¶ Intro / Opening
Mandra, Do you know what I need? I need to walk in these streets in my BA swag. You know what I'm really looking forward to? First of all, be your own Brown Boost. What an awesome phrase. I cannot wait to wear that on my chest like Superman. And what I'm really excited for, though, is I am a sweatshirt and like hoodie girl. So the classic Brown Ambition logo sweatshirt has my name all over it.
But where can I go? Where can I find it?
I was hoping you would ask Young Tiffany. Tiffany, get your Brown Ambition swag at Brown Ambitionstore dot com. Five years in the game, we finally have merch for you guys. So get your Brown Ambition hoodie, your Brown Ambition crew neck tea, get a onesie for your littles. We got toddler teas. Oh my goodness, there's something for everyone. Be your own Brown Boost T shirt for sure. We have a Brown Ambition mug, which my family is most excited about.
I had to do the fifteen out size for my big sister because she drinks coffee like nobody's business.
Oh you know, I'm the budgetish to write any special offer.
Oh I'm also very glad you asked that question, Tiffany. Yes, with Brown Ambition fifteen, that's promo code Brown Ambition fifteen all one word, you can get fifteen percent off your order at Brown ambitionstore dot com.
I can't wait to see y'all in these BA streets repping BA bam with your BA swag. Hey, Hey, hey, I'm like, so, what do you think our future selves are feeling right now?
I don't know how are you guys? Are you like, okay, it's so bizarre. Yeah, I do feel like we're talking to the future. I mean, or we could just be in the same damn spot we are now. Maybe are we? I'm gonna I hope that we're, but we could also be uncertain.
Still, Yes, this is very true, because the future, it's so guys. We tape typically Manday and I tape our podcast on Mondays and then they don't go a lot to Wednesday, And for those of you in the future, yesterday was the election, and so we might not know. It's Wednesday, so we might not know the outcome.
Yeah, I know how many atavand tablets I have left to get me through these next twenty four hours. I know that much. I counted them this morning.
I know how much toilet issue I have because has been obsessively texting make sure you have all your mix, make sure you have all toilet tissues and your food and your water and yet this, and make sure you lock the doors because apparently, you know, if we normally sleep at the doors wide open, while we locked doors, I'm like, Mommy, we locked the doors out of back on.
A basis they're coming for you.
Well, it was, I guess.
It wasn't until today that someone mentioned businesses have been boarding up. And you know, here in New York, Trump supporters shut down for a little bit. One of the major bridges near actually the ten minutes from where we live, the Mario Cuomo Bridge, and that freaked me out that they just stop traffic for no good goddamn reason.
Saw well, you know, wait, okay.
Yeah, yeah, it's just and today the feeling at work was super dense, and I felt I felt like as a manager I needed to just bring some like just be positive, just try so. I like, played music, I made jokes, try to make a jerk of myself, like make them, you know, just make fun because you know, you can just tell everyone is on edge.
Yeah, because it's scary times, honestly.
It really is. And but I do feel the sense of personally, I can sleep knowing I did everything I had the time and the bandwidth in the mental you know, space to do in terms of help encouraging family to get out and vote, help making sure that I got myself to vote, my husband, his family, you know. And I feel like at this point, we just got to see what happens, you know, and we have to hold
elected officials definitely accountable. And I really feel, you know, I hate that we're the ones you have to suffer through this, but this is a really good example of what happens when citizens forget the power that they hold. And you know, even if this has to go to the courts, we're going to find out the repercussions, you know, the ripple effect that was caused you know, four years ago when this person was elected, and how it goes
so far beyond the White House. So pay attention, and let's just I hope that we can just learn these lessons and never forget them, ever forget.
Yes, I mean there was actually this really great post that someone shared. It basically was like, you know, for those of you who have been vocal. I'm not just supporting this adminute, but some people, of course, you know, have gone above and beyond to be instead of Black Lives Matter having bumper sticker said that say black lives splatter.
And for those of you who have like actively been vocally racist and transphobic and homophobica and all these other things, that like, here's the thing that one day this man won't be president. Whether it's in three months or maybe the next four years, no one knows, right, but your family and friends will always always always your your neighbors, your coworkers, You're that stain will always be on you.
Like I just don't you know what I mean, I just I guess what shocks me is how it's like when I see men argue over viciously over their team, like no the bulls are better, No the Spurs, and you're like Michael Jordan does not know.
You, you know, because I like, you see literally people breaking the law, putting their own freedom in jeopardy, Like there was a I use the word gentleman loosely who took one of those cat those like not a bulldozer, the smaller ones.
You know, I don't know what they call I feel like Bob kind of yeah, right, took one of those bobcats and in his town and anybody's lawn that had a Biden Come All a sign. He you know, didn't just take the sign because that was just too light, used the bobcat to basically dig the sign out of their front lawn and went like, you know, so using a vehicle doing more than fifteen hundred dollars worth of
damage to property, which makes it a felony. Now, so even if this person wins the presidency either way, you'll enjoy it from jail.
I just I guess that's the part that like.
Really flabbergasts me. For lack of a better word, it's like what I just well, you know what, I just don't know. That's people are just raggedy. That's been the word that has been the pervasive word for me. There are some people who are just really Raggedy's one thing to say this is what I'm voting for, Okay. It's another thing to like run your car through a crowd of people, shoot people at a protest.
