be prepared before you buy, get the best rates for your unique situation
SEASON 01 – EPISODE 05 – KEEP CALM AND BANK ON PODCAST
June 7, 2022
Brittany and Nayiree sit down with Nicolle Smith of Watchdog Automotive to discuss options for how people with sub-prime credit can finance a car. Nicolle has worked in the car industry for 20+ years from dealerships to brokerages and is committed to helping her clients find a car whether they have no credit or excellent credit.
“I think some of the biggest concerns women have are probably being taken advantage of,” Nicolle says. “That can look like a lot of different things like being price gouged, being forced to make a higher down payment than necessary to secure a vehicle, being sold a vehicle that’s not mechanically sound, or being written at a higher APR. I think those are a lot of the women’s concerns, and I think they’re rightfully so because I’ve seen it happen.”
Topics We Cover:
Pre-Approval
When financing a car, it will be common for dealerships to give you a pre-approval, but Nicolle says to be wary of this. “The first alarm is when they say you’re pre-approved within an hour and they’re having you come down. Don’t believe them because it takes some time to get a pre-approval for a first time buyer.” She continues, “When I worked in the dealerships, we were trained to get people in the door.”
Insurance
It is crucial to know if you will need full coverage on a financed car – and how much it will cost per month.
APR
This is the amount of interest that you’ll be charged on your loan. Your APR will depend on several factors, including your credit score.
Down Payment
The larger the down payment, the lower your monthly payments will be. However, not everyone can afford to put out a large down payment. While a downpayment is helpful to lower your monthly payment, it doesn’t always have to be mandatory depending on your credit situation.
Leasing vs Financing
With leasing, you’re essentially renting the vehicle for a set period of time, and at the end of the lease, you have the option to purchase the car or return it to the dealership. Financing allows you to keep the car after making all of your payments, but it typically requires a higher down payment and interest rate.
Get in touch:
From budgeting, to raising a family, or starting a business, there are so many different stories that women have to share around one topic that connects us all: money.
Welcome to the Keep Calm and Bank On Podcast, the official podcast of the She Banks Community. We are using this platform to share uplifting stories about inspiring women who never gave up on their dreams, the financial challenges they faced, and everything in between.
ON INNOVATION, MOVING PAST FEAR AND LIVING THE LIFE OF YOUR DREAMS
SEASON 01 – EPISODE 04 – KEEP CALM AND BANK ON PODCAST
APRIL 26, 2022
Heather Taylor, mother of two, competed in the Mrs. Colorado pageant last year and is the President of Impact Commercial Real Estate. When Heather applied at different real estate firms as a soon to be mom, she was having trouble finding somewhere that could offer the work-life balance she desired. Thus, Heather decided to start her own firm. She wanted to help small businesses and women, and has now brought that dream to life. Now, she works alongside a 12 person team, many of them moms like herself, who support each other on their dreams of having a family and a great career. “I want us all to stay true to our beliefs and ideas because it can work out just the way we imagine it,” she says. “We can do it all and be very successful.” In this interview, Heather and I discuss fear and how it can hold people back. Whether that fear is based around public speaking, giving presentations or starting a new business, she shares that taking the first step is important, even if it scares you. She gives some practical tips about improving your techniques and confidence when giving a presentation or speaking to a group of people. Other topics include strategies to overcome the start-up fees of a new business and reinvesting your money into real estate and making your money work for you.
Devon Nestor is on a mission to achieve work life balance between fun, family and being a business owner. She is an art teacher turned bookkeeper, and discusses her unexpected change of career and how well it is working out for her. She is a mother of two sons, has a handful of animals and two businesses between her and her husband. Devon opened up about her own understanding of personal finance and the feeling of freedom she experienced the first time she got a true hold on her own business books.
In early 2020, Vanessa Sidara was working 12 hours days in health care. Things changed when she made a “Spring Fling” cake for her husband’s birthday and posted it on social media, and started receiving requests from her followers for their own cake.
She is now the owner of Highlands Bake Shop, located in North Denver. Vanessa is a Self taught baker, who never ran a business before and suddenly found herself with a new opportunity after working over a decade in health care. Her business has blown up and blossomed over the past two years. Talking with Vanessa and finding out how she started was inspirational. “I was taking these orders and had no idea if I was going to make any money,” she says. “You learn what you need to do. I started with a hand mixer.”
Chef Nakia Laubscher knew she wanted to work with food from an early age. She moved to Denver to attend Johnson and Wales and has been in Colorado ever since. Now, she connects busy people to joyful food through her chef guided grocery delivery business, Chefate. She has two cats and loves that her business affords her the opportunity to have some flexibility in her schedule. Nakia is a lover of the outdoors and hiking, and feels passionate about our connection to the land, the connection between land and food, and in full circle, people and food. We talked about the importance of sustainability in the food industry and how Chefate plays a part in the transformation of how people approach grocery shopping, cooking for themselves and their loved ones.
I joined the She Banks team as Head of Marketing after working in digital marketing, journalism & media for close to a decade. I opened the doors to my first business at age 25 and am love talking about female entrepreneurship. My current personal money mission is to finish my private pilot’s license and fly around the Caribbean and Europe. I live with a small but mighty dog named Didi, and feel passionate about helping people succeed in their personal finance goals. I wanted to start this podcast so that women don’t feel alone in their journey, and can find positive inspiration in our community. It is such a pleasure to speak with each and every one of you!
My career started as a disciplinary artist from digital art to the film industry before joining the She Banks team as the Social Media and Content Manager. Also, I am such a Gemini! I am an entrepreneur at heart and since a young age, I have been exploring selling different products, mostly custom made, until I find my calling! I am a devoted traveler that enjoys music, the beach, and vegan ice cream. I am a supporter of women supporting each other. I have always been interested in projects that promote individual and collective well-being creatively.
Brittany and Carmen met in Puerto Rico and later on unified efforts for a natural disaster relief response in 2017. A few years later, they co-founded a digital marketing and branding studio called Studio 1950 and now work side by side to bring the She Banks mission to the community!
