Let’s all give ourselves more credit. We work hard, are stretching our money to get by and still barely making it. There is a way to keep more of your own money by paying less for everything. This comes with something that sounds like a class we all wanted to skip in school. CREDIT SCORE. Don’t run away. We’ve got you and will make this easy.

Opportunities: Increasing your credit score unlocks the door to more than just paying less on your credit card and car. Having a good score opens the door to bigger life-changing opportunities like buying a house or starting a business. Stay right here for step by step direction to help you build your credit no matter where you are starting from. So, let’s dive in and discover how you can take control of your credit instead of letting it control you.

What is Credit: First things first, let’s get comfortable with a system and words that are made to be scary. Most people are confused, and it keeps them paying more. Do most businesses want you to pay more? Yes! We are breaking this down so that you have the power to keep more of your own money. Think of a credit score like your elementary school report card. The banks do! If you have an A+ you get to pay the lowest payment. If you have an C, D or E you pay more. To make it extra confusing they turn those into numbers like 640 and 780. Every bank attaches those numbers to a price (rate) and they don’t share that with you until you apply for the loan. How can you even shop around? Ever notice the newspaper and website ads are only for the best rate? That’s just for the people with A+ credit, even though most of us don’t have perfect credit. So how can we get you there?

Steps to Build Your Credit

Surprise! There is no magic bullet, and yes, they keep it confusing. Here are a few of our tips that could make a real difference.

🆘 Ask for Help: There are people who help those of us that need to keep more of our money build credit. It’s their job. The best financial counselors work at nonprofits. Really look at who you talk to carefully. Make sure it is a nonprofit. There are bad actors out there that will charge you money and worse. Use The Opportunity Finder to locate a nonprofit that will talk to you about this over the phone or in person.

💳 Opening a Credit Account: If you have no credit at all, a financial counselor will encourage you to open an account. Other times a financial counselor will tell you to stop using an account and to pay the loan down. If you have never had a loan of any kind, consider the option of opening an account at a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). CDFIs exist to help people. That’s very different than just making money off of you. You can find a local CDFI to help you in The Opportunity Finder. If your financial counselor recommends it, you can also explore a secured credit card or a credit building loan.

⏰ Pay Your Bills On Time: That’s easier said than done when stretching money as far as it can go. Many people are even paying for groceries on credit cards just to survive. We get it and you. So how do you pay things on-time when you can’t? Pick up the phone. Crazy as it sounds, waiting for a collection call is the worst thing you can do. Call them instead. If you call the credit card company or bank they may not count it as a late payment. Almost all credit unions are willing to push the payment date. As long as you are willing to ask for help to extend the date, you are likely to be supported. If you are having trouble with utility bills, use The Opportunity Finder to locate a nonprofit that will pay for your utilities for a month or two. If you are paying too much on your credit cards and can’t make the payment, use The Opportunity Finder and click on “getting rid of credit card debt.”

🍰 Don’t Eat All the Cake: A fancy term that is confusing, “credit utilization” just means don’t eat all the cake. Think of the amount you are “allowed” to charge (available credit) on your credit cards as the cake. If you eat all the cake, you have no available cake left. The same is true for your available credit. If a bank or credit union gives you a credit card with a $1000 limit, don’t use all $1000. Keep your “credit utilization” below 30% to increase your credit score. On that $1,000 credit card, don’t keep more than $300 on the balance. Using all the credit gives the impression that you’re juggling too much. If you are using more than 30% now and can’t pay it down, use The Opportunity Finder and click on “getting rid of credit card debt.”

💎 Watch It Like the Most Valuable Thing You Own: This is a good way to think about it. This one thing determines how much you pay for everything. A higher credit score can mean you pay less than half of your current car payment. Imagine what you could do by keeping all the money! Your financial counselor can teach you to read your credit report. If you like sports, it has a lot of similarities to keeping score at a game. Just like sports you can flag a play. You have the opportunity to tell the people that decide if you should pay more that they got something wrong. Get a free copy of your credit report from the major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) once a year and look for their mistakes. You can also use online services that offer real-time credit monitoring and alerts to keep you in the loop about changes in your credit profile.

⏳Be Patient and Stay Positive: Last but not least, building credit is like growing a garden or learning a new sport – it takes time, patience, and a positive mindset. Miracles don’t happen overnight, so set realistic expectations. Focus on what you do have control over and ask for help. You have nothing to be ashamed of and no reason not to ask for help.

