May Newsletter 2023

Happy Mother's Day!

The Credit Restoration Institute
wishes you and your loved ones a special Mother's Day with the lovely ladies in your lives!

Join Our Membership Committee!

We're looking for passionate people to join our standing committees to offer a helping hand in several business-critical projects as we work to advance our mission of bettering lives through credit restoration. Individuals with any level of skill, experience, or interest in the following topics: branding, social media, program development, financial management, human resources, event planning, or board governance are welcome to apply. The monthly time commitment is estimated at four hours per month including bi-monthly meetings.

Please complete the application below in its entirety and submit by Friday, May 26th. We estimate that this form should take no more than 15 minutes to complete.

In the meantime, please visit our website: www.creditrestorationinstitute.com for more details about the organization. Apply Here

Mortgage Fees Are Changing For Homebuyers Soon

If your summer plans included budgeting for a new home, make sure you prepare for the new changes to the mortgage fees coming this month. According to USAToday, starting May 1, upfront fees for loans backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will be adjusted because of changes in the Loan Level Price Adjustments (LLPAs). These are the fees that vary based on a borrowers credit scores, down payments, types of home and more. With these changes, borrowers can expect to see differences related to their credit scores and an effect in their downpayment sizes.

"In some cases, people with higher credit scores may end up paying more while those with lower credit scores will pay less," quotes the article. The article focuses on what exactly the fee changes are, the loans the fees are being applied too, why these changes are being made, and if these changes could be seen as positive or negative changes to the potential home buyer entering the market.

If you're looking to buy a home, click the button to learn more.
Click Here For The Full Story

Happy Memorial Day!

The Credit Restoration Institute sends our love and thanks to the family members of those who have graciously served our country. Here are some events happening around the city for you to enjoy over the holiday weekend with family and friends:

Wine and Bundtini Flights : Monday, May 29th 11AM
Sandston Parade: Monday, May 29th 1PM

Real Results!

Our custom credit disputes leverage the consumer protection laws and the credit bureaus’ automated codes to help remove or correct unverifiable items.

As our client, we dispute accounts with the bureaus and creditors on your behalf. Using our years of experience, we use the tools you need to move your case forward and get the results you are looking for.

Mortgage readiness and getting pre-approved all imply creditworthiness. You, too, can improve your credit.

Read More About Creditworthiness Here

Give us a call today to start your credit repair journey!

Mon-Fri 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. (804) 823-9601 | (800) 648-5157

mail@creditrestorationinstitute.com

Aprill Newsletter 2022

Credit Literacy Curriculum!

Robert Linkonis is on a mission to get credit literacy taught in schools across the country. He is working to create a curriculum that would be taught to high school seniors, explaining more than just financial literacy – like how to balance a checkbook – but also what is credit, how can you build it, and how it can affect your future.

Executive Director of Credit Restoration Institute, a non-profit company assisting individuals in improving their credit score while teaching the impact of creditworthiness and its impact on one’s mental health, Robert is passionate about this topic. "Many people don't know how things will directly affect their credit and the domino effect it can create," says Robert. "A bad credit score can handicap them financially for life." He believes requiring a financial literacy course can eliminate the potential for low credit scores.

Working directly alongside Donna Perkins, Vice President of the National Association of Credit Services Organization (NACSO), Robert, a board member, is developing a curriculum that will not only educate but engage high school seniors to understand the basics of credit. Last month he visited The U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C. to lobby for support.

These are REAL results!

​Our custom credit disputes leverage the consumer protection laws and the credit bureaus’ automated codes to help remove or correct any unverifiable items.

As a client, we dispute accounts with the bureaus and creditors on your behalf. Using our years of experience, we utilize the tools you need to move your case forward and the results you are looking for.

You too can improve your creditworthiness. 

Don’t just listen to what we have to say, hear it directly from our clients!

“After the first round of disputes my scores went up 113 points. Put me back in mortgage approval range…There are never expectations in the credit game but they let you know what should happen and what they will do to make it happen and what will be done if it happens. To me the price is fair especially since I'm trying to get better rates on a home so a few hundred here is worth thousands later”

–Eric Dalton

Credit Restoration Institute is Co Sponsoring the HOME of VA's 50th Anniversary Upcoming Event!

Join us and celebrate HOME of VA's 50th Anniversary at Main Street Train Station (Richmond, VA) on Thursday, April 21, 2022!

The staff and Board of Directors of Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia (HOME of VA) invite you to join them for an evening to remember! Celebrate HOME of VA's 50th anniversary in style at Main Street Train Station with live performances by the Klaxton Brown Band, delicious catering by Groovin' Gourmet, and so much more! 

Give us a call today to start your credit repair journey!

Mon-Fri 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.(804) 823-9601 |  (800) 648-5157

mail@creditrestorationinstitute.com

February Newsletter 2022

Happy Valentine's Day!

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day and love, we’re talking all about money and relationships this month!

Did you know your credit score can do more than affect your ability to secure a loan… It can also affect your relationships! According to research conducted by the Federal Reserve Board in 2015 people with the highest credit scores were more likely to form long-lasting committed relationships.

The larger the discrepancy between a couple’s credit score, the more likely the relationship would end within the first 5 years. (source)

Better yet, couples who regularly talk about money are happier in their relationships than those who discuss finances less frequently: 42 percent of participants who said they talk about money at least once per week described their relationship as “extremely happy.” (source)

Approximately 31% of all couples clash over finances at least once a month, usually over a bigger purchase! (source)

As you can see, healthy financial practices, regularly discussing money and purchases, and keeping your credit score in good standing are super important factors in your romantic relationships!

