Most of us have made a purchase we look back on and think, “Well, maybe that wasn’t such a good idea after all.” Sometimes, it’s an expensive purse, or a pair of shoes we didn’t need, or a bland $7 latte. For a young woman in the southern states, it was a 2024 Kia Forte.

The woman was one of Yusef Benallal’s social media (@ridewithyusef) followers, who became one of many to call the influencer-turned-auto dealer in Georgia for help. At 25, she felt her local dealership took advantage of her financial ignorance in August 2024.

She didn’t put any money down for her very first car purchase, so she walked out of the dealership having financed the $25,000 car at 29% interest with payments at $819, thanks to a low credit score in the 500s.

“I didn’t know anything about credit when I bought the car, so I didn’t necessarily have the best score when I went to inquire about the car,” she said. “So, getting the car kind of taught me better ways to build my credit.”

The Kia’s expenses were causing her to drown

What made it so expensive for her, though, was the insurance costs.

Because her Forte had a turn-key ignition instead of a push start, her insurance company deemed it a high risk for theft (thanks, Kia Boyz). So, her monthly payments were $450. In case you can’t do the mental math, that’s $1,269 per month.

The woman called Yusef to see if he could buy the car from her so she could get out from under it. However, Yusef had to write her a hefty reality check.

He said, plainly and simply, he couldn’t help

Viewers could tell it was difficult for Yusef to tell her the bad news: as a car dealer, there was nothing he could do. Especially since the woman didn’t have a down payment to relieve the negative equity. Oh, and the fact that the Kia is difficult to sell.

“Unfortunately, with a low credit score in the 500s, there’s no option for you,” he said. “Unfortunately, there’s really nothing you can do… I love that people call me looking for advice, and sometimes I can help them, and other times it is what it is, you know?”

The woman, ever the optimist, decided to look at the bright side—even while making only $3,200 per month.

“I mean, I guess it’s not that bad,” she said. “I just pay $419 one check, and then $400 the next check.” Yusef quickly pointed out that the number was over one-third of her income, putting her in a bind.

His advice was to hunker down

Because her payments were so high, he said the best way was to buckle down and pay extra towards the loan.

“I would pay $300 to $400 extra a month towards the principle so you can pay it down, but, you said you only make around $3,200 per month, so if you’re paying $1,600 towards this car, that’s over half your income and that wouldn’t be smart just to save on interest.”

Looking toward the future, he encouraged her to learn more about how credit works, how to improve her score, and how to understand her finances. Until her credit is in the 600s, he said there’s nothing anyone can do.