Karen Finerman Quotes

Powerful Karen Finerman for Daily Growth

About Karen Finerman

Karen Finerman is an American entrepreneur, financial analyst, author, and television personality who has made significant contributions to the finance industry and women's empowerment. Born in 1964 in the United States, Finerman earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell University in 1986, majoring in Government and Economics. Her career began on Wall Street, where she worked for several prominent financial institutions including Goldman Sachs and Bear Stearns. In 1990, she co-founded Metropolitan Capital Advisors (MCA), a successful investment firm that specializes in macroeconomic analysis and trade ideas. MCA has been consistently ranked as one of the top independent research providers on Wall Street. Finerman is well-known for her financial insights and commentary, which she shares through regular appearances on CNBC and other financial news outlets. She also writes a weekly column for Yahoo Finance. In 2012, she authored "Go For It!: A Transformation from Good Employee to Great Entrepreneur," a book that provides practical advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. Finerman is an active supporter of women's empowerment and gender equality. She serves on the Board of Directors for Vital Voices, a global organization that invests in women leaders. In 2018, she published "The Fearless Guide to Claiming Your Worth," a book that encourages women to negotiate confidently and assertively in their personal and professional lives. Through her work, Finerman inspires both aspiring entrepreneurs and women seeking to claim their worth and reach their full potential. Her impact extends beyond finance, touching on broader issues of leadership, empowerment, and self-confidence.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"You have to decide what your priorities are and go after them aggressively."

This quote emphasizes the importance of setting clear priorities in life and taking decisive, assertive actions towards achieving those goals. It suggests that one must identify their personal values, aspirations, or objectives, and then allocate effort, resources, and time effectively to advance them. The message encourages individuals to be proactive rather than reactive, and to persist in pursuing their priorities with focus and determination.


"The key is not to predict but to protect."

This quote emphasizes the importance of preparing for potential risks or unfavorable events, rather than attempting to precisely foretell their occurrence. In essence, it suggests that it's more beneficial to establish safeguards or contingency plans, as opposed to solely relying on predictions, which can often be uncertain and unreliable. This mindset encourages proactive risk management and strategic planning for various scenarios in life and business.


"I think it's important that women don't feel like they have to play a certain role, or be afraid to speak up."

This quote highlights the importance of breaking free from societal expectations that may confine women into specific roles, encouraging them instead to express their thoughts openly without fear or self-censorship. It's about embracing individuality, confidence, and assertiveness in both personal and professional settings. The aim is to empower women and promote gender equality by challenging traditional norms and fostering a supportive environment for all voices to be heard.


"You can't let fear stop you from doing what you want to do."

This quote by Karen Finerman suggests that one should not allow fear to hinder personal ambitions or desires. It encourages individuals to take risks, pursue their goals, and seize opportunities despite any fears they may have. The message is clear: fear can be a powerful deterrent, but it should not control our actions or limit our potential. Embracing courage, determination, and resilience can help us overcome the fear and achieve what we truly want in life.


"Success is about making the right decisions, not just about hard work."

This quote emphasizes that success isn't solely attributed to hard work, but rather it comes from making sound, strategic decisions. It implies that one can work tirelessly without achieving much if they aren't making good choices that lead towards their goals. In essence, the quote highlights the importance of informed decision-making and strategy in the pursuit of success.


I have been able to have a family and to dedicate quality time to my two sets of twins and my husband, as well as to serve on the boards of The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research and Montefiore Medical Center.

- Karen Finerman

Medical, Been, Boards, Michael

I applied to only one college - the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania - and was fortunate to be accepted. After graduation, I headed to Wall Street and worked as I had dreamed.

- Karen Finerman

College, University, Applied, Pennsylvania

I have always wondered why more women did not look into owning their own funds. Granted, it is a high stress, high risk business, but it also offers high rewards and control.

- Karen Finerman

Stress, Always, Offers, Funds

I was raised a Calvinist. You might think you know what that means, but let me explain it the way my mother preached it to my three sisters and me back when we were at home: 'I buy my girls Calvin Klein clothes, so that's all they know. Then, when they graduate from college, they have to figure out how to pay for them themselves.'

- Karen Finerman

College, Explain, Buy, None

I never want to have to ask my husband for money. Never! That's incomprehensible to me. Would he have preferred that I change my name? Probably. But that's OK!

- Karen Finerman

Change, Husband, Want, OK

It's OK to have a plan, to invest in your future - for your financial security, your love life, your personal fulfillment, and even your happiness. To have personal happiness as a stated goal doesn't detract from it if you get there.

