Every year at tax refund time we have many clients wisely choose to  invest part of their tax refund check towards achieving a healthy credit report. Wouldn’t you love for 2012 to be the year when you finally reach the higher credit scores you desire? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if 2012 was the year when you were finally able to stop those pesky collection calls and possibly even become a homeowner?

HOPE would love the opportunity to help you reach your goals! You can join the ranks of the 85+ HOPE graduates who have completed the program with credit scores healthy enough to purchase a home in just the last 4 months! Call or email us today to schedule your own personal, no obligation credit analysis with one of our credit experts to see if the HOPE Program is right for you. We can’t wait to hear from you soon!

Congratulations to Mrs. Smith, another HOPE client who is very close to her dream of homeownership!  In a mere 7 weeks of membership in the HOPE Program Mrs. Smith has already seen tremendous results!  Here are just a few of the successes she has already experienced as a member of the HOPE Program:

*Middle credit score increased from 542 to 619! (That’s 77 points in 7 weeks – wow!!)
*Over ¾ of the negative items on her credit report have been erased!

With only 21 points to go before achieving a “loan ready” credit score, we cannot wait to see Mrs. Smith successfully complete the HOPE Program with a healthy credit report that she can be proud of.  Wouldn’t it be nice to never be turned down for a loan again due to credit issues?  This will soon be a reality for Mrs. Smith and it can be your reality too!  Stop letting bad credit control your life! You can begin to take control of your credit situation today.  Check out our recent blog, 5 Ways to Give Your Credit a Kick in the Pants!, containing tips on how to improve your credit scores and you could find yourself with a success story like Mrs. Smith before you know it!

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Why Are Credit Scores Important?
By Michelle Black

So, you likely already know the basic principle about what a credit score is used for and, therefore, why it is important to have a good one.  Whenever you apply for a loan (car loan, mortgage loan, credit card loan, personal loan, etc.) a lender is going to look at your credit score and decide whether or not you qualify.  If your credit score is high enough, you can likely expect to be approved for the loan (provided you earn enough income to qualify). However, a low credit score could result in you being declined for the loan you want or, if you are approved, it could mean a higher interest rate and a bigger down payment.

To put it simply, credit scores (and your credit report) are a type of report card which future lenders get to look at when you apply for a loan.  The “report card” shows lenders a picture of how you pay your bills – on time, late, or not at all.  If your credit report shows that you have a history of paying your bills on time then future lenders will want to loan you money as well since, chances are, you will pay the payments on time and they will be able to earn a profit from you in the form of interest.  However, if your credit report shows that you have a history of paying your bills late or not at all then future lenders will be scared to loan you any more money.  The reason they will be hesitant to loan you more money is because chances are higher that they may not get paid back for their investment, much less make any kind of profit through interest fees.

In our current culture, credit scores impact our lives in many ways.  I already mentioned how you will need a good credit score to qualify for any type of loan.  However, did you also know that your credit score may be used to determine you auto insurance rate and whether or not you have to put down a deposit when opening a new utility or cell phone account?  Plus, it is now a common practice for employers to pull your credit score when you are applying for a new job.  Depending upon the industry in which you work, your current employer may even access your credit report to determine whether or not you are “credit worthy” to remain employed with the company.

Since credit affects so many different aspects of our lives, it is more important than ever to have a healthy credit score.  However, if you find yourself in the uncomfortable situation of having a subprime credit score (a consumer score of 649 or lower) then HOPE would like to encourage you to give our credit experts a call.  Remember, you do not have to feel embarrassed or defeated due to a subprime credit score!  Bad credit scores happen to good people all the time. In fact, over 60 million American currently have a subprime credit score so, if you are in the same boat, you certainly are not alone! You still deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. Don’t ever let anyone make you feel otherwise.

You can make a plan today to start improving your credit scores.  Please contact us via email or phone at 704-499-9696 to learn more about how the HOPE Program can help you to achieve the healthier credit you desire!  Over 85 graduates have completed our program in the last 4 and ½ months with credit scores healthy enough to purchase a home! We would love the opportunity to help you achieve your success story as well.

*Follow us on Facebook and Twitter today for access to free weekly credit tips and more!

We are happy to announce another HOPE graduate this week and would like to share a little bit of her success story with you! Ana joined the HOPE Program after she had tried and failed to get some incorrect information removed from her credit report.  She had 6 tax liens reporting on her credit when she first became a member of our program for a grand total of $25,771!  Unfortunately, even though these tax liens were reported to the credit bureaus in error (Ana did not actually owe any money on back tax liens) she still was not able to get them removed from her report.  She had even hired a tax attorney to help her with the situation, but no results were made after over 6 months!  Ouch!

Don’t worry though, this story has a happy ending. Ana’s situation began to change once HOPE Credit Experts got involved!  As of this week Ana has achieved a completely clean credit report with the help of our HOPE staff! All 6 incorrect tax liens have been erased from her credit report and all $25,771 in erroneous debt is gone as well!  Ana has now been pre-approved for a mortgage, is currently in the process of picking out her dream home (how fun!!), and is planning to close on her new home next month.  We would like to issue a great, big “congratulations” to both Ana and our hard working HOPE staff for refusing to give up and therefore making this wonderful success story a reality!

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Does your job offer credit education classes?  If not, then ask your boss to feature a HOPE Credit Expert at your next staff meeting! These free classes can be tailored to fit into any schedule.  Our experts can give a quick, 5 minute “credit tip” or even an in depth 1 hour training session on how to achieve healthier credit.

HOPE would love to help you give a little something back to your hardworking employees. Please contact us today for more information or to schedule a free credit education class for your company.  Just don’t wait too long – our calendar fills up fast!

Don’t forget: HOPE Credit Experts are available for your next church seminar or school event as well! Clean credit and the peace of mind that comes along with it is a priceless gift! Why not share it with your employees, friends, and family? We hope to hear from you soon!

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