Joe Baker

Joe Baker, MBA, is a nationally recognized educator and advocate for financial literacy. For more than 26 years, he has taught personal finance at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, helping students and professionals alike make smarter money decisions for life. A sought-after speaker, Joe is known for blending real-world wisdom, humor, and heartfelt stories to make finance approachable and practical.

He co-authored the bestselling Baker’s Dirty Dozen Principles for Financial Independence with his daughter, Lindsey Baker—a book that earned national acclaim as one of GoBankingRates’s “10 Financial Books That Will Change Your Life.” Their expanded and updated edition, Start Smart, Finish Rich!—filled with new insights, stories, and strategies was released in November 2025.

Beyond the classroom and the page, Joe’s commitment to giving back includes endowing scholarships for students from his hometown of Emerson, Arkansas, and for those pursuing pharmacy degrees at UAMS