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It’s a matter of identifying your personal values, setting goals, discipline and ramping up your financial literacy. Add a spoonful of religious faith, too. Smith, a 15-year-plus veteran in the financial services field, has carefully assembled this straightforward financial-planning guide to lend a hand. The how-to advice shouts out to anyone who is trying to get traction in his or her financial world, regardless of income or debt level.

His core audience, however, is the African-American community. Smith is forthright about his modus operandi. He kicks off the book by stating, “This work was written to address African Americans in a Christian context, but one need not be of a particular religion or race to benefit from it.”

Smith envisions his financial guidance as a “spiritual journey.” “You can begin by imagining that I am right beside you, but not in front. The Lord is always in the lead. To that end, each of the 20 chapters is followed by a scriptural passage, so you can begin your next chapter with the kind of energy that faith can inspire,” Smith writes.

There is something intrinsically calming about his faith-based approach, but the core is Money 101. His advice ranges from helpful hints to basic definitions of financial terms to specific strategies for financing mortgages, buying insurance and investing in stocks, bonds and mutual funds.

Retirement planning is his overarching theme, and he uses African Americans from all walks of life grappling with retirement issues to illustrate the breadth of challenges faced by individuals today. To guard his clients’ privacy he has changed names and biographical details.

“Some of these individuals have been impacted by the income disparity and credit discrimination that impedes financial security for many African Americans,” he writes. But not all. What they do have in common is a need for a plan to help them remain financially secure after retirement.

With an estimated 9 million black Baby Boomers preparing to retire and leave the workforce, “Many are panicking about not having enough money to live on for the rest of their lives,” Smith writes.

Smith’s nine steps start with exercises to help you define and prioritize your values then set practical goals. “Our values guide our financial actions,” he writes. Other moves include:

•Envision your financial future. “Visualize what you want. Pick up a copy of Essence, O, Ebony, American Legacy, or Black Enterprise and cut out photos that portray our array of beauty. Find images of families and graduates, homes … whatever fits within the context of your goals.” Paste those pictures in a journal so you can visualize where you’re going.

Write affirmations that empower you in your pursuit of your goals. Keep your words positive and direct. For example, “Every day I am adding to my savings.” Repeat your affirmation aloud several times a day.

•Practice gratitude. Thank God for every success and for every new day. You are poised at the starting line. Whatever missteps you may have made, you cannot turn the clock back, but you can start again.

Pay yourself first and get a handle on spending. Enroll in your employer’s tax-deferred retirement savings plan if one is offered. Schedule “abundance days.” Once a week, don’t purchase anything. Dedicate the day’s worth of salary toward debts or to pay yourself; and prepare meals made from canned and freezer foods you already have.

•Pay down debt. The advice, while routine, is worth repeating. Pay your bills on time. Pay more than the minimum. Pay off the card with the highest interest rate first. Order your credit reports and read them carefully for any errors and make corrections. Find out what you’re earning in interest on savings and checking accounts. Shop for the best rates with money market accounts or online bank offerings. Understand the various retirement funds available to you — Social Security, traditional and Roth IRAs and annuities.

The remaining steps are devoted to basic coverage of the pros and cons of investing in stocks, bonds, mutual funds and homeownership. And he concludes by stressing the importance of teaching “your children, grandchildren, and nieces and nephews about financial literacy.”

He counsels: “Use your good instincts to figure out the best way to teach the art of living beneath one’s means.” This is significant to pass along. It “can change the lives of future generations.”

“In The Black: Live Faithfully, Prosper Financially, The Ultimate 9-Step Plan for Financial Fitness,” by Aaron W. Smith with Brenda Lane Richardson; Amistad, 323 pages, $15.99.