- Karen Finerman

Love, Financial, Goal, OK

Maintaining boundaries is hard. That's why I strongly prefer the physical separation of work and home.

- Karen Finerman

Separation, Prefer, Strongly, Maintaining

You cannot be in charge of a family and run a big company.

- Karen Finerman

Big, Charge, Cannot, Big Company

When you multitask, you believe you're being exceptionally productive, but really, you're fooling yourself. Each time you switch tasks, you have to backtrack a little and remind yourself where you are in the process and what's next. Invariably. you are spending twice as much time on parts of the task.

- Karen Finerman

Next, Fooling, Each Time, Tasks

When I was 15 years old, I read an article about Ivan Boesky, the well-known takeover trader - turned out years later it was all on inside information! But before that came to light, he was very successful, very flamboyant. And I thought, 'This is what I want to do.' So I'm 15 years old, I decide I'm going to Wall Street.

- Karen Finerman

Thought, Very, Turned, Article

Companies are always being bought and sold. The markets are always moving; you have to be on top of your position. And in the U.S., the market is never closed for more than three days. The only time the market was ever closed was 9/11. I think it may have been closed the whole week.

- Karen Finerman

Week, Been, I Think, Only Time

I wanted to get out in the world, have a great job, make my mark, and see how far I could go. And I wanted to make good on the philosophy my mother drilled into us with all the subtlety of a Lady Gaga performance. I got it loud and clear. I would need to succeed, and then I could possibly be happy.

- Karen Finerman

Subtlety, How Far, Gaga, Possibly

Protect yourself like you would your cubs - as a grown woman, you're no one's cub anymore.

- Karen Finerman

Woman, Cub, Would, Cubs

I've seen women afraid to stretch for things. They avoid opportunities they don't feel qualified for yet. Instead, they should grab risky opportunities that will force them to grow on the job and learn to do it.

- Karen Finerman

Grow, Will, Qualified, Risky

As a teenager, rather than setting myself on a course to pursue fame (quite common growing up in L.A., the entertainment capital of the world), happiness, fulfillment, and spiritual enlightenment (also quite common), I skipped right on to trying to be successful. 'Let's just get on with it,' I felt. 'Onward' became my motto.

- Karen Finerman

Rather, Capital, Became, Teenager

Make as much money as you can. It really does help. I don't know why it's terrible to say, but it's true.

- Karen Finerman

Why, Say, Really, As Much Money

Women should learn from men to compartmentalize. It's a great skill that some women have naturally but others have to practice. The goal is to keep one area of your life that might not be going well from causing unnecessary disruptions in another area.

- Karen Finerman

Practice, Some, Another, Causing

I enjoy being on CNBC's 'Fast Money,' in part so that audiences can watch a woman who is as well informed about, and invested in, the market as her male counterparts.

- Karen Finerman

Woman, Informed, Part, Counterparts

As a working mother, the last thing you need is to be hard on yourself. As a stay-at-home mother, the last thing you need is to be hard on yourself. As a twenty something with no job prospects or life partner in sight, the last thing you need is to be hard on yourself.

- Karen Finerman

Need, Prospects, Last, Twenty

Never have anyone else carry your luggage. Pack only what you need.

- Karen Finerman

Never, Need, Anyone, Luggage

Serendipity is nice, but hoping for luck and the magic of happenstance shouldn't be an excuse for a lack of proactivity. I had to learn for myself that waiting isn't a life plan.

- Karen Finerman

Luck, Magic, Happenstance, Serendipity

Don't waste even a minute magnifying your perceived inadequacies. You can't do it all. Why berate yourself for not achieving the impossible?

- Karen Finerman

Impossible, Why, Waste, Minute

I remember the absolute, joyous freedom I felt when I first went to college: I had no bedtime, no curfew, no rules - I loved it. I was in charge. I couldn't believe I didn't have to answer to anyone.

- Karen Finerman

College, I Remember, Charge, No Rules

I have spent much of my life where the boys are, first as a tomboy and then on Wall Street. Growing up, I loved every and any sport. I was frustrated by girls who didn't, so I spent most of my afternoons with the boys.

- Karen Finerman

Life, My Life, Frustrated, Tomboy

Working from home as a mother is the worst of everything. You don't have clear boundaries. The kids can get used to you going to work; they can't get used to you ignoring them. And work sometimes gets the message you're not as committed.

- Karen Finerman

Work, Committed, Going, Boundaries

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