You know. I just yeah, people, and.
I'm I you know, in a way, I'm grateful because it's shown, it's it's given people like the past four years have made certain people feel comfortable showing sides of themselves that they weren't showing before. And I think we can all be where. I feel much more educated about the people in my circle, my family, my extended family.
I know where people stand, and you know what, I'm like, I'm glad because why continue, you know, putting on a facade, and especially growing up in the South, being always taught, you know, politics was and polite conversation. You don't ask people where they stand on certain issues. I feel like at least that's you know, one of the over linings
is that it's become you can't escape it. This pandemic year itself, I mean, it has forced everyone to have to reckon with what they believe and decide where they stand in that I'm grateful for. I was also, you know, another silver lining I was just reading. There was a report that came out. I think it's the Center for Women Center for American Politics put out a report. Did you know one hundred and fifteen women of color are running for election in the House this year, which is
pretty remarkable. Like, right now, let me look at my let me look at my little notes. There's something like what forty waiting to see? Let me get my notes? Where are my paper's at?
Ooh, I'm old.
I got a squint. Forty eight out of one hundred and twenty seven congresswomen right now, that's only forty eight are BIPOC, and yes, one hundred and fifteen BIPOC women are running for election. And I do feel like this is the change that, for better or for worse, Trump selection has brought about, and not just Trump selection, but
everything happening with racial and social unrest. It has, It's given people, it's lit fire under our butts to realize the power we have as women and how much we are needed, and that you know, running for office is not the only thing you can do to act and better society, but it means a whole hell of a lot. So I looked at that, and you know, I saw that on GMA this morning, and that gives me. That gives me hope.
Yeah, I mean I and nothing lasts for always, right, all folks, So truble don't last always, Although I will say tomorrow I am a little you know, like if you could stand inside, stand inside, especially if you live in an area where you've seen those Trump trains, because I feel like people feel more emboldened to be wanton in wild and.
If you do go out there, bring your cell phones and court everything. That's how I feel.
And your taser. I mean literally, I went for a walk today. SUPERMANO was like, you have your taser? And every yeah, he always he got me a taser a while ago, just because he's like, he got me everybody in the house has a taser. And then he made us because my sister stays with me, and of course super Girl is here, so he's like, oh yeah, when you need to have a taste, he got us pink tasers because you know sex and I know. But then if you had to have taser class with him, I
was like, I don't know, have danger class. He's like, show we had to turn it on, so we had you. I was like, oh my god. But I'm not gonna lie during times like this. When I went out for my I try to take a walk every day. I went out for my walk, he said, do you have your taser? Normally I'm like, oh boy, but today I was like, you know what, I don't let me go upstairs and get.
It, Well, you might need it if you're fighting the panic shopping comes back and people are fighting over bounty again.
Right, Well, I was just going for a walk, and I guess he's just basically like, you know, he just yeah, I just it's times where normally I wouldn't. I'm like, it's so extra, but you know, if my mom making sure make sure you have enough food and water and this and that, and I think it's just more so not that there's not going to be any of those things, but if you don't have to be in the fray. I mean where I live is live is fairly liberal, but I walked to my neighborhood today and there were
two homes that had Trump signs. You know, everybody else, Like I said, the New York is a pretty liberal you know, black and brown city. But still, yeah, you know, and you just don't know what people will do, and so.
Yeah, thinking about our future selves again, I just hope. I hope at least if you go to vote on an election day, that you were able to vote and it is peaceful and your vote is counted, because I do know there's so many especially black families in particular, I'm saying families, but black people in particular like to vote on election day, you know. And I think about Fulton County and Atlanta. Everyone's got every Atlanta is in
Fulton County. But anyway, everyone's eyes are on battleground states like Georgia and Florida and Texas, Michigan, and especially in Georgia, where there's just there's been so much evidence of voter suppression. Stacy Abrams was giving a really powerful speech. I don't know if it was yesterday or today, but I saw a clip of it, and I mean, you really have to be determined if you're going to go on election day. I hope people stay. Don't let people, you know, talk
you out of voting. Let's get it done. But for you know, when when when Biden says this is a fight for the soul of the nation, I think how tomorrow goes is going to send a message to the world. You know, are we still the America that we say we are? You know, is this most powerful democracy in the world or is it fracturing? And I really mean, I'm pray to God, whether you support Trump or Biden,
I just want us to have a peaceful election. It is such a fundamental part of our democracy that we go to the polls and we vote and it is safe and votes are counted, and if we don't have that, that terrifies me more. So That's what I think about. And you know, hey, futureselves, I hope, I hope you all are doing okay.
Yeah, yeah, I mean, because what else can you say? Honestly, I hope you're doing okay.
I hope you're planning. I'm planning a vacation. I'm taking the last I am thinking about Crimis. I am Chrimas. I'm thinking about Chrimas. I'm thinking about it.
It's like you can't think about Crimis until thanks Gimmen is done.
No, I'm good. I want crimas well. Thanksgiving is like my It's also Rio's first birthday. I'm excited about that. I've already got some plans in the work. But for Crimas, I have a toddler, basically he's he's not even one yet, but he's almost walking. And I really, for my own just my own sanity, I don't want to have to keep him from knocking your Christmas tree down every day.