These are REAL results! Our custom credit disputes leverage the consumer protection laws and the credit bureaus’ automated codes to help remove or correct any unverifiable items.

As a client, we dispute accounts with the bureaus and creditors on your behalf. Using our years of experience, we utilize the tools you need to move your case forward and the results you are looking for.

You too can improve your creditworthiness.

How to Talk About Money With Your Partner

It can be scary to talk about money with your partner, especially if you haven’t before and especially if your finances are not where you’d like them to be.This article published by NPR outlines some great tips to start the conversation, starting with the ultimate icebreaker: "how comfortable do you feel being open about money?"

More questions to discuss:

• How much do both of you make?
• Do you have student loan debt?
• Are you comfortable carrying credit card debt?
• How should you, as a couple, handle money?

Sharing this information with each other is certainly a form of intimacy and can only strengthen your relationship if you are open and honest with one another.

Give us a call today to start your credit repair journey!

Mon-Fri 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.(804) 823-9601 |  (800) 648-5157

mail@creditrestorationinstitute.com

January 2022 Newsletter

A message from Robert Linkonis Sr., Executive Director

Happy New Year!

Achieving Good Credit

With the New Year, many individuals start thinking about all they want to accomplish in the coming months. Maybe buying a home is on your list of new year’s resolutions?

If buying a home feels unachievable, start by working on your credit score. A credit score of at least 700 is the first step in qualifying for mortgage loans. While practicing good credit habits and addressing any credit issues are the first steps, according to the FTC, nearly 20% of credit reports contain errors!

Alongside working with us to legally repair inaccurate and unverifiable items, here are some things you can do to help build your credit score.

• Don’t miss a payment – set up automatic payments so you never miss a payment.
• Catch up on past due accounts – if you are past due on any accounts, do what you can to catch up. Try using the debt snowball or debt avalanche method.
• Pay down revolving balances – try to keep your credit usage to below 30%. Pay down any revolving balances to reach this mark.
• Limit how often you apply for new lines of credit – especially while working to rebuild your credit!

Negative remarks, while they will diminish over time and fall off your report after 7 years, are best addressed as soon as possible.

Our custom credit disputes leverage the consumer protection laws and the credit bureaus’ automated codes to help remove or correct any unverifiable items.

As a client, we dispute accounts with the bureaus and creditors on your behalf. Using our years of experience, we utilize the tools you need to move your case forward and the results you are looking for.

You too can improve your creditworthiness.

• Credit Consulting                • Credit Report Audit 
• Credit Education                 • Credit Disputes 

Tips To Start Your Debt Free Journey

According to the ConsumerFed, 1/4 of low-income individuals are unaware of how to increase their creditworthiness. We want to help you by giving you the education and tools you need to rebuild your credit profile now and manage your credit and finances in the future. The more best practices you know, the better you'll be off!

Sometimes knowing where to start when we want to make a difference is hard. Here are some financial ideas to jump start your new year's resolutions! Start with one or two and see where it gets you!

• Cut unnecessary expenses – if you truly don’t need it to survive or it doesn’t add meaning to your life, eliminate it. 
• Budget! – you will hear this over and over again, but setting a budget is so important in realistically knowing where your money is going. Start by simply tracking all of your expenses, decide what can be eliminated, and move forward with a realistic budget from there.
• Pay more than the amount due – paying the minimum due balance just means you’re paying more in interest over the long run, making any items you bought on credit even more expensive than you originally paid for.

Give us a call today to start your credit repair journey!

Mon-Fri 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.(804) 823-9601 |  (800) 648-5157

mail@creditrestorationinstitute.com

December 2021: Happy Holidays!

 

A Lesson in Credit Scores

As we're in full swing of the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it can be easy to fall into the mindset that you have to spend lots of money and buy lots of gifts for your loved ones. This mindset drives 22% of Americans to go into over $550 in debt every year! [source] And if you’re using credit cards, it could potentially be more with penalties, late fees, and finance charges. All of this could lead to damaging your creditworthiness.

While there are some benefits to using credit cards, like cash back bonuses and other incentives, if you don’t feel confident in your ability to pay back the loan, don’t use a card.

Check out our roundup of low-cost gifts that your loved ones are sure to appreciate and stay out of the cycle of debt!

No Cost Gifts

• Create a playlist of your favorite songs and listen to it together.
• Regift an item from your home. Chances are you have something you're not using that a loved one would cherish!
• Make dinner and enjoy conversation and spending time with one another.
• Create a memories jar and write down your favorite memories. When they are missing you they can pull out a memory that makes them smile!
• Give the gift of time nothing is more important that spending time together, why not gift that very thing!
• Offer to babysit if they need a night out free from kids.
• Plan a scavenger hunt that sends them around to all their favorite places!

These are REAL results!

Our custom credit disputes leverage the consumer protection laws and the credit bureaus’ automated codes to help remove or correct any unverifiable items.

As a client, we dispute accounts with the bureaus and creditors on your behalf. Using our years of experience, we utilize the tools you need to move your case forward and the results you are looking for.

You too can improve your creditworthiness.

• Credit Consulting
• Credit Report Audit 
• Credit Disputes
• Credit Education 

New Federal Debt Collection Rule

It’s been five years coming, but the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has finalized the two parts of its debt collection rule under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. This regulation went into effect November 30, 2021.

The new regulation, known as Regulation F, has a number of implications for creditors as well as regulating third-party debt collectors.

Now you may be wondering, how will this affect you? We’re here to help! Get in touch with your questions and we’re happy to answer them.

View more from Business Law Today

Give us a call today to start your credit repair journey!

Mon-Fri 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.(804) 823-9601 |  (800) 648-5157

mail@creditrestorationinstitute.com