Podcast appearances and mentions of jill gonzales

While it's best to refrain from going into debt, sometimes incurring debt can be unavoidable. Attempts to pay off the debt can be difficult. On the latest episode of PennyWise, producer/editor Ambre Moton is joined by WalletHub's Jill Gonzalez shares tips on the best ways to pay off debt. Read more on WalletHub here! About this program Nat Cardona is host of PennyWise as well as Lee Enterprise's true-crime podcast Late Edition: Crime Beat Chronicles. Lee Enterprises produces many national, regional and sports podcasts. Learn more here. Jill Gonzalez is the spokesperson for WalletHub. Her appearances as a Wallet Guru include Wall Street Journal Live, Yahoo Finance Live and ABC News New York. Her take on consumer finance issues has been featured in publications such as The New York Times, Washington Post, CNBC Online and Kiplinger. Episode transcript Note: The following transcript was created by Adobe Premiere and may contain misspellings and other inaccuracies as it was generated automatically: Sometimes incurring debt just can't be avoided. It can, however, be a struggle trying to figure out how to pay it off. Welcome to Pennywise, the Enterprise Enterprises podcast. I am Ambre Moton, producer and editor of the show filling in for Nat Cardona. Jill Gonzales from Wallethub is joining me today to talk about the best ways to pay off debt. Jill, thank you so much for being here for the podcast. Thanks for having me. We going to be talking about the five best ways to pay off debt. So I guess overall, like what's the first step that people should take towards paying off debt? So the best way to really pay off debt is definitely a multi-pronged approach so that you're ready for your future once you don't have this debt anymore. So look at your spending patterns. Get current on your payments, lower your interest rates. All of that starts with stopping the bleeding by making a budget. We definitely hear about that a lot. You mentioned lowering interest rates and I know I hear about that all the time, but how can that actually be done? Right. So lowering your interest rates on your debts is going to lower your costs overall. So the first step here is trying to lower your interest rates by consolidating your debt or by negotiating with lenders. You know, if you actually call up your lenders or sometimes you can use the chat little feature on, you know, their website or app. I think calling is probably still the best way. A little more time consuming, but worth it 80% of the time. If you ask your lender, hey, I want a lower interest rate or I'm considering, you know, opening up a new card, jumping ship, something like that, then they'll negotiate with you and you should be able to get that interest rate lowered. That won't decrease your balance, but it can at least slow it or even stop it from increasing. That's really good. You know, I've heard that you can do it. And I fully admit I have never attempted, but to hear that statistic about how many, you know, the chances of it actually happening, that is going to motivate me, I think, to actually do it my own life. Exactly. Yeah. Take take the risk. Women, what have you got to lose? Right. Worst case, they say no. And I'm still making my regular payments with my regular APR. Right. But I feel like I've always been told to have an emergency fund. But, you know, how can someone do that if they're also struggling with debt? Yeah. So when we talked about budgeting, so part of your budget and, you know, our first step here is going to be budgeting for saving. So that's going to become your emergency fund. So that's something that we need. You know, setbacks happen all the time. We just came off of a huge pandemic. A lot of people lost jobs. There were a lot of emergency health issues. So, you know, there are setbacks that happen all the time that even if you pay your debt off, can send you right back to it. So any safety net that you have can keep you afloat just enough to avoid erasing all your debt. Pay off progress that you made. So ideally, one day you'll be able to have six months to a year's worth of income as an emergency fund. But, you know, take small steps and start with just budgeting for any type of saving in your step. Number one. I like that. That makes it sound a lot more manageable than when you say taking steps to do it, start doing it as opposed to, you know, you need to have six months immediately. You know, I think that hearing that it's kind of intimidating for people when they're struggling. Exactly. And that's kind of the key here. I mean, that's why we started off with saying stop the bleeding, because I think sometimes people get so overwhelmed, they're like, I don't want to look I don't even want to look at my savings right now. I want to look at my credit card bills. I don't want