So I decided we're gonna go to like a real live Christmas tree farm in the country now, because you know Georgia, and we're gonna we're gonna cut down our own tree. Did they let you cut it yourself? Whatever? I pick out our own tree, Sorry, farmer, I mean, but they might let me anyway. And we're gonna put it in the front yard and I'm gonna light that sucker up like the Rockefeller tree. We're gonna have like a tree lighting, and I want to get a huge one.
And what inspired me was my little neighborhood. I mentioned my neighborhood. It's it's a rare, you know, kind of old black, middle class neighborhood in our pocket of suburbia. And there's just a lot of really cool history here. And there's a small kind of civic association. We don't pay h away fees, but there is a little group of people who, you know, try to keep the neighborhood
organize and like know your neighbors and stuff. And just randomly this these these two people and names Paula and Josie, they just hosted a Halloween street party and they shut down, they got the street closed off and they had like a bouncy castle and we got all dressed up. Rio was baby Yoda. I was Rey from Star Wars. That's the extent of my Star Wars knowledge. Do not ask me any follow up questions. But we all went and like Paula's husband was cooking on the grill, and it
was just so nice. We all social distance, but I was like, you know, if we could just stay in this little pocket of community in our neighborhood, things are nice here. So hopefully I was thinking, you know, look at the big tree. Maybe we'll do like a Christmas festival thing just for the neighborhood or something, because it just it felt really good.
Yeah, no, that's great. I love, you know what I
love when a neighborhood is a neighborhood. I grew up like in a neighborhood like that, where like I knew I would say, on our block there was maybe like ten houses, and the ten houses, I think we basically knew everyone, you know, and half of them more than half of them had kids our age, and so like a really neighborhoody neighborhood is great, where like the neighborhood's your key, and if you leave your light on, you get a text or a phone call or you know,
those things are those things are nice. My our favorite neighbors from across the street, remember the guys Keith, Yeah, Keith and Creithan's partner. He just put out his sign Biden, come on.
OK.
That was like, I guess.
I sent one to my mother because I was like, I was going to buy one, but it's like thirty five bucks and they honestly, we don't need another Biden sign in my area. We're very progressive here. But I sent one to her because she's in like this. Uh, she's in this pocket outside of Saint Louis, Missouri, where it's kind of dicey. And she told me on on Halloween, when they had all the trick or treats coming through their neighborhood, one of her neighbors came up and he
just whispered. He's like, I don't want people to hear me say this, but I like your sign. I like your Biden sign. She also has a Black Lives Matter sign. My mom has been I just wow, she has come a long way, long way, and I don't think she would have come this far without the pandemic and the real uncomfortable discussions we had as a family this summer. And I you know. I it's it's you can't. It's hard to be grateful for something that is so awful.
Over two hundred thousand people in this country alone, millions across the world have died. But in a way it created the circumstances for these conversations to happen. And my mom put out a black lives freaking math's huge. Come on.
So yeah, I know, I'm not gonna lie. I just I have just been online just to like there's certain pages that, like, you know, they don't do political because I've been like super political, like what that was okay today? No, no, no, no, but they're like, you know, like, hey, I'm rebnovating my house.
I'm like, okay, Oh look at my dog. Isn't he's so cute in his Halloween costume. I'm like, oh, he is so cuteness Halloween costume. Like so that's That's the only time I've been online today is to kind of look at that. You know.
Definitely work with the team. I will say that there was a funny meme that Logan on my team prosts. I said, Logan, you are a hot mess. This was like like this weekend or late last week. She said, what y'all wear into next week's civil war?
I said, Logan, Oh no, I was like loss.
She was like, what, I don't think our youth are prepared, Like no one knows how to fight, Like they don't teach.
You a battle comic.
We like all the children today just game like, like we're not prepared to fight each other. It's gonna be a real funny battle.
And I was sicker to myself almost like you know what Sometimes I'm you know, I'm like when I look at Superman, I'm like, oh, he's so rough around the edges. I'm not gonna lie times like this, I'm like, yes, bring the roughness forward.
Remember those fights in high school? Bring them for no. But like I'm I mean, you never know.
But like I said, nor if it is pretty liberal and pretty you know, we're some andre for the most part, even Keith across the street, you know he don't want to throw them hands anyway. But plus I see his son. Progressives can be assholes too. You know, we're allowing you everyone to be very multifaceted.
You know, true, It's true.
You know the jerks you're gonna vote vote for Biden, you know what I mean? Like we uh we we need every every vote counts, okay, even Keith so he can get a point. Yeah, all right, well let's let's take a quick break future selves. I hope that you know you're doing okay and coping well, but let's take a quick break, come back with some question.
So we are back to my favorite section of the show, which would be question questions.
I literally my brain just froze. I'm back.
What's going on? I'm not gonna lie. Yes, there's so much going on.
