Kikoff Advisor Wanda Holland Greene on Financial Wellbeing

Wanda Holland Greene is an advisor for Kikoff. She’s currently the Head at Hamlin School, an all-girls school in San Francisco, and a trustee at Columbia University.

What drew you to Kikoff?

I think the biggest barrier to financial wellbeing is lack of education and access. But Kikoff is giving everybody a way in — a chance to create stability and freedom. The barrier to building credit is very low at Kikoff. 

I’ve been working in education for 30 years, and Kikoff’s work aligns so closely with what I believe about education — that it should level the playing field.

What was your credit journey like?

I grew up working class in New York City. My parents lived paycheck to paycheck, and they didn’t have credit cards. My mom wouldn’t even go to an ATM. She was like, I don’t know who’s behind that thing. I’m not putting my money in there. 

I got my first credit card in my 20s. I didn’t have the education to understand APR, so I was just always paying the minimum balance — but never enough to pay down the debt, to actually free me financially. I finally educated myself by looking at my statements. I spent a lot of time paying off my credit card debt.

What advice would you give someone trying to improve their credit score?

  • Set goals.

We live in a world now where everything comes instantly. I think you can get in a lot of trouble — and debt — if you’re inclined to have something right away. There’s no saving, no delayed gratification.

Set long term goals and be satisfied in reaching every milestone. If you stay the course, you will get there.

  1. Figure out what brings you joy.

The end goal is not money. Your money is just a means to getting what you actually want. Do you want to travel? To live in a house with a yard?

Come to know yourself and what inspires you. When you figure out what brings you joy, you can figure out how money and stability can get you there.

The information provided in this blog post is meant for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Kikoff Inc. is a financial technology company and not a bank. The Kikoff Secured Credit Card is issued by Coastal Community Bank, Member FDIC. Terms and conditions apply & individual results may vary. Make consistent on-time payments to maximize credit building potential.  Credit factors outside Kikoff, like other account balances or delinquencies, can have an impact on credit building progress.  Subject to approval via identity verifications and subject to terms and conditions. Kikoff Credit Account reported line of credit intended exclusively for credit building purposes & can be used to finance the purchase of monthly Credit Service plans and/or digital educational material via the Kikoff Store. For more information, visit our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. We report to the major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Features, tradelines, bureau reporting, & pricing may vary depending on plan purchased. This post may contain marketing messages and advertisements in compliance with the CAN-SPAM Act. Please refer to our Secured Card and Credit Account Terms for detailed product disclaimers.

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