EmpowerYou Financial

As much as we love our vehicles it is generally understood that cars are depreciating assets and not particularly great investments. However, even with that knowledge, we find ourselves stuck in a lease or finance contract because we need to find a way to get from A to B. With that said, despite these realities, is there still a way we can when at this car game? Do we always have to be "upside down", which means to owe the finance company more than the car is worth? Listen in as Eva shares her car buying experiences and how she manages to keep equity in her cars making them assets should she ever need to move on from her vehicles...

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A vacation by definition is 'an extended period of leisure and recreation, especially one spent away from home or in traveling'. Despite the limitations of COVID, it is important for us to still find time for ourselves and our families to get away and unplug. While some may prefer a 'staycation' and those certainly can be rewarding, we believe there also is great value in the collective experience of traveling for leisure and taking in all the wonderful things to come with visiting places that are outside of our hometown. Listen in as we share our vacation experiences and Eva's tips on how to best budget and plan for vacations...

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Have you ever applied to purchase a car or home and was told by the lenders that your credit score was not what you believed it to be? Whether you are using Experian.com or Credit Karma, it sometimes feels like we as consumers are looking at a set of scores and the lenders are looking at something entirely different. Why is that? Listen in as Eva breaks down the different FICO Credit Scoring Models that exist with consumers and lenders and how to prepare yourself to win regardless of the FICO Credit Scoring Model being used. 

Also, listen to Eva breakdown the latest credit scoring model, FICO 10, and how this credit scoring model will likely directly impact your credit score...

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One lesson that many of us have learned from the global pandemic is that nothing is promised. Before March, who could have ever imagined a time where everyone, literally everyone, was told to stay home from work? In the beginning, many of us welcomed the time to stay home and relax. However, after days became weeks and weeks became months and our income started to become uncertain, many of us were faced with the hard truth of needing to figure out how to make ends meet despite COVID. Listen in to hear how Eva has survived the pandemic and why she believes so strongly in having multiple streams of income... 

Plus, as a bonus, listen for a way to work alongside Eva and earn some extra income!

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So, at what point should couples start discussing topics like personal finance and credit? And, once things get serious in the relationship, which accounts should be shared and which accounts should be separate? Are there best practices? Without approaching this topic the right way and being strategic, one could find themselves at a disadvantage if the relationship goes left. Listen in as Eva shares some surprising tips and tricks and reveals how she manages this topic within her household...  

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For many of us, the last six months have been challenging. Whether we were impacted directly or indirectly by COVID, we have all had to take a second look at our personal finances and credit. Some of us may have experienced setbacks and are actively rebuilding what may have been lost. To that end, how do you most effectively rebuild? We understand that rebuilding is sometimes a part of our journey of growing and getting stronger, but is there a way to works best when it comes to rebuilding our credit? Listen in as Eva breaks down the best way to bounce your credit back after going through hardship...

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The relationship with credit cards usually goes something like this -- you get something you want now in exchange for you paying for that thing you want plus interest later. That's how it typically works. But, did you know that there are situations where credit cards pay you? In other words, as a reward for using certain credit cards to make specific your purchases, credit card companies give you various forms of cash back.  These reward programs often result in free money that, if used correctly, can discount future purchases and improve your quality of life. Listen in as Eva shares her tips and tricks on how she maximizes credit card rewards and get credit cards to pay her...

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Credit repair services have been around as long as credit reports have been a thing. Although we are all collectively still working our way through the global pandemic, folks are still focused on improving and repairing their individual credit. But, what's the best way to go about it? With so many options of credit repair services and credit repair gurus online, how do we know who's really going to help us and who's just out for a money grab? Listen to Eva breakdown what things you should expect from a quality credit repair service and what red flags to look out for...

Some of us have heard the biblical reference of it being better to lend than to borrow. The reason for lending being better may not be obvious to all but the advantages of being the lender are indisputable. The lenders in our society, such as banking and credit institutions, set the terms and in many ways directly impact the quality of life of those who they choose to lend to or those who they choose not to lend to. So, this begs the question, how do we, as regular folks, position ourselves to move from borrowing to lending? Is this transition possible? Listen in as Eva describes how she works hard to be on the right side of lending/borrowing dynamic...

How often do we consider the trade-off of (our time vs our money) or (our money vs our experiences)? The concept of this trade-off that we knowingly and unknowingly participate in every day can actually be described in the economic term, opportunity cost. Opportunity Cost, by definition, is the benefit that is missed or given up when an individual chooses one alternative over another. It's kind of a fancy way of saying, the cost of the next best thing.  So what trade-offs are you making in your life as it relates your personal finance? Are you leveraging your time and money to best of your ability? Listen in as Eva discusses her trade-offs...