>> Major funding for "Opportunity Knock$" is provided by the National Council for Financial Opportunities, a nonprofit dedicated to reducing poverty and creating economic mobility by breaking down systematic barriers, increasing equitable access to capital and making opportunity accessible to all.

Its programmatic areas of focus include financial resiliency, financial accessibility and income adequacy.

Additional funding provided by Balance, a national nonprofit financial counseling agency.

And by Callahan & Associates, which facilitates collaboration between financial cooperatives.

Every day, millions of Americans must make the choice between rent and food.

>> I definitely live paycheck to paycheck.

>> But what many Americans don't know is that there are methods available in their own backyard built to help them with these struggles.

>> I didn't realize it was possible for us to do that outside of a V.A.

loan.

>> "Opportunity Knock$" has matched three expert coaches with six struggling families to give a personalized financial experience that even you can benefit from.

>> I've always told myself, "You got to break the cycle, you got to break the cycle."

>> Through this journey, we will see that the American dream is possible with the right advice.

>> Do it like a math problem because we've got to figure it out.

>> Our coaches will guide these families with resources within their community that will unlock the doors to financial freedom.

>> You got to stay focused on the goal.

>> Will the obstacles they face prove to be too much for these six families?

>> Change is hard.

>> Yeah, change is hard.

>> There's no way we can get ahead here.

>> I feel stuck.

>> Or will the coaches help them open the door when opportunity knocks?

♪ [ Laughter ] >> My name is Fiona.

>> I'm James.

>> And we live in Los Angeles.

>> My name is Michelle and I live in Tampa.

>> I'm Charles.

>> And I'm Tiffany.

We are pastors in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

>> My name is Patricia.

I live in the outskirts of El Paso, Texas.

>> I'm Lauren.

>> I'm Jared.

>> We live in Raleigh, and we have two kids.

>> I'm Hannah.

>> And I'm Juliette.

>> And we live in Philadelphia with our daughter.

>> Hello, everyone.

I am Ronaldo Hardy, your financial justice expert and host of "Opportunity Knock$."

>> Hello.

>> Hey.

[ Laughter ] >> Welcome to Dollywood in the breathtaking Smoky Mountains of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

Is everyone ready to embark on a once-in-a-lifetime experience?

>> All: Yes.

[ Laughter ] >> I hope so.

>> Good.

Because this adventure is sure to get everyone on the right road to financial freedom.

[ Applause ] With the guidance of these three coaches standing by my side, you will all be empowered to tackle the financial hurdles that have currently taken over your lives.

Allow me to introduce your marvelous coaches.

Directly to my side is Jean Chatzky.

Jean was the financial editor of NBC's "Today" show for the past 25 years.

>> Wow.

>> Jean is not only one of our financial coaches, but also a New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling author.

[ Applause ] >> Hi, everybody.

I am thrilled to be here and so excited to be working with some of you.

[ Laughter ] >> Next to Jean is Patrice Washington.

Patrice is an award-winning author, top-rated podcaster and TV media personality.

>> Hey, guys, I'm Patrice.

And I'm so excited to work with you.

This journey is going to be amazing.

>> And finally, we have the multi-award-winning author and speaker, certified financial planner Louis Barajas.

>> Hey, guys.

I'm really excited to do this journey with you.

And I know that we're going to create a big impact in your life.

>> Wow!

[ Applause ] >> Over the next three months, each of you will get undivided time with one of these three financial coaches.

They will give you specific guidance that is catered to you and your unique journey.

Through the help of our financial coaches and nonprofits in your area, you will gain a personal education that is not normally taught in schools -- a customized journey to financial responsibility that will not be an easy process.

>> [ Laughs ] >> Is everyone up for it?

>> Yes!

>> Charles, you look stunned.

>> I was told we were signing up for coupons.

I wasn't -- [ Laughter ] >> This is much more than couponing.

[ Laughter ] This is going to be an exciting road ahead of us.

Who wants to see which coach you're working with?

>> Yeah!

>> Tiffany and Charles and Michelle, you get to work with our very own money maven, Patrice Washington.

