Estrella learned at a young age the value of preparing for the unexpected.
When Estrella Garza was just 20, her mother passed away. Her mom, Margarita (Margie) Rodriguez, was a longtime associate at Store 5245 in San Antonio, Texas.
Associates from the store helped Estrella and her younger sister through the challenging time with compassion. They held a balloon release in honor of Margie. They even organized a fundraiser to help Estrella and her sister. But a thoughtful suggestion from their mother’s close friend changed their lives for the better.
The friend suggested Estrella check with HR to see if her mom had any savings or retirement accounts through Walmart. That’s when Estrella learned her mom had named her the beneficiary of her 401(k) account.
With her mom’s savings, Estrella was able to make payments on family land and buy a new mobile home. Margie’s smart choices gave her daughters the stability and home they needed.
Easy steps that change lives
Keeping your beneficiaries’ information updated helps make sure your benefits, like 401(k) and life insurance, are paid according to your wishes. If you don’t name a beneficiary, your benefit will be paid according to plan terms, which may not be consistent with your intent.
Invest for the future
Starting as early as possible can give you a big advantage later on. That’s because your 401(k) money grows with earnings from investments, then those earnings can grow too, and so do the earnings on your earnings. It’s called compounding, and the longer you have money in the plan, the more your money multiplies.
Growing up with Walmart
Losing their mom was difficult in many ways, but the inheritance eased some of the stress. There was comfort in feeling that their mom was still caring for them.
It also helped Estrella to have the support of her “second family” — the associates at Store 5245. Estrella smiles as she remembers visiting her mom at work as a child. “It was just so much our second home. It was where we grew up.”
At one point, she and her sister worked at the store with her mom. “I was in the front end. My sister was in apparel, and my mom was in photo lab,” Estrella explains. “We would eat lunch together. Everyone would say, ‘Oh look, there’s Margie and her little bears.’”
Coming home to her second family
After leaving Walmart for a few years, Estrella is now back at Store 5245. The benefits offered by Walmart were a big reason for her return. After all, she knows firsthand the difference that good financial benefits can have on a family.
“I wanted a better job. I wanted to be secure and stable,” Estrella says. “I wanted to have that 401(k) to build up for my son.”
It also feels good to be with associates who knew her mother and watched Estrella and her sister grow up. “Whenever I see them, it reminds me of a second family,” she shares. “I just feel at home. I feel at peace, because they're taking care of me.”
Estrella makes a point of sharing what she’s learned with younger associates, telling them about the importance of putting money away for the future and the difference it made to her and her sister.
“I tell them, ‘You should get on top of it. You're still young, but at least you'll be growing that money,’” she says.
Ready to follow Estrella’s recommendation and start saving for your family’s future? Start here.
