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Emma Crawford is a financial planner at an hourly-only, fee-only financial planning firm in Madison, WI. She has the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (TM) designation, the Certified Student Loan Professional (R) designation, and a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of Minnesota. Growing up low-income, she remembers the stress and anxiety that finances brought her, especially when it came to repaying her student loans. She doesn’t want anyone to feel how she did back then. Now, she is a self-described student loan nerd and focuses on helping her clients get as much loan forgiveness as possible. She has consulted on over $100 million in student loan debt and has helped her clients receive over $10 million in loan forgiveness.

What makes you uniquely qualified to discuss financial and artistic freedom for musicians?

I’m a total student loan nerd, and thanks to you, Spenser, I’m now more aware that many musicians struggle with student loan debt and may not know who to turn to for help. Regardless of one’s profession, carrying student loan debt comes with a lot of stress and anxiety. This is likely amplified for musicians who may have decreased earnings due to the cuts other professionals take right off the top of their earnings. I’m looking forward to learning more from you, Spenser!

What is a crazy-but-true fact about you?

I’ve had a total of 10 teeth pulled!

Why is financial literacy among musicians important to you?

Maybe this is too idealistic of me, but I believe everyone deserves to feel financially secure and happy.

What is one piece of advice you would impart on the audience?

Don’t trust anything your federal student loan servicer tells you 🙂

Connect with Emma:

Thanks for listening and keep thriving!