Real Stories Ep 49: Three Generations Reflect on Hardship, Hope
- March 15, 2024
Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:09:17 — 55.5MB)
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Today’s episode features three interwoven stories of financial resiliency. Wendy, a GreenPath employee, invited her mother and younger sister to share their experiences alongside her.
In talking with all three women, we explore the unique challenges of different life events: moving to a new country, buying a new home, foreclosure, and paying for college and retirement.
Each of these milestones created cross-generational ripple effects: we hear about how foreclosure affected Wendy’s then ten-year-old sister and how different members of the family are navigating their mother’s transition into retirement.
Amidst struggle and hard-earned wisdom, all three women have openly communicated and learned from each other. Our hope? That you can learn from these experiences as you consider your own financial narrative.
Key Moments
3:25 Wendy recounts her understanding and experience with money growing up and how this influenced her early behavior with debt.
6:49 Wendy, struggling to manage her debt, ends up getting sued.
13:45 She shares what it was like to be the first person in her family to go to college and how student loans became overwhelming.
18:53 Wendy refinances her student loan with a fixed interest rate and successfully pays down some of it.
21:20 She describes her journey as a first-time homebuyer.
24:23 Wendy talks about how she mentored her sister when it came to strategizing college payments.
32:55 Reina, Wendy’s mom, recounts her difficult financial transition to the United States.
34:36 Reina explains what it was like to experience foreclosure after 12 years living in her first home.
37:07 Her credit card debt snowballs after several life events coincide.
38:55 She explores her debt options and eventually talks to GreenPath, which provides significant relief.
40:51 Reina considers her transition to retirement.
47:05 Her mom decides to wait until next year to save for a trip to Mexico to avoid getting into debt.
49:21 Emily talks about her experience as a kid when her home was foreclosed on.
51:46 She discusses how her older sister helps her navigate college payments.
58:38 Emily offers her perspective on her mom’s upcoming retirement.
1:00:40 She talks about encouraging her parents to save money.
Chris Dlugozima
Chris is a Learning Experience Designer at GreenPath Financial Wellness, where he’s been since the beginning of the millennium. Using creativity and a sense of humor, he provides people with the tools and knowledge to navigate their lives when it comes to their money.
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Music by Hir-O