There's so much going on. Well, thank y'all. I did a really bad Instagram live yesterday because I just wanted to say hi and thank you to all of our BA fans. And some of you guys were like, hey, I've asked a question, it hasn't been answered yet, ask it again. You know, just our dms have gotten a little Craig Cray. I still try and read them all, but sometimes I just you know, I'll forget if I read something, So send them again. And also you can hit me up at Mandy Money my personal inst a
Instagram account. Be a little persistent. I'm not mad at that, and it's Mandy with an I. But thank y'all for joining that, and I will take this question from the Graham All right, this comes from Instagram user. We'll call her Sam. Sam has a question about some credit card debt. All right, you ready? I have about forty three hundred
¶ I have about $4,300 of credit card debt between two cards with high interest. Is it a good idea to get a personal loan with a lower interest rate to consolidate that debt?
dollars left of credit card debt between two credit cards with high interest rates. Lending Tree. Oh, I know that company. Blending Tree suggests that I take out a personal loan and transfer both balances to the personal loan. They also suggest that I get more credit because my credit utilization or what does she mean? Her my credit is low? Probably her just available credit?
Yeah, utilization, I know. She means.
I'm nervous. If I attempt to get a loan for a house or a car, I may not be approved because I don't have enough credit history. I have several cards with under twelve hundred dollars credit limits? Is it a smart idea to get a personal loan? By the way, I love your show, and thank you both for all your help through these last few years. Oh, thank you.
What's her name again?
Her name is Sam?
I am Sam? Sam? I am hm. Okay. So here's the thing.
In theory, it is smart to combine your loans or to combine what you owe to the credit cards and have one loan to pay it off. And and especially well only if the loan that they're providing is going to be less than the average interust rate of the two cards. So let's just say your two cards, you average the interestrate, I mean, you add it divided by two, and let's just say the interest rate of the two
credit cards is fifteen percent. But the loan that London Tree says, we can give you a loan for nine percent. Then yes, in theory logically, so that would make sense. But you want to just be careful because what they have found is that many people end up yes, consolidating their loans, getting the consolidating their credit card dead, getting the loan, and then going back and running up the credit card dead again. So now you owe lending Tree
and you still owe the credit cards. It's the reason why.
Okay, you don't know, we're not a lender. Yeah, well you know you owe whatever whatever lender we help you find. Yes, Oh, thank you for that clarity. Do you think about that marketing problem? People think we're a lender, we're not.
See we have a London Tree expert. So so if you think to yourself. You know what I'm actually not I'm going to be able to put the credit cards down. Then it might not be a bad idea. I'm not a post to. I know some people are like, don't get into debt trying to get out of debt. I get that, But if you can lower your interest rates significantly, it could be worth it.
Now, here's the thing.
You're talking about buying a house or getting a car. When are you planning on doing those things in the next six months. Then you're gonna want to wait because lenders, other lenders don't like to see that you've gone gotten into a new relationship with a new lender anytime you know within usually they'll take you three or four months. I always say six months or more to be on
the super safe side. So if you're looking to do any of those those big changes, I would wait, or I would just continue to pay down without entering into a new agreement with a new loan, because that's what really refinancing is. It's just entering into a new loan with a new agreement and swapping swapping over old debt for new dead So you have to just depend.
It depends on your discipline.
You if you know that you could put those cards up and not use it, then that means you'll be able to pay down that debt faster and cheaper.
But yeah, so Sam, that's that's my advice.
Yeah, and I agree. And in terms of credit history, when you consolidate credit card debt with a personal loan, you're not closing your credit cards. So you know, if they're old credit accounts that have been on your credit report for a while and you want to keep them open because it shows you have a longer credit history,
they'll still be there. What will happen is that you know you'll have a new line of credit on your history, and it can it can help your credit score in a lot of ways, especially when it comes to utilization rate, which is after paying your debts on time. One of the most like the most second most important factor in your credit score, which is you know how much debt you have borrowed against how much debt you have available
to you. So once those credit cards are down to zero, that should really help your rate and you might see a lift in your score. And if you're preparing to borrow for a home or a car, I think getting your credit score in the best possible shape should be a priority. And you know, getting that credit card debt
that paid off is true, and Tiffany's absolutely right. People who borrow personal loans to consolidate credit card debt, it can feel like, oh, I'm debt free, you know, I have this personal loan now, and then you might start going down the same path you were on before. And sad to say, I have heard that a lot of folks who apply for you know, debt consolidation loans, it's
not their first rodeo. They're doing it again and again because they have that issue with credit card debt and they kind of think, oh, well, you know, I can consolidate it, and I have this kind of band aid. But you really have to, you know, get your spending under control if you can. But thanks for shopping with lending tree, and lending tree is not the only site. But you know the good thing about lending tree is insights like it you know, a bank rate, geez credible,
all my competitors. But is you can get matched with different lenders and have soft polls on your credits so you don't have to like go to physical go to bank websites or into physical bank branches to apply for loans. You can do it online and get matched with different lenders. It's kind of like a marketplace you have or a grocery store. You have many different brands of catchup and you can choose and see them all on the shelf and look at the ingredients and stuff like that. That's
kind of what lending Tree offers. But yeah, thank you for your question, Sam, and hope that helped. All right,
¶ I own 4 timeshares, but now I realize they're a waste of money. Do you have any good advice for how I can get out of them?
let's take our next question. This comes from our email Brandonbission Podcast at gmail dot com. This listener wants to remain anonymous. All right, we love it when you guys are brutally honest with us. This is a safe space, okay, no judgment zone. Anonymous says, this is a tough question for me because I know I'm out of control. Okay, no, I'm out of control.
