Omar’s Story: Establishing Credit is the Foundation of Wealth
Meet Omar, a full-time college student living in San Francisco, CA with his parents and 21-year old son. What do you do? I’m studying behavioral science and addiction counseling at the City College of San Francisco. I want to be a part of the solution of dealing with all the pain that’s in the world—or…
Read MoreBrett’s Story: The Price of Debt
Meet Brett, a full-time student living in Indiana, Pennsylvania who’s pursuing his PhD degree. What do you do? I’m in the second year of my program at Indiana University, pursuing a degree in Literature and Criticism. It’s the study of literature but using theories and criticism to discuss different pieces. What did your upbringing teach…
Read MoreDaisy’s Story: Dreaming of a Purple House with Chickens
Meet Daisy, a part-time lecturer and breastfeeding peer counselor, living in San Francisco with her 5-year old daughter. What do you do for a living? I currently have two jobs and might pick up a third. I lecture a weekly class at San Francisco State University and I also have a part-time job as a…
Read MoreNew Years Anti-Resolutions for 2020
I’m going to suggest something a little radical for the new year and the new decade, 2020. Instead of focusing on a new year’s resolutions, consider listing the things you are going to stop doing. Ideally, these should be self-sabotaging habits and behaviors that prevent you from achieving your goals. Here are a few ideas…
Read MoreTiffany’s Story: 100% Self-Made, Independent, and Proud of It
Meet Tiffany, an insurance company Customer Service Expert who lives in Michigan with her six-year-old son. What did your upbringing teach you about finances? I was always a hard worker and strived to make my own money. I’ve saved money to buy the things I wanted or felt I deserved. I pride myself on being…
Read MoreSylvia’s Story: Home Ownership in the Future
Meet Sylvia, an HR Manager for the Clark County School District in Nevada. She’s a Las Vegas native who lives with her husband and two adult sons. What did your upbringing teach you about finances? Nothing! That’s why I’m in debt now. I don’t think I was ever taught how to save or how important…
Read MoreKiara’s Story: Maybe Money Can’t Buy Happiness, But It Can Buy Security
Meet Kiara, who lives in Taylor, Michigan with her 11-month-old daughter and her two young cousins. What do you do? I don’t have a job. I take care of my daughter and my two cousins because I have a kinship guardianship for them. One is my biological cousin and the other is his half-brother. Their…
Read MoreWhy isn’t my credit score improving?
I’ve been paying my bills every month on time and nothing changes on Credit Karma. I feel like I’m stalking the app. What should I do? Submitted by Michelle S. Congrats on paying your bills on time! Can we just celebrate that for a moment? What Impacts Your Credit Score Paying your bills will not…
Read MoreMichael’s Story: Make Your Money Work For You
Meet Michael, a substance abuse counselor who lives in San Diego, California. What do you do? I’m a substance abuse counselor. I’ve been doing it for about two years now – midlife career change. Unfortunately, it’s one of the fastest growing professions in the US, which doesn’t bode well for us. What did your upbringing…
Read MoreDo you recommend credit consolidation?
Do you recommend credit consolidation to improve scores and decrease debt? Submitted by Natasha P. There are two parts to this question, so let’s dig into them separately. Improving Your Credit Score Whenever a financial institution pulls your credit with the purpose of offering you a loan, your score may be affected. Closing a credit…
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