FinTalk Awards Name Emily Egashira as Creator of the Year

Jim Wang, Leila Kartforosh, and Space Coast Credit Union round out the 2026 winners.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Sept. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Debt.com's fourth annual FinTalk Awards have announced the 2026 winners, and they're as varied as the social content they create:

• Financial Creator of the Year – Emily Egashira @heyfrienditsem 
• Best Short-Form Content – Jim Wang @bestwallethacks
• Best Long-Form Content – Leila Kartforosh @PersonalFinancewithLeila 
• Best Credit Union Education – Space Coast Credit Union @spacecoast_creditunion

These winners represent every corner of the country, from Egashira in Washington State to Wang in Maryland to Kartforosh in Georgia and Suncoast in Florida. 

Debt.com launched these awards in 2023 to recognize the best up-and-coming content creators who specialize in saving people money and keeping them on the path to financial stability. It's been more successful than Debt.com president Don Silvestri could have imagined. 

"I know so many financial content creators on every social media channel, but I love the FinTalk Awards because I always discover more," Silvestri says. "To the critics who say social media is a terrible place to learn about saving and budgeting, I suggest they check out these winners. They'll learn a lot."

For Emily Egashira, the 2026 Financial Creator of the Year, the recognition reminds her of just starting out – and almost quitting because she didn't think she was good enough.

"I almost quit 3 months into my content creation journey, and to now receive the honor and title of Finance Creator of the Year...it's hard for me to put into words," Egashira says. "Grateful, humbled, and shocked all come to mind. It means the world to me that I get to help people with their finances every day, and seeing the impact it has on their lives is priceless."

More about the winners

Emily Egashira has publicly said, "I lived through poverty several times growing up, and when I moved out on my own, from the age of 17 until my early 20s – I was a full-blown cheapskate. I was broke, working three jobs and living off TV dinners." Now she's a millionaire, but she still uses coupons.

Jim Wang launched Best Wallet Hacks over a decade ago, after working as a software engineer after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and Johns Hopkins University with $35,000 in student loans. The site got its title from his software background and the fact that, "We would much rather be planning a vacation than checking our credit reports for minor errors." 

Leila Kartforosh is a microbiologist who launched Debt Over It after she defeated $82,000 in debt – a combination of everything from student loans to credit cards to even co-signing a car loan for a boyfriend who then stopped making payments. There quite literally isn't a debt she hasn't known personally.

Space Coast Credit Union blends human-centric team and member stories with their animated "Watchdog" mascot to build brand trust, security awareness, and financial literacy. Through these efforts, their channels serve as an ongoing resource to empower members with practical financial knowledge and security awareness.

About Debt.com

Debt.com is a trusted source for consumers seeking help with credit card debt, student loans, tax debt, credit repair, and more. By connecting people with vetted financial professionals and educational tools, Debt.com empowers Americans to make smart debt relief and money decisions to regain control of their finances.

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SOURCE Debt.com