Nicole Lapin's latest book,
Miss Independent,
makes investing accessible and fun. The book is a go-to guide targeted (but not limited) to young women, explaining how to make their money work more effectively, by demystifying the financial jargon that has been a roadblock for many.
Lapin is a Jewish, Los Angeles-based media sensation, best-selling author, and financial expert. She is empowering women and others to take control of their money, life, and career through books, podcasts, email newsletters, and how-to videos.
Ironically, she was raised in a home where money wasn't discussed. "I grew up in an immigrant household; my parents emigrated from Israel, and we never talked about money or any of that growing up," she said.
This is Lapin's fourth book after her previous
New York Times
bestsellers
Rich Bitch, Boss Bitch
, and
Becoming Super Woman.
Lapin got her start in finance at age 18 by reporting from the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange for
First Business Network
. She graduated summa cum laude and as valedictorian of her class at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism and went on to become the youngest anchor ever at CNN
.
She later worked at CNBC and Bloomberg, hosted the business reality competition show
Hatched
on CBS, and served as special money correspondent for
Entertainment Tonight
.
Currently, Lapin hosts two podcasts for iHeartRadio:
Hush Money
alongside Jason Feifer, the editor-in-chief of
Entrepreneur
, and her own daily 5-star rated show
Money Rehab with Nicole Lapin.
Miss Independent
is a 12-step plan to start investing and growing one's own wealth.
Her tone is lighthearted and understandable, and makes you forget she is writing about a topic that typically is anything but. "The book is for somebody who is like my former self, who never knew any of this stuff, and never had a resource that spoke in real English," she said. "The book gets back to basics like getting your financial life together, and then is a guide for how to grow your own wealth."
Lapin insists that it's healthy to broach discussions around money. "It's the last taboo," she said. "People have no problem talking about sex or politics, but money is a different conversation."
The book stresses that you should make your money work for you. "Don't let it just sit in a savings account," Lapin said. "Unfortunately, you can't budget or save yourself into wealth. The only way to do that is to put your big-girl pants on and start investing, and take advantage of compound interest. It's not as complicated as it sounds."
Lapin is also committed to giving back and is a strong believer in philanthropy. "The secret to living a rich full life is giving," she said. She is active in many organizations, including Reform Alliance, dedicated to probation, parole, and sentencing reform. Her interest in the organization was sparked by her work for Northwestern's Center on Wrongful Convictions in college.
Through her volunteer work with the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, Lapin urges young people to give to Jewish causes. "The Torah tells us about leaving the world better than we found it," she said.
When it comes to large charitable donations that may seem unattainable, she advises folks to make contributions in smaller, more manageable chunks over time.
She believes in giving because money, she said, has energy. "The Law of Attraction will tell us that even though you feel like you don't have the money to give, by putting it out there, it actually comes back to you," she said.
Rochelle Newman Rubinoff is a freelance writer living in the northern suburbs of Chicago.