Latina Investors

182. The Difference Between Saving Money and Strategically Building Wealth

You are saving every month. But somehow it still feels like you are not really getting anywhere, and you are not sure what you are missing. If you grew up with the message that saving money was the goal, you probably nailed it. You figured out how to put money aside. You built up your savings. And now you are wondering why it does not feel like wealth. In this episode, Andrea breaks down the difference between saving money and being strategic with your money. She shares why the blanket advice most of us grew up with, save your money, was a starting point and not a destination. She walks through how to start thinking about money as a resource you can direct toward specific outcomes, how to use every paycheck to get closer to real goals, and why building the skill and identity of a wealth builder matters more right now than the exact amount you are working with. You'll learn: ✅ Why saving alone will never build wealth and what to do instead ✅ How to treat your money as a resource that creates specific outcomes ✅ The formula Andrea uses to reverse-engineer financial goals by timeline ✅ How to stop feeling powerless with money and start feeling like a creator of your own outcomes Let's connect: Website: www.buildinggenwealth.com [http://www.buildinggenwealth.com/] Instagram: @building.gen.wealth Learn more about 1:1 Money Coaching: www.buildinggenwealth.com/moneycoaching [http://www.buildinggenwealth.com/moneycoaching]

181. SAHMs Are An Asset (How to Stay Financially Empowered When You Leave the Workforce to Raise Your Kids)

If you became a stay-at-home mom and quietly started feeling like you need to ask permission to spend money, or like finances are his territory because he's the one bringing home the check, this episode is for you. Right after my daughter was born, I found herself seriously considering stepping away from work. I sat with the idea, ran through the logistics, thought about what her finances would look like, and had to confront what it would actually feel like to no longer have her own income coming in. I ended up going back to work, but everything I had to think through in that season became the foundation for this episode. Before anything tactical, I start with the mindset that every stay-at-home mom needs to fully step into. You are an asset. Not just emotionally, not just as a caregiver, but economically. The childcare you provide, the household you run, the space you create for your partner to grow their career, all of it has real financial value. And when you understand that, it changes how you show up in money conversations. In this episode, you'll learn: ✅ How to understand the movement of money in your household, what comes in, what goes out, where the extra is going, and where all your accounts live ✅ Why having money going into accounts in your name, a personal spending account, a personal savings account, and a spousal IRA, is about autonomy and protection, not distrust ✅ Why losing years of retirement contributions matters and how a spousal IRA keeps your financial future growing even when you are not on a payroll ✅ How term life insurance and long-term disability insurance protect your household when one partner is the sole income earner ✅ How to set clear household boundaries so you are not the default for everything, all the time, without support This is the episode I wish someone would have handed me when I was four months postpartum, sitting with a decision that a lot of women face and not many people talk about financially. Whether you are already a stay-at-home mom, considering it, or partnered with someone who is, this one is worth a listen Let's connect: Website: www.buildinggenwealth.com [http://www.buildinggenwealth.com/] Instagram: @building.gen.wealth Learn more about 1:1 Money Coaching: www.buildinggenwealth.com/moneycoaching [http://www.buildinggenwealth.com/moneycoaching]

