Mother and daughter Natalie and Alexis Cloman enrolled in the Credit and Money Management program with Operation HOPE to achieve their financial dreams. Their journey began with different challenges: Alexis was overspending, using 99% of her credit card limit each month, and unable to save, leading to a FICO credit score of 633. Meanwhile, Natalie, Alexis’ mom, was managing her money well and saving, but her perfect credit utilization was invisible to credit bureaus, resulting in a 657 credit score. Both needed guidance to improve their financial health. Here’s their story:

“My name is Alexis Cloman, and my mom and I started with Operation HOPE in June of 2023. We were interested in getting our credit scores up to buy a house. After enrolling in this program, with the help of my coach, Regina Osei, my score has increased by 40 points. We attended her financial literacy class and one-on-one sessions with her. In these sessions, she showed us information on our credit reports and helped me start budgeting and saving. I have gone from having nothing saved to having $1000 saved. It took a lot of discipline because I had to learn about money and make sacrifices, like working two jobs so I could pay off the bills I needed to pay. My mom also learned how to pay her credit cards so it could help improve her credit score.

Being in this program has helped both of us. Now, Mom’s credit score is up 34 points, and she has paid off more than $3,000 in debt. While the whole process of adjusting has been a challenge, having a coach is helping us stay focused on our goals because we know there is a light at the end of the tunnel. We can see it!”