to look at my, you know, banking app. But that really is number one. You got to know where you stand on each of your balances. And you know what? You can afford to pay off. Now, what you're working to pay off later, but stopping the bleeding and just, you know, making it more manageable is the first step, right? Baby steps. So if someone has a balance on multiple credit cards, which I think is a lot more common than most people think, what's the best strategy for dealing with that? So this is what I refer to as the island approach. And for all of us in debt, I know it's hard to think about Hawaii and ever being able to go there, but for the purposes of this, think of Hawaii. Think of your debts and your credit card, your separate credit cards, as you know, interconnected islands, each kind of having their own approach. And then we're going to use the snowball effect. So kind of the opposite of Hawaii did pay them down. So I understand. And rank your dad's and pay off the highest rate balance first. So say you have three credit cards and the one with the lowest balance might be $1,000. The one with the lowest balance I would do that might be 800. But the difference is that $1,000 balance has an interest rate of 20% and your $800 balance has an interest rate of at 26%, which is actually the average right now, which is the highest it's ever been. So you want to rank that highest rate balance first because that is costing you the most money over time. So instead of sprinkling any extra cash you have on hand across all of your credit cards, focus any extra cash on that one with the highest balance and pay the minimum, do the minimum bills on the other. And then once you've paid off that highest rate balance first, then you can move on to the next highest rate balance. So that is really going to be the cheapest and the most efficient way for you to pay off your debt. There's something to be said for tackling the smallest island first as well. I mean, if you do have a balance that is $100 and you know that you can tackle that, it might be worth the psychological payoff for you to do that. And that's just a different approach. It's not the least expensive approach, but maybe you do need that to even get in to this mindset of paying off debt. And hey, you can mix them up. Maybe you need to do that to dip your toe into debt, pay off, and then you switch to the bigger island and then you get to the middle one. So it can definitely be whatever works for you and whatever motivates you. So there's no real wrong approach. It just might be financially smarter to pay off that highest rate balance first. Exactly. That's going to be the least expensive. I like that. So what other debt solutions can people explore if they maybe aren't able to be completely or feel that they're being completely successful with the tips we've already discussed? Yeah. So this will really depend on the size of your debt. There is what's called debt settlement that typically happens directly with your lender. So you pay a portion of what you owe as a lump sum. If you're already in default, it's usually unavailable and then any amount forgiven will probably be taxed as income by the IRS. So that's good to keep in mind. But essentially you're paying off what you can pay off and hopefully getting the rest forgiven. That's debt settlement that happens directly with your lender. And then the other option is bankruptcy, which is not necessarily the end of the world. There is chapter seven, Chapter 11. The bad news is it does really tank your credit score. You're going to have to work on that after this. And basically, it either restructures your debt with a 3 to 5 year payoff plan. That's Chapter 11. Then that's usually the most common, or it discharges all of your unsecured debt with chapter seven. And that's a little bit harder to essentially get approved for. But Chapter 11 bankruptcy, especially after a pandemic, especially in the midst of sky high inflation, is a lot more common than people think. I know a lot of people tend to think of bankruptcy as kind of a scarlet letter when it comes to finances. So it sounds like it's something if you if you desperately need it, but maybe not look at it as your first choice. Exactly. Right. So, you know, hopefully when you do these other steps, you know, budget, lower your interest rate, rank your debts, then, you know, if none of this is working and you've exhausted other options, bankruptcy is certainly there. I really appreciate everything that you've mentioned. You know, is there anything else you just kind of wanted to add? So if you need more help on any one of these things, you know, there's a guide that wallet hub to, you know, really get into budgeting or really get into the island approach the snowball method, the avalanche method, all of which we, you know, briefly mentioned here.  