[ Cheers and applause ] >> Charles is not excited.

[ Laughter ] >> Even though I'm excited, I'm just a little bit intimidated because, you know, we have to put it all out there.

As pastors, we're great at helping people with their issues.

But when it comes to letting our issues out and just kind of opening up and being transparent... Ah!

[ Laughter ] >> Jared and Lauren, along with Juliette and Hannah, you will be paired with personal finance ambassador, the one and only Jean Chatzky.

[ Cheers and applause ] >> I think we need help from Jean because we have kids, we have a family.

We want to make sure our financial situation is secure so we can provide that security to our children.

>> Alright, James and Fiona, as well as Patricia, you will be working with our financial healer, Louis Barajas.

>> I'm very excited because I've been so used to struggle for so many years.

So it's like having to break and emerge into this new life.

>> We have a lot of work to do and I cannot wait to see you again.

Hopefully with a lot of financial independence written all over your faces.

>> Yay!

[ Applause ] >> Does anyone have any questions or anything that you want to say?

>> When do we get started?

>> Good question.

How about now?

[ Applause ] See y'all soon.

>> Bye!

>> See you.

>> After everyone makes it home and updates their families on this upcoming adventure, our coaches will stop in to get this journey underway.

♪ ♪ >> Are y'all ready?

Josiah has made me late almost every day this week 'cause he waits until I'm ready to walk out the door.

>> We are the Whites, and we have two wonderful kids.

>> Chrystian and Josiah.

13 and 11.

>> And a handful.

>> [ Laughs ] >> Yes, uh... >> Do you have your shoes on?

>> Are they tied?

>> Are they tied this time?

Well, people know us to be just a very spontaneous couple.

I know you guys have been hearing around the house about this adventure.

>> What type of adventure is it?

>> So you know how you have a coach in football.

We're going to have a financial coach.

Are we nervous?

>> Not really.

>> You're not?

Yeah, you're not.

>> You're not nervous.

[ Laughter ] You ain't gonna be looking at your cash yet.

>> I'm very excited because I feel like it's an answer to the prayer we prayed.

You know, we asked God for a chance to start over.

Now, we didn't say what that chance would be.

We didn't say, you know, you know, what that's going to look like.

>> It's nerve-wracking, but I know it's going to benefit us in the long run.

>> I know Charles is very nervous to be exposed.

I mean, like, that's what we've been talking about.

You know, like, oh, my goodness.

Like, "They're going to look into our stuff."

Remember, though, how I talked to you guys about the bank and about credit and all of that.

Huh?

Remember I told you a story about me in college?

>> I do.

>> We're a little bit more responsible with a credit card than we used to be when we were in college.

>> She don't want to tell you the truth.

>> Scared, Mama?

>> I had fun messing up my credit in college.

>> I wouldn't say you had fun.

>> Well, because at that time I thought it was free money that came with T-shirts and king-size candy bars, so...

I was in the student union one day and they were giving out free candy bars.

>> T-shirts.

>> T-shirts and free candy bars.

And I really signed up for the credit.

I didn't want the credit card.

I wanted the candy bar.

And so I just signed my name on the line.

Listen, when you use the credit card once, it's addictive.

It's kind of like you and anime.

It's addicting.

>> It is addicting, especially like when you really don't want to spend, like, the money you have in the bank.

>> Y'all still messing it up?

>> What, messing up our credit?

>> Yeah.

>> No, but the funny thing is, is not messing it up anymore doesn't change the fact that it's been messed up.

And that's the thing about credit -- like, good decisions stay with you and so do bad decisions.

So we've lived quite a few years based on our bad decisions.

>> Exactly.

And we need to teach y'all how to budget.

So this thing is not just for us, me and Dad.

This is for you, too.

>> Financial success for me means creating a path for my kids.

Not necessarily so that they can escape the trouble, but they'll have the wisdom on how to make the better decisions when the trouble comes.

>> I want you to grow up knowing how to deal with money and how to be financially responsible.

How to save, new habits, new, healthier.

>> New habits.

