"The client was referred to HP by JBWS, as she is a domestic violence survivor, and is actively living in one of the housing units provided by JBWS. A client to us with the goal of purchasing a home in the next two years, her credit was 451 when we had our first session.

I provided her with some credit knowledge, and financial advice regarding paying her credit cards on time and making a payment plan with the creditors she was behind on; I encouraged her to begin making minimum payments on her credit cards, as on time payments have a 35% impact on credit score. The client followed instructions, got into a payment plan for her car payment, and made automatic payments for minimum payments on her credit cards. I had a follow up session with the client to follow up on her progress a month later and was able to determine that the client’s credit score had increased from a 451 to a 498, which is a 47-point increase in one month, just by following the guidance I provided her with.

The financial capabilities program is simple, yet it’s so necessary, as most of the community we serve and many others outside of our community could benefit from the knowledge we provide in our counseling sessions.