When Kathie Marquez's husband passed away seven years ago, she found herself navigating finances on her own for the first time, taking on tasks her husband had always handled, such as car purchases.
Needing to purchase a new car, but with limited credit history of her own, she sought financing from the dealer, who offered her an auto loan with an exorbitant interest rate.
“I needed reliable transportation, so I bought the car. I could have shopped the loan and looked for a better rate, but this was during COVID times and honestly everything was so hard back then.”
Kathie was already a Self-Help member, having opened an account at our branch in Miami Springs, Florida. “I live near the branch, and I always go in and talk with the staff.” Kathie said.
“At some point I told them about the loan I had gotten from the dealer, and how the payments that I had been making were so high. I’m semi-retired. I worked in education. I’m on a somewhat fixed income.”
When she heard about the terms of Kathie’s auto loan, Assistant Branch Manager Yannaira Mendez urged Kathie to consider refinancing the loan through Self-Help. Kathie eventually took Yannaira’s advice and felt the benefits almost immediately; she saved a lot of money each month, and her credit score improved.
Still, what brought Kathie the most peace was not financial but emotional: the sense that her friends at the branch were looking out for her. “I'm so happy with the personal experience at the branch. Everyone is so friendly and dynamic."