>> So I believe that we're going to learn some new lessons, you know?

And so I'm excited about this.

We're about to get some help, so with that being said, it's time to go to school.

Time for you to go to work.

It's time to go to work.

Alright?

Let's go.

>> Let's go.

Bailey, don't do nothing 'til I get back.

[ Laughter ] ♪ ♪ >> Hey.

Are you guys excited about meeting Jean?

>> Um, I'm a little nervous, but, yeah, I'm excited.

We currently live with my parents, and we've lived here for about a year and a half now.

Mm-hmm.

There's just a lot we don't know, you know?

>> Well, I'm sure she'll -- She's got a lot to teach you.

>> I know, I know, I know.

Well, see, that's the thing.

We're -- I mean, that's why we're doing all this, to learn more.

>> She's an independent, like, neutral third party.

>> Yeah.

>> She doesn't have a personal investment in my past or, like, the poor choices I've made.

Her job, her role is to educate me, and I own my mistakes, like... >> Yeah.

>> ...I made those.

I'll talk about them.

>> Jared came into our marriage with a significant amount of debt.

What was the number again?

>> $75,000.

>> $75,000.

>> Do you think this is going to be something that will help you get on your feet financially and, you know, be able to buy a house?

>> Jared and I both worked incredibly hard early in our marriage to pay down that debt.

That was a major priority.

We're so grateful to you and Dad for letting us stay here.

When we moved in with my parents, I was nine months pregnant with our second child, Aimee, and that was also a contributing factor where I was feeling the urge to pull back from work because I wanted to spend more time with our kids while they were young.

It is interesting being in my own room with now my husband and, you know... >> It's a little weird, huh?

>> ...thinking like, "Oh, I studied for my high school math test in here" and now other stuff and no, no, I'm good.

I knew our kids were only going to be little and young for so long, and I had Jared's support for me to stop working full time in my career and stay home with the children.

Eventually, when we do get our own place, yeah, I still want to live close where you can help us out as we need it.

>> I would like that too.

>> Yeah.

Yeah.

Of course, I don't want to stay here forever.

My timeline, personally, I would love to be out definitely in three years, if not sooner.

>> Want to say good night?

>> Good night.

>> Oh!

You actually said -- You pushed her away but you said good night.

>> Give her back to Mommy!

>> "Give her back to Mommy"?

>> Alright, I'll be back in a minute.

♪ ♪ >> I'm -- I'm -- I don't know.

A lot of feelings.

>> It's crazy.

>> Yeah.

>> It's crazy.

>> I'm nervous, but I'm excited.

I mean, this could really be awesome.

This could really help us.

>> Our first date, we were the last people in the restaurant, and we closed the place down because of our conversations.

But they let us keep talking.

They -- I think the restaurant saw that love blossom.

So, like, "We're going to let them talk."

It's so good.

I'm excited.

>> You're hilarious.

>> Growing up, I really felt that we were given a good work ethic and I started working at 14, mowing lawns, and then in college I was lured into the credit-card idea to pay for maybe some dates in college and stuff like that.

>> I mean, the hardest part with where we're at right now is California's gotten so expensive.

There's no way we can get ahead here.

You know?

>> I feel stuck.

I'm stuck in my job.

>> Yeah.

You're so unhappy.

>> I've been working with the LAUSD for now 16 years.

>> I would much rather see you happy in a job that you love and thriving... >> Yeah.

>> ...than keep on keeping on with something that makes you so un-- >> Well, it's like, you know, prioritize, and so do I stay at the job I hate until retirement for the retirement's sake or...?

>> No, maybe the coach can help us with that.

>> Teachers, they always say that you're kind of poor through your career, then you retire rich.

And so there is a great pension with CalSTRS.

But I have 25 more years with the district, so it's a long time to hold out for that great pension.

Got this IVF coming up, honey.

>> I know.

>> I don't -- I want you to be less stressed.

Okay, honey?

I know it's hard.

>> This is such an oxymoron.

It's like you're supposed to "not be stressed at all" through this process, but then it's like the most stressful thing you can go through.

