BiggerPockets Money Podcast · Friday, September 25, 2026
Kate, a sales professional earning $120,000 annually, found herself in $18,000 of credit card debt with minimal savings. A $6,000 HOA special assessment in 2020 served as a wake-up call, prompting her to seek help from a money coach named Berkeley.
“However, I had a $120,000 base salary at the time, and I was a financial hot mess behind the scenes. I never really had a system. I knew I made good money, but I just kept falling further and further behind and became avoidant with my finances, which made things even worse.”
“The catalyst was in 2020, I got a letter from my condo HOA that I was going to have to pay a $6,000 special assessment to replace the roof on our building. And I did not have that money. That was really scary.”
“So I just knew I couldn't live like I was anymore and I knew, you know, being a pretty intelligent person in general, I thought surely I can figure this out, but I haven't been able to on my own. So I called a friend of mine. Her name is Berkeley. She is a money coach and she saved me.”