This week on the show, Petrendologist Charlotte Reed and Michael Fleck, DVM talk with University of Ilinois's Dr. Alex Gochenauer about buying pet supplements and Wallet Hub's analyst and spokesperson Jill Gonzales about their annual evaluations of pet-friendly cities.

Jill Gonzales of the Woman's Storybook Project came to visit The RSnake Show. She and I talk about how they go into prisons and help mothers record audio reading to their children. It's a heartwarming interview, especially because this was recorded in the days leading up to Mother's day. As I go into on this episode, I was fence about this particular interview at first until I started digging into the stats, which I hope you'll find interesting. And now, here is Jill Gonzales.   FOLLOW US ON:  Website: https://www.rsnake.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRSnakeShow/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRSnakeShow Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheRSnakeShow/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4wHHBk84wU9MQ7loDha7BK Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-rsnake-show/id1606954901 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thersnakeshow

Host Shirley Rooker speaks with Jill Gonzales, senior analyst with WalletHub, who reveals the best frequent flyer programs just in time for the busy summer travel season. The study describes the programs and how the right choices can save you money.

Images of President Joe Biden reaching to shake hands when nobody is there and constant videos showing him mumbling are weighing on the public, raising concerns about his mental health, especially among Democrats that have to decide on voting to reelect him in 2024. In 2022, Americans are dealing with the worst inflation in over 40 years, with the year-over-year inflation rate at 9.1% in June. This explosive inflation is driven by a variety of factors, including the continued presence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and labor shortages. The Federal Reserve is hoping to rein in inflation with aggressive interest rate hikes this year, but exactly how much of an effect that will have remains to be seen. With back-to-school right around the corner, families are looking for deals — especially as rising prices impact school spending this year. An invasion of privacy trial against the Los Angeles County sheriff's and fire departments begins Wednesday in a U.S. District Court just over a mile from where Kobe Bryant played for the Lakers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Women's Storybook Project, a nonprofit based in Austin which serves children across the state of Texas and the nation, will hold its 6th annual fundraising luncheon in -person on Thursday, April 28 and online on Friday, April 29th. Today we talk to Jill Gonzales, Executive Director of Women's Storybook Project. At Women's Storybook Project (WSP), the mission is to connect incarcerated mothers with their children through the joy of literature. Incarcerated moms are given the opportunity to earn (through good behavior) the ability to record themselves reading a book, which is then mailed to their child. The result is that a child gets to hear their mom reading them a bedtime story.

Host Shirley Rooker speaks with Jill Gonzales, senior analyst with WalletHub, who reveals the best frequent flyer programs just in time for the busy summer travel season. The study describes the programs and how the right choices can save you money.

Jill Gonzales, a senior analyst with WalletHub.com, discusses a recent survey of consumer spending and ways to save on interest payments for revolving credit card debt.

Jill Gonzales of Wallet Hub gives details of how they come up with great information on society on News Radio KKOB

Are you late paying bills or not paying at all?  Jill Gonzales, a contributor with WalletHub, says that's the worst thing to do for your credit scores.  Find out what you can do to protect yourself while unemployed. You can follow this show on Instagram and on Facebook. And to see what Heather does when she's not talking money, go to her personal Twitter page. Be sure to email Heather your questions and request topics you'd like her to cover here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jill Gonzales from WalletHub talks to Chris and Greg on the WMAY Morning News Feed. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Monday’s First Light, more states are moving towards reopening businesses as quarantine protests erupt around the country.  Retailers are having to find new safe ways of welcoming customers to stores. Kevin Carr has a look at the new TV series from Ireland “Normal People”.  Americans are losing their jobs as well as losing health insurance.: Michael talks to an expert about how to manage the transition. And with folks stuck at home, surprisingly people are spending a lot of money. Michael talks to analyst Jill Gonzales about the “comfort buying” phenomenon

The stock market is NOT the same as the economy.  That's from WalletHub analyst, Jill Gonzales.  Find out what you can do if you're currently struggling to pay credit cards, your mortgage or rent. And, if you do have any extra income right now, do you know where it should be going? You can follow this show on Instagram and on Facebook. And to see what Heather does when she's not talking money, go to her personal Twitter page. Be sure to email Heather your questions and request topics you'd like her to cover here.

