Recent content by nicole baker

Truist’s checking and savings accounts come with a lot of “if you don’t do X, we charge you Y” clauses. Be sure to read the fine print if you don’t want maintenance fees

I work at a mid-size dealership. We partner with lenders like Santander and AmeriCredit who will finance after a repo if your job/income is stable. Just be honest upfront and bring proof of residence and job history.

EBT’s only crime is being misunderstood. It’s a resource, not a liability. And lenders are machines......if the math adds up, you’re good. Don’t let the shame trolls win.

I love naming stuff kind of obsessed with branding. Here are a few that came to mind: Revive Credit Co. Clean Slate Advisors CredPath (like a path to good credit) Uplift Financial Keep it simple and easy to remember. Also, check if the .com domain is available early on

We made a whole credit repair board game for a community event each square was a different credit scenario. We had visuals for paydown card, inquiry hit,dispute successful, etc. Kids and adults both got into it. Wildly fun way to learn.

I tried to settle once garnishment started and they said no... until a few weeks later when I offered 90% in one payment. Turns out they were just trying to bleed me for a bit first

I started at 498 in early 2023. I cried when i saw my score, not gonna lie. Fast forward to now, i’m at 673, and i swear by paying twice a month on credit cards even small amounts help. Also Credit Karma might be VantageScore but it kept me motivated.

Y’all ever think maybe the real credit fairy was the friends we made along the way? Reddit, YouTube, random Facebook moms in budgeting groups… all of them dropped breadcrumbs I followed to better credit.

I’ve been with CommunityAmerica Credit Union for over 6 years now and it’s been solid. Super friendly customer service and their mobile app is surprisingly modern. No crazy fees either. Plus, they partnered with the Chiefs for discounts and promos sometimes, which is a nice KC touch.

If you’re collecting info, be upfront about it. Write we respect your privacy ....we’ll never spam or sell your data right near the form. That little trust nudge makes a big difference.

Honestly i side-eye every credit repair company until i see receipts. These guys say they do disputes and monitoring but so does Credit Karma + doing it yourself... for free. What’s their unique edge?

Been working on my credit for two years manually and let me tell you......there are NO shortcuts. Deleting old addresses helped. Goodwill letters helped. But all took time. These services can’t do much you can’t do yourself unless they’ve got legal teeth or insider dispute channels, which is rare.

Ask what their top 3 credit goals are. Buy a car, refinance student loans, or just get outta debt are wildly different plans. The roadmap has to match the destination. Throw in a multiple-choice list of priorities and let them tick boxes.

Landmark was okay, but I prefer hands-on control over my credit.

Legit respect for trying to do it right from day one. I made the mistake of skipping the Surety Bond step and got flagged during a licensing app. Each state has different regs too.....Texas was a minefield. Do your due diligence early!