That's a interesting way to start, Okay.
I currently own four time shares, but now I can honestly say they are a waste of money. Do you have any legitimate and effective tips on how I can get rid of them? I try to timeshare reseller once before, but I only lost money on that path. Three are paid off and the fourth one has one more year of payments. The annual fees are outrageous for locations I have yet to find the time to get to on
a regular basis. This is my only significant budget issue, as my retirement account, emergency savings, and life insurance are all good. My next goal is to buy a house and start my own coaching business. Please help.
Ooh okay, so we're gonna call you time share Tina, time share Tina.
So, Tina, do you know.
She's out of control? Though, Tiffany, does she get points for that?
Yeah?
No, I'm not gonna hear to judge you, Tina, because my parents have a time share, so you know it happens. And you know, y'all know my dad is super smart when it comes to finances. And I can remember as a kid going on the free vacations because he was like oky' nobody afford to take five kids on vacation, so we would go on the timechare vacation, pretend like he was going to get something and never do. But then one day they came back with a timeshare.
This is when we were grown. I'm like, did y'all get soft? Apparently?
So, so I'm not here to judge, but Okay, so there's the study. I just looked it up the University of Central They did the study that found this is for people who have never brought a time share, that eighty five percent of times share buyers regret their purchase. So just letting that being a lesson that very few people ever are happy about their time share purchase for
those people who've never had one. And there usually is like a three to fifteen day period in most states it's like five to seven days, but sometimes it's up to fifteen days where you can change your mind. But I'm assuming time share Tina that you know, obviously we're past that period. The only thing that I could see as a solution is that you can you can you can try to resell people literally you will try to sell their timeshare for like a dollar on like Craigslist
or something. So you can certainly do that, but it's almost like finding another time share Tina to pass, like push it off on I the sites for example, like red week where you can list or eBay where you can list your your time share. The only other thing is to allow to be foreclosed upon. But it doesn't mean that that's it, you know, according to debt dot org. You can still have some outstanding fees like late charges,
attorney's fees, unpaid assessments, fines and interests. So you know, I don't know, like if it was overwhelming me, you know, I might just take the l for foreclosure, but you have four of them.
I wish I had what.
I hate about time shares, and there has to be some law enacted because honestly, Mandy, just like, no solution. How is that the solution that you know what I mean that like you should be able to say, well, I can pay two years or something like that, but it's literally like you find somebody else to take it off your hands, or you file, you know, you stop paying and you get a foreclosure. I don't see how those are the solutions, but unfortunately that's what's out there for now.
I mean, I have I feel like we did an article on this a while back. I don't have to take up and go find it.
But I feel like.
If it's through a resort, is that often through times shares are usually through resorts right oftentimes? Yeah, I wonder if given the circumstances with the pandemic, like even just calling and asking, you know, can you do something for me. Can you help me out? Like I wonder if you know the resorts might be willing to. I don't know whether it's foreclosed or just buy it back from you at like a reduced a reduced rate or something like that. But I mean it is like a take an l
kind of situation. I don't know if there's and you've already been losing money on it. The yeah, any any solution any way to get rid of them, whether it's you know, selling it, giving it away for free, finding someone else to buy it for a really really cheap price. It's going to be one of those take the l lesson learned. No more time shares, time share Tina, no
more cutting you off, ye cutting you off. You need to get you know, you want to buy your house and all that, and you say that you've got your emergency fund and everything else situated, which is good. This just maybe one of those times where Okay, we know better, we do better. You take the laws now, and you you know, move on.
What I would say is I would probably if I was going to get my house, I would get my house before I felt like let the other things lapse, because it's one thing to have one foreclosure, it's another thing to have four for closures on you on your credit report. So if you're able and like, you know, maybe if all things considered, you know, you're looking pretty good because you said you pay the other ones off.
So if you're able to get your home with these while still like you know, having these four time chairs, I would probably try to do that first, because I'm telling you this is I'm not judging you because firsthand, now is my condo that I bought in my twenties it foreclosed upon, and so there's some years before I was able to be considered for a home, even though my credit score was better and I had savings all
the other stuff. So if it was me and I was able to get my home before I potentially just like let the other things like lapse, I would do that first because unless you're like, oh, I'm not trying to buy a home for the next like five years or so, then maybe so, but I would get those things out of the way first, and then you know, rock out in your beautiful home and let those things
fore close upon. You're going to see a significant dropping your credit score, but you'll be able to bring that back up again, mine drop from an eight oh two to a five forty seven, and now I'm back like to like, I think I'm aut a eight to ten now. Now it took a couple of years to come back to eight ten, but still, you know, it's more than.
Possible knowing how time can heal wounds, especially credit wounds. Like I've got family members you have an eight hundred something credit score, and I'm like, wait a second, oh time, just time. Seven years is the magic number? You You have seven years and then you know, those those negative works start falling off and your credit will come back. Well.
Thank you for bravely sharing your story. Time share Tina, and we hope that like follow up with us, let us know if you get anywhere, and even if you even want to. Sometimes you guys will follow up or send questions like, hey, I'm thinking about you know, going with this company. Have you heard of it?
