Rita-Soledad Fernández Paulino

3 weeks ago | bankrate.com | Rita-Soledad Fernández Paulino |Rhys Subitch

Each May, Mental Health Awareness Month invites us to reflect on the invisible burdens we carry and to speak openly about what it takes to feel well. And while May has recently come to a close, this topic is still on my mind, as I’m sure it’s on many of yours. When it comes to prioritization and paying off debt, the conversation often centers around numbers, but capacity can be just as real of a challenge.

1 month ago | bankrate.com | Rita-Soledad Fernández Paulino |Rhys Subitch

When I finally joined the 800 credit score club in 2020, I felt proud. As a first gen Latina, who grew up in a household where money wasn’t discussed — but where having your credit card declined was clearly “no bueno” — reaching a score of 813 felt like a big deal. Despite not growing up with financial literacy, I made it. I was “good with money.”That’s why, as a money and self-care coach, admitting that I intentionally dropped my credit score into the 700s feels a little nerve-wracking.

1 month ago | bankrate.com | Rita-Soledad Fernández Paulino |Rhys Subitch

Managing debt can be challenging — especially for mothers, who are often tracking far more than just numbers on a spreadsheet. Every mom’s financial journey is shaped by her family structure, caregiving responsibilities, health, income goals and emotional bandwidth. Financial decisions are strategic responses to the demands of each mother’s life. A payment plan that makes sense for one mom might feel impossible for another.

1 month ago | bankrate.com | Rita-Soledad Fernández Paulino |Rhys Subitch

On March 26, 2025, President Trump announced a new 25 percent tariff on imported cars and car parts, which took effect on May 3, 2025. Just a month after the original announcement, a follow-up executive order introduced adjustments that offer potential discounts to companies manufacturing vehicles within the U.S. The intent is clear: make foreign cars more expensive to encourage domestic car production.

1 month ago | bankrate.com | Rita-Soledad Fernández Paulino |Rhys Subitch

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