that I grew up in what society considers poverty today. We lived in subsidized housing, a step up from the projects. My mother was a licensed practical nurse, but she was also what’s known as a functional drug addict—heroin, to be exact. She could go to work and handle most normal responsibilities, but after work, she would come home and get high. My father, on the other hand, was also a functional alcoholic—super smart and cool most of the time, but when he was drunk, he could become argumentative and mean. When that happened, all I wanted to do was avoid him.
I grew up in what I call the “necessity lifestyle.” New clothes came at Christmas, back-to-school season, and Easter—and only because I had good grandparents, aunts, and uncles who made sure I had what I needed (and sometimes, a little of what I wanted).
But there was another side to my childhood that shaped me in a way I never expected.
I was the kid who was embarrassed and anxious whenever my mom had to come to school or attend my events because I never knew whether she would show up high. And to a child, that was humiliating.
Because I grew up in an environment of scarcity, I learned to save money at an early age. Birthday money, gifts, any money I received, I saved it. And my mom knew it.
So, she would borrow money from me with a promise to pay me back extra. At the time, I had no idea that “extra” was called interest in the financial world. But because I was old enough to count, it only made sense, so I obliged. And I was really stacking money!
But it didn’t stop there. My godmother, who was also struggling, started borrowing money from me too. And then another neighbor, a beautician, asked to borrow in exchange for hair styling services.
What was I learning at just 10 years old?
💰 Lending & Borrowing – I was running my own micro-loan system before I even knew what that was.
💰 Interest & Investing – My money was making money without me working for it.
💰 Bartering – I was exchanging value for greater value.
I was the bank by the time I was 10 years old!
And the irony? I learned the foundations of finance from a functional addict mother, within a poverty-stricken lifestyle.
Now, I teach people how to be the bank, no matter their financial position. Because wealth isn’t just about money, it starts with mindset. Once you understand how to leverage and grow your money, you realize you don’t always have to trade time for dollars. You can trade money for more money, when you position yourself correctly.
This is why I’m committed to educating and empowering people with these strategies so we can all take control of our financial futures. We don’t have to let traditional banks and creditors build wealth off our ignorance anymore. Instead, we can flip the script and truly be the lender and not the borrower, as the Bible tells us in Deuteronomy 28:12.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jovanjacksonfinancial.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjovanjackson/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/tDEZJvmCpEzQ5YV7/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jovan-jackson-corporate-workshop-facilitator/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@goodnewsfinancial?si=YnR_WWNhcbSAk515
- Other: Company site: www.goodnewsfinancialservices.com
