Money tips for those with incomes affected by COVID

Have you ever had an unexpected medical bill pop up that threw off your monthly finances? Perhaps your car broke down without warning, your cellphone was stolen or your washing machine took a turn for the worse on the same day your mortgage payment or rent was due. Did you have an emergency fund tucked away to cover the unplanned expense, or did you have to turn to credit to make ends meet?

Repairing your credit is no short-term task. There is no quick fix — your score reflects years of financial behavior. To make real, positive progress, you must replace this old behavior with new and improved behavior. The best thing you can do is manage credit responsibly over time and follow these simple tips. 

Compared to their white and Black peers, Latinos have a longer life expectancy. However, this fast-growing segment of the population isn’t necessarily financially prepared to make the most of their tercera edad. Four out of five Latino households have less than $10,000 in retirement savings, according to a 2013 National Institute on Retirement Security report. Because of this retirement crisis, Grand, a new start-up, aims to give Latinos the knowledge, tools, and access to “rewrite the script” and improve their financial life on their own.

“Scared money don’t make no money” isn’t just a popular hip-hop colloquialism used by the likes of Jeezy, Lil Wayne, and Meek Mill, but for financier Nicole Reyes, it’s a way of life. Walking into a dismal job market at the height of one of the worst recessions in modern history obviously wasn’t part of her post-graduation plans, but nevertheless, she took a few risks, believed that she could and she did. Inspired by her parents and their longstanding careers in finance, she followed in their footsteps and began a journey that would ultimately allow for her to empower others to become smarter and savvier with their financial decisions.