You know?
I if we have time, or if I have time, if you guys want to share, like the name of a company, I couldn't do a little bit of vetting, but if I were going to do vetting, I would say, you know, check with the Better Business Bureau, check the FTC. This Consumer Financial Protection Bureau also keeps track of complaints
against companies. So if you're thinking about working with any kind of firm who says that they can help you get rid of a time share something like that, you just want to do your due diligence first and make sure that they're not, you know, doing something shady like asking for all their fees up front, which is a big red flag and things like that. So thank you for your question.
Yeah, your quistion, would you want to do one more?
Should we do one more? Is anyone even listening? Are they just all at protests right now? I don't know what's happening? And more?
Yeah, let's do one more.
I've got to distract myselfs Ooh, no, Moss, Oh this is funny. I think you and I talked about this, But this isn't the question I planned to ask, but it just popped up and I'm like, let's just let's just get air this out and answer the question, because
this is not the first question we've gotten. Tiffany people want to know you have been talking about your your magical sister, which one is at LISTA No, Carol, Carol who is like a stock picking wizard and they want to know if she can come on and tell them what stocks to pick.
Tiffany, honestly, Carol is gonna say and oh spells no because she's like, she's like, I'm not an expert. I'm just someone who you know, kind of pays attention to the market. But she she's gonna say no because I mean she, I mean Carol Supersponts.
She's an engineer, but.
She she doesn't do like She's not like Tila who was like doing all this research whatever. She does just enough to do what she needs to know to move forward. And you know, and I'm not gonna say luck because you know, like I said, she does just enough. But I know her, she's going to be like, what, No, I don't want to put someone else's life in my hands.
Even now, I was looking at like my wealth chat and this is like the chat that I have with her and a couple of other friends, and she was posting like, hey guys, she just hit me and said, do you have money in your robin hood?
I said yes.
She said, Okay, here are some stocks to you know that keep an eye on, you know, especially after the election, because you're we're likely to see some sort of dip which is a great time to purchase. And so she like she shared, like you know, like a screenshot of like you know, like four or five stocks and like what pricing I should be looking at. But like I said, she kind of cobbles together things.
She's not just.
Teasing the people tip and he don't say, I ain't trying to be stock advisors, y'all, but not. But you're absolutely But her her instincts are so right. The principles of investing are you want to buy low and sell high and when you just have to have a good stomach for it and money to play with play. But I will say an operative word.
That this is what you know, what I can do.
I can share with you who she follows and really says knows their stuff, and she like says, like you know, they explain it well. So she really likes Tila. That's someone she likes. She also likes a gentleman on Instagram that she said that she likes him a lot. I think his name is mister the Master Investor. She likes him a lot. Now he is someone that studies study, study, studies stocks and picks and not only picks, but she looks at his stock picks and then compares her to
what she's thinking. But he's really good at like sharing kind of like this is like basically historically about all the research that I've done. If this stock falls below this price, it's a really good price. So she really likes Ian the Master Investor. She likes Tila Hocum, like I said, And what I can do is I can certainly ask who does she follow besides these two?
This is why I just heard her talk about.
But also too, maybe like what resources she's using to make a decisions? I think that'll be a better a better choice, Like, hey, these are the people that she thinks are really great. These are the books that she relied upon. This is like she uses Robin Hood and you know, I don't know E Trade or whatever, So I can I ask her those things, but yeah, she's not coming on.
Yeah, And also it seems Carol has done her research. And anybody can do research, like anyone can read the books and learn the principles of investing. And I always just tell my little brother about this because I'm like, listen, even if you hire an investment advisor or someone who's
going to pick stocks for you. I think it's really important for everyone to have a baseline understanding of like what are they actually doing, and what like what's the you know, what are standard you know, principles and and really just understanding how the sausage gets made so that you can be an educated consumer and you don't feel like, I feel super uncomfortable if anyone's in a relationship with a financial advisor or even just like a relative who's
making decisions and giving you advice, but you don't know the thought that goes into it and the rationale behind it exactly. But yeah, all right, no, Carol, you guys, I know, but.
She's gonna she's going to be giggling like she's like no.
Plus, Carol has two little ones and all they do is scream in the background.
So can I know, can Carol, can you curate a list from Carol before this show airs?
Yeah?
Oh yeah, so certainly I can just say, you mean, like just a list of the people that she likes to learn.
From, I like her faceavorite resources. Yeah, I can do that and we can send it to Cali, Carol and Kelly. All right, and you can check the show notes for that. All right, thank you, guys, so much for your questions. Lord, have mercy.
I can't.
I'm like, I'm nervous to stop the show because once the show is over.
Tiffany, Well, we do have boost and break, we do have booster.
I know, I know, but it's like the end is coming and I'm like, I won't talk to you again.
It's gonna be a whole different world. I know.
All Right, I'm getting it together.
Woos.
All right, let's get into these boost and breaks.
So now is it's time to boost, break up? Boost a break? Are you gonna boost me? Or are you going to break?
