Frequently asked questions.

Working Credit and how we help.

What is Working Credit?
Working Credit is a not-for-profit organization that can help you build a strong credit score and reap the benefits. Our counselors work with you one-on-one to help you learn how the credit system works, fix your specific credit situation, and create a personalized plan to build and sustain a strong credit score. Learn more about our approach here.

How can Working Credit help me?
No matter where you are today, we provide you the support, knowledge, and lifelong tools you need to build and keep a strong credit score. With a strong credit score, you can more easily achieve financial goals, like:

• Getting the best interest rates on car loans and credit cards
• Tackling your debt without damaging your credit
• Gaining access to quality rental housing
• Qualifying for a mortgage, or refinancing your home at a lower rate
• Building a safety net of available credit for emergencies

What can I expect during 12 months of Credit Building Counseling?
With Credit Building Counseling, you get 12-months of unlimited, one-on-one assistance from the same counselor the whole time. We’ll start with the credit system basics, discuss your financial situation, then work together on a Credit Action Plan to make progress toward your goals. Want a little or a lot of support? We’ll touch base as often as you want. Your counselor will share updates and resources about the credit system throughout the 12 months.

How often can I talk to my credit building counselor?
The most simple answer is as often as you’d like. You can determine with your counselor how often you’d like to meet. Whether it’s weekly, monthly, or every few months—it’s up to you. We’re here to provide as much support and assistance as you need.

How quickly can I see results with my credit score?
Everyone’s credit situation is different, and everyone gets to a strong and sustainable score in a different amount of time. Our goal is to get you to the best score possible, as quickly as possible, and to make sure that good score can stick. It’s possible to go from unscored to a 700 FICO® score in six months. If you start with a score, the average increase in six months is 30 points. The highest increase we’ve seen in 6 months is 100 points.

Do you offer loans and credit cards?
No, Working Credit does not offer any loans or credit credit cards directly, nor do we have any relationships with loan or credit card companies through which we are compensated for making referrals. So, based on your specific Credit Action Plan and your personal goals, we often recommend products, but only if we think they’ll help you build and sustain a strong credit score. Find out more here.

Credit building and credit scores.

Why is credit building important?
Credit affects so many aspects of our lives—where we live, what we drive, how we overcome a financial crisis. A strong credit score is the key to your financial goals—whether it’s getting better interest rates on car loans and credit cards, accessing quality rental housing, and reaching the goal of homeownership. We can teach you the rules and provide support to build the life you want using credit as a tool. Read more here.

How is my credit score determined?
Your credit score is, effectively, your reputation as a borrower. A credit score is created when someone has at least one active loan or credit card that reports to the credit bureaus for at least six months. The score doesn’t take into account a person’s income or assets. It looks solely at the borrower’s payment behavior—whether reported loans were paid back on time, if credit cards were used responsibly (with on-time payments and balances below 30 percent of the credit limit), and whether any debts turned into collections. In order to get a credit score, you need to open at least one loan or credit card and to manage it well. And we can help you do that. Read more about credit scores here.

When Working Credit pulls my credit report, will it hurt my score?
No, once you give us permission, we do what’s called a soft pull of your credit report, which has no effect on your score—positive or negative.

Can I pull my own score?
Yes, by law you can pull your own credit report, one from each of the three major credit bureaus, (TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian) once a year at AnnualCreditReport.com.

Why are my scores different?
The three main bureaus all work independently of each other. They all receive information about you, but some creditors don’t send your information to all three bureaus. If they have different information, however slight the difference is, the score will vary. Find out more about credit scores here.

How is Working Credit different?

How is Working Credit different from credit repair?
Credit repair companies promise to fix your credit by getting “negative items” removed from your credit report by filing disputes on your behalf. The only problem is that their strategy relies entirely on the credit bureaus making a mistake and missing a deadline. The negative item is removed, but if it is correct, it will simply appear back on your credit report in a few months. And as a result you’ll be out the money you paid, and you’ll still have negative items on your credit report.

We offer credit building expertise, information, and tools to help you build lifelong skills, so you can build or improve your credit score and reap the benefits that come with it. Our goal is to help you learn the rules of credit and use that knowledge for a lifetime. See more here.

How is Working Credit different from debt settlement?
Debt settlement companies make false promises about getting rid of your credit card debt. They do that by instructing you to stop making payments on your debt. Their methodology revolves around getting your debt sent to collections where they can negotiate it down to 50%, all while you pay them a fee for their work, typically 25% of your debt.

The problem? This damages your credit by several hundred points. And creditors are happy to work with you at no extra cost. We can show you how to do that. See more here.

How is Working Credit different from companies like Nerdwallet, Credit Karma, and Credit Sesame?
Companies like NerdWallet, Credit Karma, and Credit Sesame offer a range of resources and tools to help people with their financial goals.

However, Working Credit is the only company that offers one-on-one support and personalized guidance to help you build and sustain strong credit scores. We help you create Create Action Plans based on your specific situation to reach your personal goals. Unlike other companies, we’re not an algorithm, not an app, and not a website. We offer direct access to an actual credit building expert.

Privacy and signing up.

Is my information secure?
Yes, your personal information is safe and secure, and we never share information with your employers or any third parties. The information you provide is encrypted and not stored on our website. After you register with us, our counselors are only able to see the last four digits of your social security number.

How can I sign up?
If you’re ready to start building or rebuilding, we’re ready to get started. You can sign up here.

What can I do if I am having trouble signing up?
Reach out to us here, and we can help.

Working Credit through your employer benefits.

What is the Credit Building Workshop?
This is a virtual or in-person workshop that debunks myths about how the credit system works and provides lifelong skills you can use to build and sustain a strong credit score. Ask your Human Resources manager if your company offers this and how you can attend.

What’s included with the Credit Building Counseling?
Credit Building Counseling is 12-months of unlimited, one-on-one assistance from the same counselor. Start with the credit system basics, discuss your financial situation, then work together on a Credit Action Plan to make progress toward your goals. We’ll touch base as often as you want.

What’s included with the One-on-One Credit Building Session?
The One-on-One Credit Building Session is a single, one-hour virtual discussion with a counselor where you can learn the rules of the credit system, discuss your financial situation and goals, and work together on a personalized Credit Action Plan—with detailed steps that lead to your financial goal.

What’s included with the Personal Check-up?
This is a secure, personalized analysis of your credit score and credit report written by one of our counselors with expert guidance and immediate steps you can take to build or rebuild your credit score based on the rules of credit.

Does Working Credit share information with employers?
No, your information is confidential. We don’t share information with your employer or any third party ever.

How can I sign up for Working Credit through my benefits?
Ask your Human Resources manager how to sign up and start building your credit score.