Financial Advice With Nicole Williams English and Kamie Crawford: Building Credit and Taking Care of Yourself

Nicole Williams English and Kamie Crawford.

Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated and Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

TV show host Kamie Crawford and Nia Lynn founder Nicole Williams English teamed up to give us their best financial advice. Both SI Swimsuit models were photographed by Yu Tsai in Dominica for this year’s magazine. Crawford, a former Miss Teen USA, made her SI Swimsuit debut last year, while new mom Williams English is a 2023 rookie.

Save, Save, Save

“Save as much as you can. Save your money,” Crawford says of her advice for young adults who are just starting to manage their own finances. “Don’t sign up for any random credit cards. O.K.? You see any college campus setups about signing up for a free card? Don’t do it. It’s a scam.”

Invest Early

Williams English, who welcomed a baby girl with her husband, former NFL player Larry English, in January, says when you enter your 30s you should “trickle into” investing.

“Even if it’s like $5 here, start a savings account, start to invest your money,” she explains. “And build your credit, even in your 20s. Building your credit is really important guys. You want to start at 20 and by the time you’re 40 you’re going to be set.”

Pay Those Cards Off

She adds that paying off your credit cards on time is the simplest way to build credit, as long as you make timely payments and don’t overspend. The WAGS LA alumna candidly mentions that when she first tried to break into modeling in New York City, all she had was a “mattress on the floor, a broom and ketchup in [her] fridge.”

If she could go back in time she would tell her younger self to stop worrying about impressing people and simply take care of herself.

Don’t Worry About How Others Spend

“I was like struggling. But I sure as hell had awesome Giuseppe shoes and my Celine bag. And I looked like I was [doing well],” Williams English continues. “Yeah I was starving, I had nothing to eat, but I cared about what I looked like. I don’t think that even matters at all. A lot of younger people feel like they have to [put on] a show for people.”

Crawford shares that she used to be the same way.

“Stay away from friends that make you feel like you have to show up like that because your real friends don’t care about the material things that you have,” she suggests.

Williams English adds that you should never be embarrassed about what you are going through.

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“Just be honest and be real and true to who you are,” she suggests. “Own who you are. That’s all that matters. When you’re young it’s so hard to remember that because you care so much about other people and what they think about you. It doesn’t matter.”

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