I feel like I should boost just to keep things light, but I really wanted to share the statistic because it freaked me out. Okay, fine, I will boost first. I we haven't talked about Greenwood Bank yet, and thanks and shout out to whoever Instagram was like, hey, y'all going to talk about Greenwood because I totally we just did not. We skipped right over it. But yeah, Greenwood Bank. I don't know if they've officially launched it. There's a wait
list I believe to join. But this is a bank that it's all about providing access to banking for black and Latin X consumers check it out. Is dope great. I think the website's just Greenwoodbank dot com. We'll put a link in the show notes. But I thought this was really good.
Yes, I love that.
I just I think, you know, having alternatives to banks that don't say, hey, I would love to hire black and brown people, but there's just no talented ones. Yeah, so it's it's nice to have altered.
I would love to give my money to an institution, like a black owned bank, especially like you know, the thing is, we put it. We put together a list Magnifi money dot com of black owned banks in America, and you know they're dwindling, but there's still there still are some in black owned bank institutions, black owned institutions out there. What I found is like largely the rates are not as competitive as like, especially the online bank.
You know, it's hard for them to compete, and when you're trying to save strategically, it's like, ah this, you know, you want to get the higher indust rate and you know you have a little bit more accessibility with the big with the big players. But at the same time, I'm like, okay, if Greenwood can, like you know, really get hit the map and and offer like competitive rates, you know, modern services like all that stuff. Then that
could be really meaningful because it's so true. You know, we have to vote with our dollars sometimes and listen and where are money, like the banks that we go to. If I have to read one more damn story about Wells Fargo doing some crazy shit with people's money, it's like, you know, I hope that this is not the first. I hope this is the start of like a new wave of minority owned financial institutions for our for the sake of our our futures. Huh. I know, go Tiffany, what's your break?
No, I just so I'll say that that I was just thinking that today that, like you know, I am seeing because of social media and online it has provide opportunities for black and brown people like never before. It has allowed you to bypass and sidestep certain gatekeepers. And that's what I was telling myself today. I was like, you know, I'm in a lot of like Facebook groups and things where people are making their first six figures because you know, they started an online business to cater
to people just like them. Like, Hey, I'm a black woman, do black women want to buy my T shirts?
Sure do? Do you want to buy my skincare? Sure do? So I just that kind of.
Gives me, you know, like a little bit of So I was like really leaning heavily on that today because I was just thinking that, you know that there there is some hope. And you know what else happened that was really good? Did we talk about Angela v McKnight last time?
We did?
Okay?
Good?
So that too, because what I'm realizing too is that there are you know, there's these little windows of opportunity that really can really transform people's lives. So the more that we are capable of being self sufficient, the more we can bring other people up as well. And so it just gave me kind of like that hope. You know who put the battery in my back? I remember it was far nouche at that conference that shall in your back?
She did. I've hearned that expression. Really, no, let's go for energized certificate exactly.
So it was a far nouche at that conference that shall shall not be named. And she was sitting on a panel and I think I asked a question about I was like I had just my company had just made six figures. And although I think I made like thirty five thousand dollars that year, but I just was saying that as I started to do better, I was feeling a little guilty, like am I being greedy? Should I slow down? And how much do I really need?
Because I'm kind of fine? And she said, well, if I remember if far Noise was just so dope, she said, that's great that you're fine. Then the other money is.
Not for you.
It's for the causes that only you will champion. It's for the people that only you will see. It's for the communities that only you are a part of. And I remember what Farnoush effectively did. I don't even know why I ever thanked her for this, was she made my success less about me, because it was hard for me to be like, well, how much money do I need?
How much?
And there's nothing wrong with having a lot of money, but for me, it wasn't motivation enough, and she was just selectifany if that's not moving you, then she said, not everyone has the opportunity to grow great wealth. Let's just like not pretend like we could all do whatever. Now there are some of us who have the opportunity to make a lot of money, and some even beyond that, to grow great wealth. And if you have the opportunity, it's selfish not to because it's not just about you.
It's about the people that you can help and serve. And since then, I have never been ashamed to go for it, because I honestly don't. I use the money that I make, like largely really to because I'm my family and I for the most part are good.
You know.
I really think about like what's the legacy, what schools do I want to build, What people do I want to put through through to, you know, give education to. So yeah, those are That's really my boost is that, like I think that as things change, I think you said the best right earlier, Mandy, that like with credit or whatever, that with time it's kind of like the healer of things. And so as things change, I love to see the change of access to opportunities that black
and brown people have. And if you have those opportunities, go for it, go for it as hard as you can and come back and bring the rest of us with you.
Oh amen.
