Emergency Savings

Three gifts wrapped in red and green Christmas paper with poinsettia and Santa patterns, two of them tied with large green bows, on a wooden table.

Carilyn Marrero of CM Freedom Finance Earned More for Five Years and Stayed in Debt. Her Holiday Advice Starts With Habits, Not the Paycheck.

A bilingual financial coach who works mainly with Latino families says a bigger paycheck did not get her out of debt. Federal Reserve and CFPB research shows why habits matter, and where they stop.

By The Cranberry Journal Staff November 4, 2026

Wooden letter tiles spelling the word credit on a weathered wooden table, surrounded by scattered tiles.

Personal Finance

Dasia Bobbs Built a Credit Repair Business. Her Biggest Lesson Is That a Cleaner Report Is Not a Safety Net.

The founder of The Better Finance Solutions spent years helping clients dispute errors on their credit reports. Federal Reserve data on household savings explains why she now says the report is only the start.

By The Cranberry Journal Staff November 4, 2026

Emergency Savings

Tagged stories

Carilyn Marrero of CM Freedom Finance Earned More for Five Years and Stayed in Debt. Her Holiday Advice Starts With Habits, Not the Paycheck.

Dasia Bobbs Built a Credit Repair Business. Her Biggest Lesson Is That a Cleaner Report Is Not a Safety Net.