Well, we started accumulating debt as a couple when we started to try to get pregnant.

>> We actually used our honey fund, our honeymoon fund, for the first round of IUIs, And so that went pretty quickly within about six months.

>> The doctor, though, overmedicated me to the point where I had to be hospitalized for four days and I was -- Basically it's called hyperstimulation and my ovaries blew up.

I had to be drained like twice.

I mean, it was -- >> Filled with fluids.

>> It was really a very traumatic experience and it ate through all of those savings.

It's my biggest fear to be a burden.

My biggest fear is to be a financial burden to somebody.

>> I'm sorry, honey.

>> And it's a lot of stress I put on myself to make sure that I'm doing my part.

>> Yeah.

>> I don't want to see you more unhappy or stressed out, you know?

That's not fair.

>> Babe, I think things are going to change.

>> Ah, I think if anyone deserves a leg up right now, it's definitely you.

But I do too.

[ Laughs ] >> It's us.

It's us.

♪ ♪ ♪ >> Do y'all like being here over New York?

>> No.

>> No?

Why?

What's wrong?

>> Because I need to meet more people.

>> Well, I'm not sure yet, since we just moved here.

>> Yeah, 'cause you're going to meet me -- You're gonna meet people.

Just, you know, gotta take some time.

And in New York, what was going on?

A lot of violence towards y'all, y'all friends, y'all peers.

You couldn't even go to the store half the time, K'Mar.

You would ask to go to the store, I would have to tell you no.

3:00 in the afternoon, I shouldn't be scared for my kids to be able to play outside.

I just recently moved to Tampa from upstate New York.

I'm a single mom of three kids.

I have a set of 13-year-old twins, K'Mari, a girl and K'Mar, a boy.

And I also have a 10-year-old daughter.

Her name is K'Maya.

Well, I called y'all in to let you know I'm getting a financial coach.

Her name is Patrice into this program, and she's going to come coach me into helping me with my finances, helping me save money, helping me establish credit and build my credit.

And you know how I've always been talking about doing my own business.

She's going to help.

You know, everybody loves me as a bus driver.

I'm the people person.

In New York, everybody requested me.

Every field trip y'all went on, every wedding or anything, everybody was always calling me.

"We want you to drive for us.

We want you to drive for us."

I want that same thing here.

But I want it to be my own business.

I don't want them to have to go through another company and say, "Give me your best driver."

Being a business owner would give me more stability.

It would change my life.

It would change my kids' life.

>> Is the coach going to help you, like, make this business?

>> I hope so.

I'm hoping Patrice is able to lead me in the right direction and get me a running start.

>> I'm happy that we can do this, and I know that you're going to do well with it.

>> I'm glad you found someone to help you.

♪ ♪ >> Ugh, I don't feel like cooking... >> Okay.

We have leftover strawberry -- >> There's your strawberries.

>> Say "strawberries, please."

Oh.

Mama forgot one.

>> Uh-oh.

I'm a school teacher.

I teach third grade in South Philadelphia.

>> And I'm a school social worker in Philadelphia.

>> We're balancing a lot of things there, love.

>> These are not lucrative professions.

>> I feel nervous and excited.

I feel like this is all crazy.

>> Yeah.

>> But... We bought our home right after we got married.

Like, within the same year.

>> We bought what we thought we could and are quickly outgrowing it.

I think it's just like having a kid just, like, shows you, like, this timeline that, like, you didn't really think about before.

Like, she's only a little over two.

We need to get our finances right because we want to leave her in a better shape than where we are right now.

You know?

>> We have our mortgage for our home.

And then between the two of us, we both have a lot of student debt and then childcare.

So that's like three.

>> Yeah, three huge bills a month.

>> I don't want to discredit that we've made a lot of progress since we first started dating a million years ago, but my habits were more like, you can't -- you can't take it with ya.

Like, you might as well spend it, and your habits were, like, saving like -- like a maniac.

Do you remember when I was, like, breastfeeding in the middle of the night and there would always be that one thing that would solve your problem that you can buy online?

>> Oh, yes, and so it's like, "Oh, one-click shopping online."

