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Marco Rubio鈥檚 personal finances appear to have been a high-wire act much of his adult life.

Until recently, the Florida senator and top-tier Republican presidential contender was paying off big student loans. At one point Senator Rubio owned three houses, including one he just sold at a loss. And he has acknowledged cashing out a $68,000 retirement account 鈥� a move financial planners strongly discourage 鈥� in preparation for his presidential run and to pay for household items.

What鈥檚 more, on Rubio鈥檚 finances revealed that after getting an $800,000 advance in 2012 to write a memoir, he made some big-ticket purchases, including an $80,000 boat.

鈥淎 review of the Rubio family鈥檚 finances 鈥� including many new documents 鈥� reveals a series of decisions over the past 15 years that experts called imprudent: significant debts; a penchant to spend heavily on luxury items like the boat and the lease of a $50,000 2015 Audi Q7; a strikingly low savings rate, even when Mr. Rubio was earning large sums; and inattentive accounting that led to years of unpaid local government fees,鈥� the Times reported.

The article details other eyebrow-raising financial practices, including Rubio鈥檚 use of a Florida GOP-issued credit card for personal expenses. He has since reimbursed the party.

Here鈥檚 the big question: Will voters see this son of working-class immigrants 鈥� who did not grow up wealthy like, say, Jeb Bush 鈥� and say, 鈥淗e鈥檚 just like us! He started with nothing, he鈥檚 worked hard, and he deserves some luxuries.鈥�

And they might add: 鈥淲ho cares what The New York Times says? They鈥檙e just out to get him.鈥�

Or will they say, 鈥淵ikes, this guy can鈥檛 manage money. Should he really be our next president?鈥�

Rubio鈥檚 campaign is banking on the former reaction, and in fact, is fundraising on it. In a mass e-mail to donors sent Tuesday, Rubio accused the Times of suggesting that he鈥檚 鈥渘ot rich enough to be president.鈥� Then he went after Hillary Clinton.

鈥淎s I have said many times, I am not poor, but I鈥檓 not rich either,鈥� Rubio wrote. 鈥淚t鈥檚 true, I didn鈥檛 make over $11 million last year giving speeches to special interests. And we don鈥檛 have a family foundation that has raised $2 billion from Wall Street and foreign interests.鈥�

A few days earlier, the Rubio campaign went after the Times for 鈥� one detailing his and his wife鈥檚 driving records, which include numerous citations for 鈥渟peeding, driving through red lights, and careless driving.鈥�

Twitter users mocked the Times with the hashtag #RubioCrimeSpree. The finance story spawned a followup, #RubioSpendingSpree. 聽

In five days, fundraising on both stories had netted the campaign $100,000, .听

W. James Antle III, , opined Wednesday that Rubio鈥檚 shaky finances wouldn鈥檛 topple his campaign 鈥� 鈥渦nless there鈥檚 more to the story.鈥�

鈥淧eople don鈥檛 expect their politicians to be perfect,鈥� Mr. Antle wrote. 鈥淭hey do like to feel reasonably confident they aren't bought and paid for, a suspicion that skeptics of the current campaign finance system already harbor.鈥�

So far, there鈥檚 been no suggestion Rubio is corrupt. Also, the Times erred by calling the $80,000 boat a 鈥渓uxury speedboat.鈥� It鈥檚 a fishing boat 鈥� albeit, a high-end version. The $80,000 figure is correct.

The rest of the Times article stands as written. Any Republicans uneasy with a man who can鈥檛 keep his credit cards straight, or who liquidates a retirement account and a new air conditioning unit, among other things, might be concerned about the GOP star鈥檚 prospects 鈥� especially for a party that stands for fiscal responsibility. The Times article noted that even some Rubio supporters are worried. 聽

But for now, it鈥檚 Rubio 1, New York Times 0. And Rubio鈥檚 standing as a top-tier candidate appears safe.听