Ana

SAFE Client

Ana arrived in the U.S. in 2021 from Venezuela. Adjusting to life in the U.S. was not easy, but Ana was determined to find success and stability in her new home. In May 2023, she heard about IRC’s SAFE project and soon connected with a financial coach to learn about credit and access financial services that could support her in her future financial goal of purchasing a home.

She attended the project’s course on credit and decided she wanted to apply for a credit building ladder loan provided by IRC’s Center For Economic Opportunity (CEO) to establish a credit history. She completed the loan in six months and went from no score to 692. She decided to continue this credit journey by applying for the second rung of the credit building ladder loan. While she was successfully making payments on this loan, Ana was supported in accessing an unsecured credit card, which she was approved for quickly based on her excellent credit record. In December, Ana completed her second credit-building loan, increasing her score to an impressive 720. She decided to apply for the third credit building loan in January 2025 to continue having this positive payment history on her report.

Ana used the education and support from her financial coach to build a prime credit score, putting her in an excellent position for her financial future in the U.S.