EmpowerYou Financial

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...

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...

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...

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 cho...

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 kin...

Whether you learned to do so or not, you would have a hard time putting away enough money to grow your wealth without establishing a budget. A budget, or 'spending plan' as Eva likes to call it, is just the process of creating a plan that allows you to determine in advance whether you will have enough money to do the things you need to do or would like to do. Truth be told, we all budget,...

When do you start talking to your kids about money? Where do you begin and what things should you share or not share? Those are the questions on the minds of a lot of parents, especially those parents that were not raised with a healthy financial education themselves. Listen as Eva shares her approach to raising money smart kids and what she advises other parents do to educate their children... 

Buying a car can be a fairly detailed process. But at its core, it involves identifying the car you want, securing financing, negotiating a price, and closing the deal by signing the paperwork. With that said, there is still so much to consider when purchasing a vehicle. Should you lease, finance, or pay cash? Every decision has it's own pros and cons, so how do you know which option is best f...

Credit impacts everything you do nowadays -- from purchasing the things we want and need like cars, homes, and furniture to applying for jobs. In many ways it is an inescapable measurement that we all at some point in our lives will be judged by. So the question is, since credit matters so much, how do we use credit to our advantages? And, what is life like when we are using credit poorly or not u...

The road to home ownership has a lot of ups and downs. Questions like when and where to buy loom large as well as questions around how to even qualify for a home loan. Listen in as Eva shares her journey and the real-life sacrifices she made to save 20% down on her first home almost 20 years ago. She also shares the reasons why she continued to invest in real estate -- eventually purchasing multip...

This is the first official episode of EmpowerYou Financial with Eva Palacios! We are super excited to get this podcast started and we look forward to providing great content for our listeners! In this episode, we learn about Eva's backstory and what experiences have made her into the personal finance expert that she is today. This is just the beginning... Enjoy!  The EmpowerYou Financial Podca...