Jill Gonzales, an analyst with WalletHub.com discusses gift cards and credit cards. A study by the company lists the best gift cards as well as credit cards. In addition she reveals that many credit cards are reducing the perks they provide to consumers including, in some cases, dropping insurance coverage for rental cars.

In this edition, Jill Gonzales of @Wallethub discusses the decrease in aggregate credit card debt during the first quarter of 2019. Although the first quarter debt decreased, Gonzales discusses what's ahead for the rest of the year. Additionally, Gonzales discusses the implications of the ongoing tariff wars and offers an analysis of how Elk Grove household credit card debt compares to other communities. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/elk-grove-news/support

Although the economy is doing relatively well, residents of Elk Grove, California are taking on more high-cost credit card debt. Those were the findings of a recently released study by Wallethub.com. In this edition, we discuss the implications of this development with Wallethub.com's personal finance expert Jill Gonzales. Other findings from WalletHub's study can be viewed here. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/elk-grove-news/support

We’ve had plenty of questions rolling in from the ProfitBoss community, so now is a perfect opportunity to host another installment of #AskHillary! I’ll give my best thoughts on handling our parents’ money mindset, understanding the DOW Jones index, and several specific tax and retirement savings options. I will also tackle how to make the most of student loans, and how to save for life’s big adventures.     Since we have adventure on our minds, I think now is a perfect opportunity to talk about Travel Rewards. With U.S. airlines expected to carry more than 600 million passengers on domestic flights this year and credit card debt levels exploding, we can expect airfare savings to be increasingly important in the months ahead.   Jill Gonzales is going to fill us in on how to make smart decisions about choosing a frequent flyer program. You will learn the difference between a frequent flyer program and a rewards credit card, and then understand just how the WalletHub study was done. There is a lot of useful information in this episode, so be prepared to take notes!   What You Will Learn in This Episode: To help travelers make the best decisions for their wallets, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2018’s Best Frequent Flyer Programs, which ranks the 10 largest domestic airlines based on 23 key metrics, ranging from the value of a point/mile to blackout dates for rewards flights. WalletHub’s report also features a custom calculator that allows users to personalize the results based on their own budgets. You can find a few highlights from those results below.   Delta SkyMiles is the best frequent flyer program for the third straight year.    The average airline rewards program gives frequent flyers 12% off their airline spending. And they’re all free to join.     Hawaiian Airlines offers the most rewards value to frequent flyers ($19.95 per $100 spent), with Alaska Airlines coming in a close second ($19.87 per $100 spent).    Four of the 10 largest airlines are offering more rewards in 2018 than in 2017, sweetening the pot by an average of 20%.    Delta Air Lines and JetBlue Airways are the only two major airlines whose miles do not expire because of inactivity.    The Frontier Airlines Credit Card and the Lufthansa Credit Card are 2018’s best airline credit cards, according to WalletHub’s editors.    For the full report, including the custom calculator, please visit:  https://wallethub.com/edu/best-frequent-flyer-program/25943/   Resources The Seven Stages of Money Maturity   

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP Tobacco use accounts for nearly half a million deaths in the U.S. each year and is the leading cause of lung cancer, according to the American Lung Association. However, the economic and societal costs of smoking are also staggering. Every year, Americans spend more than $300 billion, which includes both medical care and lost productivity. Unfortunately, some people will have to pay more depending on the state in which they live. Host Dr. Brian McDonough chats with analyst Jill Gonzales from Wallethub, a financial website that calculated the true per-person cost of smoking in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

- Jill Gonzales, Spokesperson for Wallethub.com - Please call 1-800-388-9700 for a free review of your financial portfolio

Gary asks Jill Gonzalez of Wallet Hub about how to find the best deals and finding the best credit card for you.