Congratulations are in order for a recent graduate of the HOPE Program. We are pleased to report that Ms. Jordan of North Carolina has experienced tremendous improvement in her credit scores since joining the HOPE Program in January.  Here are just a few of the wonderful changes that have taken place for her so far:

Her middle credit score has increased a total of 146 points!
Her credit scores have jumped from the 400s into the 600s!
Her credit scores are high enough to qualify for a mortgage!
13 negative accounts totaling nearly $5,500 have been erased from her credit report!

We are very happy to see these great results for Ms. Jordan and cannot wait to see her become a home owner as well!  Remember, at HOPE our goal is not just to help our members achieve healthier credit, but to teach our members how to maintain healthy credit for a lifetime.  If you or a loved one is facing credit problems of your own we encourage you to give us a call today at 704-499-9696.  Our caring staff is standing by to answer your questions and to show you how the HOPE Program can assist on your journey towards a healthier credit report.

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Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft
Part 10
by Michelle Black

Thanks very much for “tuning in” today for our 10^th and final tip regarding identity theft prevention.  I hope that you have enjoyed this blog series as much as I have enjoyed writing it.  By following today’s tip and all 9 previous tips outlined in this series you can drastically reduce your chances of being victimized by ID thieves.

#10:  Take Your Name Off Promotional Lists.

When taking strides to reduce your risk of identity theft, it is definitely a good idea to opt out of pre-approved and promotional offers. Remember, in part 3 of this blog series where I wrote about “dumpster divers?” Dumpster divers are thieves who steal personal information right out of your trash can. It is very easy for a thief to steal a pre-approved credit card offer that was sent to you (especially if the document is thrown into the trash without being properly shredded) and apply for an account in your name with a new address. Nearly half (43%) of all identity fraud originates from stolen wallets and/or stolen paperwork. By removing yourself from these promotional mailing lists you can avoid this risk all together. Thankfully, it is pretty simple to have yourself removed from these lists. Just visit www.optoutprescreen.com to get started.

At HOPE we know that being a victim of identity fraud is a nightmare. Once a fraudulent account appears on your credit report it can been almost impossible to see it removed without having to pay for the account out of your own pocket unless professional assistance is used.  In fact, 70% of ID theft victims have difficulty removing the fraudulent information that resulted from ID theft from their credit reports (ITRC Aftermath Study).  If you have been a victim of ID theft (or you suspect that you have been a victim of ID theft) then we invite you to give our team of credit experts a call.  You can schedule a no-obligation credit analysis appointment with HOPE to see how much damage has been done to your credit report and what it will take to help you turn the situation around. For more information or to schedule your appointment please call 704-499-9696.  We would love to help you kick identity theft issues or any other credit issues you may be facing to the curb!

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The HOPE staff would like to congratulate Mr. Melendez of Charlotte, NC today for his recent success and credit report improvement!  Since joining HOPE, Mr. Melendez has seen his credit scores go from zero on all 3 credit bureaus up to the 600s with all 3 credit bureaus! To top off this great success he has also had $3,527 in negative, unverifiable debt erased from his credit report!

Every week the HOPE Program is proud and thrilled to help our members achieve their dreams of healthier credit and home ownership.  It’s true that the economy has damaged the credit reports of many, many good people in our country.  However, the great news is that, even if your credit scores are low, you have the legal right to work to improve them! We at HOPE firmly believe that having bad credit does NOT make someone a bad person. It gives us great pleasure to help our members recover their good names!

For more information about the services offered by the HOPE Program we please email us or give us a call at 704-499-9696.  Our friendly staff is standing by to receive your call. We would love to show you how the HOPE Program can help you to achieve your clean credit goals!

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Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft
Part 5
by Michelle Black

There are few things I hate more than identity fraud.  I have seen identity thieves wreak tremendous havoc on the lives of good, innocent people.  Thankfully, during my years working at HOPE, I have also seen our team of credit experts help many, many people overcome identity fraud and take back their good names.  Unfortunately, even with professional assistance, it takes time to undo the damage that an identity thief causes to a credit report.  That is why I am continuing this week to share even more ways that you can protect yourself and hopefully keep from ever becoming a victim of identity theft in the first place!  On that note, here is my next tip:

#5:  Never Leave Personal Information in Your Car.

“Car prowling” is another common way identity thieves target their victims.  You should never leave your checkbook, wallet, purse, credit cards, credit card purchase receipts, social security card, credit card statements, or any other personal information in your vehicle.  If an identity thief gets their hands on any of these items you could be in serious trouble.  So, don’t make it any easier for the dishonest to abuse you!  Lock up these personal items in your home or keep them on your person at all times.

There are still more tips to come so check back with us again this week! By the end of this blog series you too can be an expert at preventing identity fraud.  Plus, you can help to increase awareness regarding one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States by “tweeting,” emailing, or sharing a link to this article with your online friends.  Our easy to use “share” buttons below make this easier than ever.

Have feedback regarding our blog series? We would love for you to drop us a quick comment on Facebook or Twitter!

Congratulations to the Alexander family on their recent home purchase!  Prior to joining HOPE this family was broken hearted to learn that their credit scores were not high enough to qualify for a home loan.  However, instead of quitting and giving up this couple decided to work towards achieving their dream – homeownership and clean credit.

It didn’t happen overnight – things worth working for seldom do – but it didn’t take that long either.  After just 6 months of membership in the HOPE Program, working hand in hand with HOPE Credit Experts to improve their credit scores, the Alexanders were approved for a home loan! Not only were they approved, but over $8,137 in negative, delinquent accounts were removed or negotiated from their credit reports and the Alexanders credit scores rose from the low 500s all the way up to the mid 600s!

After their home closing Mrs. Alexander wrote to tell us:
“Hello, I hope you all are doing well. Just wanted to say thank you for all your help and support. Because of you all our credit is great and we purchased our dream home! Not just a home but our dream home. Thank you so much.”

We are so very excited for the Alexanders and so very proud of this family and our caring staff for all of their hard work!  Remember, the Alexander’s story is not an anomaly.  It can happen for you too.  Bad credit, collections, judgments, low credit scores, foreclosure, and even bankruptcy does not have to be the end of your story because you can turn your credit situation around.  There is no magic wand and it may not happen overnight, but many HOPE members are able to turn their credit situations around and have scores healthy enough to qualify for a home loan in 6 months or less! In fact, over 85 HOPE graduates have been able to qualify for a home loan in the past 4 and 1/2 months alone!

If you would like more information on the services provided by the HOPE Program please email us or give us a call at 704-499-9696.  We would love to answer your questions and show you how HOPE can help you to achieve the healthy credit you dream of having!  There is no such thing as a HOPEless situation!

Join the HOPE online community on Twitter and Facebook today for access to free weekly credit tips and more!