Credit Building Recommendations

3.1 — How to Boost Score (Installment Accounts)

Adding credit builders is a great way to improve your credit mix and build positive installment history. Here are some options you can explore to boost your credit:

SelfLender.com

Kikoff.com

MeetAva.com

CreditStrong.com

RentReporters.com

KovoCredit.com

Just a heads-up: be sure to make on-time payments, as missing them could hurt your score instead of helping it.

3.2 — Secured Card Recommendations

Here are a few secured card options we suggest:

Discover Secured Card

U.S. Bank Secured Card

Bank of America Secured Card

Navy Federal Secured Card (if eligible)

3.3 — Cards That Pull from TransUnion

Apple Card, US Bank, and GM Card typically pull from TransUnion. If your TransUnion score is your strongest bureau, these may be good options to apply for when you're ready.

3.4 — Personal Loan Recommendations

Average Credit Score: SoFi, Upgrade, Upstart, One Main Financial
Higher Credit Score: First Citizens Bank, Truliant Bank
TransUnion-Pulling Lenders: Navy Federal, Alliant FCU, Suncoast FCU, Truist (sometimes) We recommend waiting until most negatives are removed before applying for larger loans to maximize approval odds.

3.5 — When Can I Purchase a Home?

It would be best to wait until most, if not all, of the negative items have been removed from your report. Most mortgage lenders look for a score of 620 minimum (FHA) or 640-680+ for conventional loans. Once we have your file cleaned up, we can give you a more precise timeline. We'll make sure to keep you updated as we make progress!

3.6 — Client Is Going to Apply for Something

Hi, thanks for informing us. While we generally don't recommend applying for anything while the program is ongoing (as new inquiries and accounts can temporarily affect your score), we understand that different situations can occur. In that case, please be advised that this may slow down progress due to its impact on your credit, but we will address it accordingly.

3.7 — Business Funding Inquiry

For business funding, we have specialists on board who handle these cases. Generally, we require clients to have scores in the 700s and all negative accounts cleared first to guarantee maximum chances at approval. Once your personal credit is in great shape, we can discuss business funding options!