NGPF continues our celebration of Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month by highlighting Beatriz Acevedo, president/founding partner of latinx-focused digital media company mítu and co-founder/CEO of newly launched Suma Wealth.

Suma seeks to “inspire, inform and empower the Latinx community via virtual experiences,” even offering a fully-Spanish language version of the site. Beatriz is one of the leading Latina entrepreneurs in the United States and has dedicated her career to creating opportunities to influence authentic and positive depictions of Latinos in society.

Featured Resource and Activity Idea: Money Talks

With partner Xavier A. Gutiérrez, Beatriz leveraged her knowledge of media production along with her passionate outreach for the Latinx community to produce bite-sized Money Talks as one of Suma Wealth’s avenues to reach the next generation and talk about finances.

These Money Talks are short, 1-2 minute articles, often accompanied by a brief video highlighting an important financial literacy term or strategy. It’s financial empowerment with a side of culturally-relevant humor that makes approaching these topics fun for young people. Below, we’ll highlight four of these Money Talks and provide a few questions you could use to preview a lesson topic or launch a conversation about personal habits.

When is it OK to Use Your Emergency Fund?

• What are some events that would qualify as emergency expenses right now?
• What are some events that would qualify as emergency expenses in 5 years?
• Who is someone that could help you decide what counts as a financial emergency?
• How much do you think you should have saved in an emergency fund?

Calculate Your Savings Rate

• Why do you think you use after-tax income in calculating savings rate?
• Why might it be important to know what your personal savings rate is?
• What is at least one strategy you can use to begin saving money each time you receive a paycheck?
• What are examples of windfalls teens receive throughout the year that can be used for savings?

The Choice is Yours to Pick Your Credit Score

• TRUE/FALSE: You have one single number that represents your credit score?
• What is one difference between a FICO8 score and a VantageScore3.0?
• Why is your credit score an important part of your financial game plan?
• Pick one of these scores and research online what factors go into building that credit score. Then, make an infographic illustrating those components.

The Savings Map to Your Dream Casita

• What are some aspects of your dream house? List as many as you can think of, then compare with a partner to see how they are similar or different.
• Why should budgeting be something you include when thinking about your dream home?
• What is downsizing and how can it help you move toward owning a home?
• What are some luxury expenses that could distract you from your goal of home ownership?

You can follow Suma Wealth on instagram at @wearesuma or read more about Beatriz Acevedo and her contributions to advancing the opportunities for diverse young voices on her website or connect via her LinkedIn.

NGPF will be featuring Latinx/Hispanic financial leaders and educators in many of our weekly Speaker Series and Virtual PDs this month. Come learn more about these change-makers!

 Personal Finance on Social Media: Highlighting Latinx Creators -  Wed. 9/29 @ 2pm PT / 5pm ET

 NGPF Speaker Series: Dr. Sessaty - Thurs. 9/30 @4pm PT / 7pm ET

See all our upcoming PD opportunities here!

About the Author

Dan Rolando

Always enamored with learning, Dan’s parents affectionately nicknamed him “The Sponge” as a kid. After earning his Engineering Master’s from NC State University followed by six years of teaching, Dan joins NGPF to pursue his passion of inspiring financial capability in anyone who will listen. Having navigated seven years of higher education debt-free through scholarships, work, creative budgeting, and a whole lot of help, he recognizes the freedom that comes from financial independence and hopes to share that gift with others. In the (rare) times he’s not discussing finance, Dan enjoys running, reading, playing board games, spending time with his daughter, and being sous chef for his wife.

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