Exclusive: Taylor Rooks shares advice for younger self as Financial Literacy Month ends

NBA fans who have watched games on Amazon Prime Video this season have likely seen on-air personality Taylor Rooks, who hosts the streaming service’s NBA on Prime Video studio show alongside former players Blake Griffin, Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, and Udonis Haslem. However, the 33-year-old is more than a sportscaster.

Rooks also uses her platform to help others. The Georgia native leads the Taylor Rooks Foundation, which aims to expand access to “empower underserved communities by meeting their overlooked needs with dignity, care, and action,” according to the website. Credit reporting company Experian announced that it will donate $50,000 to the foundation on April 9 as part of a partnership with Rooks for Financial Literacy Month, which is in April.

Throughout the month, Rooks shared what she’s learned from her own financial journey to inform others. For example, Experian released a commercial on April 8 in which she described how her mom had her identity stolen, and that showed her how crucial it is to stay on top of her credit. She also emphasized how she uses the Experian app to keep track of her FICO score and get real-time alerts, which can be seen below.

Experian® Partners with Taylor Rooks to Empower Consumers During Financial Literacy Month. Boost your FICO® Score with Experian® today! #ExperianFinancialLiteracy pic.twitter.com/LyirOp3w9d

— Experian (@Experian_US) April 13, 2026

Rooks’ partnership with Experian is only one of several ventures she’s undertaken through her foundation. The foundation is also partnered with a nonprofit organization named Undue Medical Debt to abolish $2 million in medical debt for people in her hometown of Gwinnett County, Ga. An X user thanked her on Saturday after the organization paid off his medical bill.

In an email interview with ClutchPoints, Rooks dug deeper into her story, her outlook on financial literacy in underserved communities, and her goals with her foundation.

Taylor Rooks Q&A

Joshua Valdez: When did you start being proactive about your finances/credit?

Taylor Rooks: I wish I could tell you it was much earlier, but it wasn’t until I was an adult and having to pay my own bills. Early in my career, I was so focused on showing up and proving myself that finances felt secondary. But once I started to see how access, freedom, and even peace of mind are tied to financial structure, not just income, I became a lot more intentional. Money always felt like this thing there would always be more of, but suddenly you realize there is just always something to pay for. I had a rude awakening in my very early 20s when I had to pay my own taxes for the first time. And let me just tell you…it was A BIG NUMBER.

I quickly learned the value of saving, and saving money is the most proactive thing you can do when it comes to your finances. I understood the advantages of planning and budgeting. This helped exponentially when I started getting credit cards because I had a much better grasp on how to make sure I paid for things on time and that I always had the ability to pay things on time. Not doing that greatly impacts your FICO Score, and you always want to keep that in good standing. Having the Experian app is a game-changer in that area because it keeps you aware with real-time alerts and gives you a clear picture of where you stand.

Joshua Valdez: What financial advice would you give your younger self based on what you know now?

Taylor Rooks: I would tell myself that making money and managing money are two completely different skills, and you need both. I’d also remind myself that discipline is more valuable than big moments. It’s not about one good decision; it’s about a thousand small ones you make consistently. And I’d probably push myself to ask more questions sooner. I was clueless, and for whatever reason I didn’t push myself to be informed. There’s no reward for figuring it out the hard way, and there are so many resources available that can help you learn.

Joshua Valdez: Was there a certain moment in your life that inspired you to help others with their finances?

Taylor Rooks: I visit a lot of college campuses, and it’s always clear to me that young people have a lot of fear around what their future will look like, and much of that fear revolves around financial security. I get asked questions all the time about income expectations or mistakes I made when I was younger. And a lot of those students come from families where money just wasn’t something that was openly discussed.

It’s the overall intimidating nature of money conversations that makes me want to help people with their finances, because the big problem most times is the lack of transparency or comfort around talking about money. Seeing how often young people who are talented, driven, and capable still feel locked out of financial stability because no one ever gave them the tools or language for it. That gap is less about intelligence and more about access. I don’t want information to be something people have to stumble into. I wanted it to be something they could actually receive and use. It’s one of the main reasons I love my partnership with Experian. Experian is dedicated to giving people the tools to feel in control of their financial lives.

Joshua Valdez: Do you think financial literacy in underserved communities is better now than when you were
younger? How can it improve?

Taylor Rooks: It’s more visible now, but visibility doesn’t always mean accessibility. There’s more content, more conversations, but not always more clarity. Real improvement comes when information is not just available, but relevant and trusted. That means meeting people where they are, speaking in a way that respects their reality, and offering tools that are actually actionable. It has definitely improved, but there is still a long way to go. We are making the necessary steps, though! And that makes me happy.

Joshua Valdez: Do you have certain benchmarks you’d like to meet with your foundation?

Taylor Rooks: I think about impact more than volume. I want the foundation to visibly and tangibly help make people’s lives better or easier. What matters most to me is: did we change how someone will be able to move through the world? Did it give them a decision-making framework they didn’t have before?

That said, I do believe in structure. I want to raise the most money possible to reach the most people. I want to build something consistent and scalable—programming that shows up regularly, resources that people can return to, and partnerships like this one with Experian that extend the reach beyond a single moment. The goal is to create something that doesn’t just inform people once but actually shifts their relationship with money and themselves over time. At TRF, I try to address and aid the real problems that real people face. I want to be able to look into the eyes of the people we are helping.

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