180. How Janely Went From Paycheck to Paycheck to $26K Net Worth Growth

You have been paying your bills on time. You have a savings account. You are not struggling in the way you grew up watching your parents struggle. But you still get to the end of every paycheck and think — where did it all go? And if that question makes you feel a little ashamed, a little stuck, or just tired of not knowing — this episode is for you. I am sitting down with Janely, a 1:1 client who just wrapped up her 12-week 1:1 money coaching journey. She will share how she went from feeling like she was spinning her wheels to growing her net worth by nearly $26,000 by paying off $10,000 in credit card debt and growing her savings from the ground up to almost $8,000. We also talk about how coaching changed the money conversations she was having with her husband, why she describes the experience as therapy for your money, and what she would tell anyone who is on the fence about making that investment in themselves. In this episode, you will learn: ✅ Why a good income does not automatically equal financial security or direction ✅ How an automated money system replaced budgeting and actually stuck & become sustainable ✅ What it looks like to build savings, pay off debt, and invest all at the same time ✅ How Janely set up investing accounts for her kids starting from scratch ✅ How her money conversations with her husband completely evolved over 1:1 money coaching Let's connect: Website: www.buildinggenwealth.com [http://www.buildinggenwealth.com/] Instagram: @building.gen.wealth Learn more about 1:1 Money Coaching: www.buildinggenwealth.com/moneycoaching [http://www.buildinggenwealth.com/moneycoaching]

179. Index Funds vs. Mutual Funds vs. ETFs: What First-Gen Latinas Actually Need to Know

Have you ever heard the words index fund, mutual fund, or ETF and nodded along like you knew what they meant even though you don't fully understand? You are not alone, and this episode is here to change that. In this episode, Andrea breaks down three of the most important investing products you need to know: index funds, mutual funds, and ETFs. She starts from the very beginning — what a stock is, what a bond is, and why buying individual stocks is riskier and more complicated than most people realize. And then, walks you through what funds actually are, why they exist, and how they make investing simpler, more diversified, and more accessible for everyday investors who are not sitting at a computer researching companies all day. You will learn the key difference between a mutual fund and an index fund, including why the fees you pay matter more than you think. You'll also understand what an ETF is, how it is different from the other two, and why it can be a smarter choice inside a taxable brokerage account. Andrea also shares her own investing journey, and reminds you that starting imperfectly is still the first step. You will walk away knowing how to think through which fund belongs in which type of account and how to build a strategy that runs on autopilot so you can stop stressing and start living. What You'll Learn from this Episode: The difference between a mutual fund and an index fund, including how fees play a role What an ETF is and how it is bought and sold differently than mutual funds and index funds Why ETFs can be more tax efficient and when to use them strategically Why starting before you have the perfect strategy is always better than waiting Learn more about 1:1 Money Coaching: ⁠www.buildinggenwealth.com/moneycoaching⁠ [http://www.buildinggenwealth.com/moneycoaching]

178. From Surviving to $27K Saved & $9k Debt Paid Off: How Ariana Did This With Inconsistent Freelancer Income

If you have ever felt like money is something you are just trying to survive rather than something you actually own, this episode is going to feel like a breath of fresh air. Today I am sitting down with my client Ariana for a real check-in conversation, about a month after she finished her 1:1 Money Coaching program. Ariana came to me in June of 2024 as a freelancer and independent contractor dealing with inconsistent income, a blurry picture of her spending, and a Fidelity account with thousands of dollars sitting untouched for almost two years. She knew something needed to change, but she did not know where to start. What she shares in this episode is honest, real, and the kind of story that plants a seed. Because if you have ever thought this might work for other people but probably not for me, hearing where Ariana started and where she is now might just change your mind. You'll learn: ✅ What it actually looks like to build a money system around freelance and contractor income when your paychecks are inconsistent and unpredictable ✅ How Ariana went from financial avoidance and a survival mindset to checking in on her money every week and feeling genuinely empowered by what she sees ✅ Why Ariana had thousands of dollars sitting in her brokerage account for nearly two years without investing a single dollar, and what finally helped her move past the intimidation This episode is a reminder that the money journey is not about being perfect. It is about building a system, shifting your mindset, and giving yourself the space to actually learn. @arianabautista_ [https://www.instagram.com/arianabautista_/#] Let's connect: Website: www.buildinggenwealth.com [http://www.buildinggenwealth.com/] Instagram: @building.gen.wealth [https://www.instagram.com/building.gen.wealth/] Learn more about 1:1 Money Coaching: www.buildinggenwealth.com/moneycoaching [http://www.buildinggenwealth.com/moneycoaching]