In 1991, ten-year-old Jerry Nemorin and his family escaped civil war in Haiti and resettled in Florida. Jerry’s first experience with the US financial system was when his mom tried to buy a car.
Twenty-five years later, Jerry still remembers the sign above the auto lot: “BUY HERE, PAY HERE.” Jerry’s mom was an immigrant and didn’t have any credit, so she took out a loan directly from the shop. “I was only twelve,” remembers Jerry, “but looking through the loan documents, I saw that the interest on the loan would cost more than the car itself.” But Jerry’s mom didn’t have a choice.
Image: Jerry Nemorin is founder of LendStreet JPMorgan