>> Yeah.

How do we do it to make our money grow?

>> Right.

How do we do it to be smart about it?

We budget for big things.

We know certain bills that come out every month, but it's the things that are changing or, you know, the random pickups.

Ugh.

Okay.

So I definitely don't feel like cooking.

>> [ Chuckles ] >> Growing up, I knew savings was important and I didn't really know how -- how to use savings or how to, like, use certain accounts.

And so I think I've always had, like, at least a hint of "save money," but I also don't know how to make it work.

>> You going to your kitchen?

You gonna make something for us?

>> Yeah.

Could I have my -- a pizza, please?

♪ ♪ >> This is good.

And then follow the directi-- [ Clank ] Whoa, be careful.

Follow -- Christopher.

Follow the directions on here.

Just slowly put them in there.

I was born in Juárez, Mexico, and my family migrated to California when I was two years old.

Give me a plate, please.

I have six children.

Diced is good.

Food always brings them together.

Okay, guys, I have some really good news, so I'm glad that you guys are helping me today because I'm going to be getting a mentor to help us along this financial journey, which is relieving because I'm tired.

I cannot -- I cannot take one more day without sleeping.

I have lived here for 19 years.

For me, it is a sanctuary.

It's beautiful.

The water issue has just got me so stressed that this news came at a perfect time.

In this house, there are three bathrooms.

However, only one is functional.

The mentor is going to come and help us what we've been doing wrong and what we can do to make it right.

There's also, in part of the home, the major part where we stay, there is no heat source.

There's no A.C.

This is going to take us to a better position than when we -- where we started.

>> I remember when the sink was not working.

We had to fill the bucket.

We had to empty it out.

>> That's how you got your muscles, Christopher.

[ Laughs ] In the kitchen, under the sink cabinet, every time we washed dishes, we had to throw out the water and put an empty bucket every single time.

>> Mom.

You're gonna make everyone cry.

>> I'm ready for a new life.

>> It is gonna change, Mom.

Remember, you've been saying this for -- >> You've been saying this for a while.

>> This is finally it.

This is the change you've been asking for.

>> I don't want to see my children suffer anymore because of my financial bad decisions.

[ Sighs ] Gosh.

I'm so very grateful for all of you to be able to have stayed by my side and believed that our lives will change if we make some really good financial decisions.

And the mentor coming in to -- to help us through it is just -- I'm beyond grateful.

I have made mistakes financially.

I feel a little bit like maybe -- oh, gosh -- embarrassed because you don't want to ask for help.

I didn't grow up with all of this knowledge that is available now.

And so being able to break that cycle and have my children have that freedom and their children have that freedom.

But there's a light of hope and everything's going to be fine, like I told you.

Every single time I told you it's going to be alright.

All of you have a dream, just like I do.

Use me as an example to never give up.

Let's have some enchiladas.

>> Mom, do a happy dance.

[ Laughter ] >> I need my '70s funky music.

[ Laughter ] >> To find your own opportunities, please visit opportunityknocks.net.

This season on "Opportunity Knock$"... >> We've got to face what's going on right now.

You're on the verge of foreclosure.

>> Are you willing to go back to work?

>> Um... >> What kind of a burden is it putting on the marriage?

>> To start a family gives me a lot of anxiety.

>> Where you are right now, it's ridiculous.

>> It feels like I'm bringing all of this weight.

>> It's hard to see.

>> Are all the credit cards maxed out?

>> I got like $20 available on one of them.

>> Welcome back to the amazing Dollywood.

>> If you got $5,000, what would you do with it today?

>> Major funding for "Opportunity Knock$" is provided by the National Council for Financial Opportunities, a nonprofit dedicated to reducing poverty and creating economic mobility by breaking down systematic barriers, increasing equitable access to capital and making opportunity accessible to all.

Its programmatic areas of focus include financial resiliency, financial accessibility and income adequacy.

Additional funding provided by Balance, a national nonprofit financial counseling agency.

And by Callahan & Associates, which facilitates collaboration between financial cooperatives.

♪