I love that you can tell that anecdote every freaking episode for all I care, because it's true and I and the and I think it's also just unfortunately or fortunately because that's how we're you know, most of us, a lot of us women are built is to to not to not do things just for ourselves and to
feel guilty when you're doing them for yourselves. And you know, there isn't a ton of virtue and just building a big stock pile of money for you to stand on alone, like there's my baby in the background who I'm building wealth for. But that's why women in power are so needed. That one hundred and fifteen women who are running for Congress this election, like that women at the table. We need a seat. And this is the statistic that I was going to break, and I'll share it now in
this context. Because of the pandemic one and this was a survey of forty thousand people, huge survey by McKenzie. Because of the pandemic, one in four women say they're considering leaving the workforce, work down or significantly taking a step back from their workload. And that is that is huge, and not in a good way. Fewer women in the workforce is bad for families, but it's also bad for just the future of our country. We have a different
point of view. And not just women like Carte Blonde, like you know in general, but women have different backgrounds, diverse backgrounds, socioeconomic, racial backgrounds. We need more women in places of power because we have We're just much more likely, I think, to think from a community aspect and to think, you know, who can we help and who can we
bring up, and to think about people beyond ourselves. And you know, I saw that stat and I was super one grateful that I haven't had to step back that I'm just making. I'm determined to just make COVID life work with work and childcare. But I'm privileged in that I, you know, have resources to help, and I have a job that is flexible and I can stay at home, and there's not women out there and God and people
need support. Like it is. People should be enraged about so many things, but one of the things we should really be enraged about is how our government only did one round of stimulus checks for consumers, and that was months ago. Unemployment benefits are running out, like families are on the brink, and we need elected officials who are going to care about the working families and women. I believe wholeheartedly. If we get more of them in power,
we wouldn't have problems like we do now. You know, where working families are just being left in the dust while you know, politicians squabble. It's unfortunate. But Tiffany, you're so you're so so right. We should go and get that wealth and know that it's not just for us, and let that if you need an excuse to feel greedy or selfish, whatever, just remember you're not doing it just for yourself, for everybody else.
When she said that, she said their causes that you're going to champion and people that only you would want to help, they need you, And I was like, oh my gosh, I have to It makes me want to text for now if you guys so far I know, if you guys don't know far news, she'd.
Probably love to hear that, right. It's f A R N O O s h.
She is amazing and she is one of the women that we just highly respect and love in the in the financial education space. She's always been such like an amazing giver. She's brown herself. She's actually a New Jersey girl living not too far for where I live now. But yeah, that was just the like I said, the battery in my back, and I just think I'm just trying to hold onto that because I don't know, I'm not you know, like I'm okay now, but I'm not gonna lie. I huh whoo.
It's like starting to come over with me. I'm like, ah, it's getting duck. It's getting duck. I help me almost tomorrow.
I know, I think we we're gonna have to just listen whatever happens. I I have to be I have to have I choose optimism because I just don't want to be miserable. But however you're feeling, wherever you're at, remember to take care of yourselves and your family, whatever happens. To protect yourselves, protect your neighbor as well. Reach out
to neighbors, your community. That's one thing that I think is another thing that's come out of this is just feeling more so closely connected to my neighbors and my neighborhood and my community. So reaching out of helping hand, you know, sharing what you have with others, just being a kind person. And you know, I think if we could just do more of that, then you know, we wouldn't have to be so terrified of what's happening. But if this podcast, if anyone's listening, I thank you. If
you're in your bunker is listening, thank you. If we can be for this hour together, just a little bit of refuge from the insanity out there, so you know you're not alone, then we thank you for for being in this bunker with us.
Yeah.
Oh, a safe space even if you're well, what is it? Uh? Trade not trademark to you know? What do we say?
Tia time char Tina, you're you're in the bunk? Or two?
Okay?
Oh man, well here's another I guess we have to I'm like, you hang up, you hang up? What do we have to look forward to? I would like to say last week we did talk about Angela mcviee that's her name or Angela Midnight. Why do I see to keep doing that? Sorry? She just does not deserve that anyway. Who is the what councilwoman.
Or she's assembly woman of a New Jerseymily woman in Jersey City, New Jersey, amazing in Jersey.
City, who wrote the budget to law with Tiffany years ago. And so we talked about that and just about women in power and locally elected officials not just on the national stage, and how important they are and how impactful
they can be. And I reached out to the founders of Higher Heights, which is a nonprofit that their whole mission is to get women of color into elected office from the ground up, from super local to national stage, and they are definitely interested in coming on the show, so I am working on booking them, and the whole point of that show. I want to make it all about how like I want a brand ambition listener to run for office, Like I want to help people understand
what does it take. How can you get involved at your local level? Because like if you look at who was in your town, you know, your town council or I don't know what kind of different like municipal governments out there. Everyone's a little bit different. But there are a lot of people serving who have just been serving for years and decades, like just because no one else
has ever chetchallenge that. And I really want to. I'm excited to talk to Higher Heights and hear, you know, what guidance and tips they might have for anyone listening who who has been thinking. You know, I'm ready to step up and do something a little bit more that would be amazing an ambition pack.
Exactly, why not?
Yeah, no, really, honestly, that would be amazing. So I want to focus on what we can do so regardless of.
What happens, well right now, if we can go hug our families and take some time and breathe and try to avoid the news, that's what I feel like I can do right now. Yes, all right, all.
Right now you on the other side, darling, I'll see you at the cross. Well you will be lowly. Let me.
In my head. Is not what I need right now.
This is This is a little funny that we could end with.
I was taking a walk today and I saw a sign and that said, this doesn't look like, you know, a Trump sign or a Biden kamala.
You know Joe Joe Biden kamala. How as signed? I looked up closely.
Why it's said presidents come and go, but Wu tang is forever.
Oh my god, I'm not gonna lie.
That gave you a little chuckle all my walk today and I said, get no what Wu.
Tang is forever? So let that sizzle in your spirit, no matter what happens tomorrow.
In your spirit. All right, y'all, hang in there. We'll you know, we'll talk to you next week.
We hope all right.