written by: Lisa Karel
Sometimes a little thing can have a major life impact. That was the case for Shaniqua R. in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. When she was 18, she signed up for a Kohl’s credit card and was amazed by her newfound ability to buy anything she wanted from the store without having to pay for it immediately. “I didn’t know anything about credit cards. They just said you didn’t haveto pay now and I took that and ran with it – I just didn’t understand that I had to pay it back,” said Shaniqua. “So long story short, it went into collections and onto my credit report,” she added.
Being delinquent on just that one credit card caused a steep drop in Shaniqua’s credit score. Rather than being disheartened however, she resolved to learn from this negative experience. What started as a quest to figure out how to remove that one Kohl’s card from her credit report turned into an ongoing journey for financial knowledge that would help her growing family.
To get started, Shaniqua turned to advice from her cousin-in-law. He had been through Operation HOPE’s Credit and Money Management program as a member of the military and recommended she reach out to the organization.
Shaniqua’s own experience with the Operation HOPE program gave her the knowledge she needed to resolve the Kohl’s card on her credit report. “I was able to figure out who to talk to [at the credit agency], pay the balance, and the report finally showed the account was closed.”
Beyond this specific win, she gives kudos to Operation HOPE for sparking her curiosity about credit. For example, she was eager to know more about how to responsibly use a credit card so that it could help build her credit score rather than demolish it. She learned about comparing credit cards’ interest rates, limits and payment terms from her Operation HOPE Financial Wellbeing Coach, Leslie Danehy.
“Leslie was always available to help me through the process,” said Shaniqua. She appreciated that Leslie’s coaching style aligned with how she best learned. “I’m a hands-on learner, and I need you to kind of spell it out for me and she was able to do that.”
Drawing from her own experience as a parent, Leslie also worked with her to create a budget that would be manageable for Shaniqua’s family and a new addition on the way. Shaniqua is excited to share her new financial know-how with her three kids they grow. “I wasn’t taught [about finances] growing up. So I’m able to now amplify that to my kids even though they’re young. I have that knowledge now because of her.”
Leslie marveled that, although she lives 4 hours away and has never met Shaniqua in person, they have built such a strong relationship: “This is a program of commitment, trust, and dedication. Clients like Shaniqua also make me want to be the best mom I can be to my children and set them up for financial success like she is doing with her children.”
Today, Shaniqua has a credit score in the mid-700s – and a single-minded focus to grow it to the 800s. In the meantime, she is making credit work for her, rather than the other way around. She’s strategically accessing credit and getting loans for things that will benefit her family such as making house improvements that will add to its value over time.
For others looking to get their finances in order, Shaniqua has some advice: “Contact OperationHOPE. There’s no one else better out there for the job. It was truly life changing for me and when I think about just the impact that Leslie had on me, I can only imagine how the rest of the company is.” She also encourages people to make the most of information they receive there: “Absorb it all, ask questions and don’t be afraid to get started. And remember that at the end of the day, it is up to you to better yourself so be prepared to work and follow through,” she added.