By giving yourself more credit, you own your future. Believe you can do it. Ask for help and don’t give up. You deserve to keep more of your own money.

Learn more about building credit by watching Opportunity Knocks and find a local CDFI to open a credit-building account on The Opportunity Finder.

Opportunity Knocks Takes the Main Stage at #FINCON2022, September 7-9

What do Opportunity Knocks and FinCon have in common? They share the goal to reach millions with a positive money message.“W

e are excited to take the Opportunity Knocks message to #FinCon22. Purpose Driven TV is the future of money and media!”

The Opportunity Knocks team is thriled to share that stars Patrice Washington and Jean Chatzky (attending remotely) will premier a clip of the series on the #FinCon2022 mainstage on Thursday, September 8.

Patrice will be joined by fellow series star Jean Chatzky, show creator Jamie Strayer, and director Brian Spoor on Friday for the F#C22 breakout session – The Power of Reality Television to Change Financial Outcomes.

Tune In

The Opportunity Knocks team will provide live updates. Follow us @oppknockstv on LinkedIn, Twitter, FaceBook and Instagram. 

Register

There is still time to register to attend #Fincon2022. The schedule is dynamic.

How did producers choose the Opportunity Coaches?

Opportunity Knocks is part of the Opportunity Initiative funded by the National Council for Financial Opportunities The show ‘s mission is to inspire people to build better lives, show them how and make it truly possible by removing systematic barriers that perpetuate inequality. It was essential to choose Opportunity Coaches with those shared values.

When producers set out to create Opportunity Knock$ they were guided by a former CDFI CEO, Brandon Michaels, to begin with values. Early on it was clear that the values must include the real world impact not just on viewers, but also families cast in the series.

When casting for the Opportunity Coaches they knew that it was essential to cast financial experts that share the show’s values. It was clear that Jean, Patrice and Louis are dedicated to changing the lives of not just the people in the series, but also viewers at home. 

Louis was born in the barrio of East Los Angeles, the son of Mexican immigrants. Today he is the President of MGO Private Wealth and a financial manager for some of the biggest Latino pop stars in the music industry. As a financial healer, true to his roots, he still provides financial coaching in his barrio in East LA. He also stands as a leader redefining stereotypes which is critical in equitable representation. He was the first minority and first Latino to serve on the National Board of the Financial Planning Association (FPA). How could producers not choose Louis as a coach!

After calling America’s Money Maven, producers knew within the first five minutes that they wanted to cast her as an Opportunity Coach. It was both her philosophy and story that moved made the decision easy. Patrice has it right with her focus to “redefine wealth” and mantra to “chase purpose, not money.” She understands the struggle faced by the 64% of Americans living paycheck to paycheck and calls upon her own experience to connect with the families she coaches.

Jean Chatzky was cast not just because of her deep credentials as the financial editor of NBC Today for 25 years and the Financial Ambassador for AARP or reoccurring roles on CNN, MSNBC and The Oprah Winfrey Show. As the CEO of HerMoney.com, she is the nation’s leading advocate on reducing the stress and barriers for women to build better financial lives. And she is deeply moved to create wealth building and financial inclusion across generations. She partnered with wC Charitable Foundation and Time for Kids to launch Your $, an in-school magazine that reaches 2 million school children each month. 

Will their experience be enough to help families open the doors when Opportunity Knocks?

We are excited to announce that Opportunity Knocks has been picked up for broadcast on The World Channel! You can catch the marathon block airing on Monday and Tuesday, April 24-25, on The World Channel’s website at worldchannel.org/watch. 

At Opportunity Knocks, our mission is to promote financial inclusion and economic mobility. We achieve this by pairing six diverse families with renowned financial experts Jean Chatzky, Patrice Washington, and Louis Barajas. They provide actionable advice, tools, and community resources to break down systematic barriers and help people build better financial lives.

The World Channel is a non-profit public television network that reaches over 62 million households in the US. It is carried by 74% of all PBS stations in the United States, giving millions of viewers access to our show.

We are thrilled to join The World Channel’s Emmy Award- winning content. Opportunity Knocks and its life-changing tool, The Opportunity Finder, will reach even more viewers. Tune in on April 24-25 to catch the marathon block of Opportunity Knock$. Join us in our mission to create a more financially inclusive world for all. 

Opportunity Knocks fans want to know how to watch the premiere Oct. 27.

Download PBS Passport to Watch

Fans waiting to view Opportunity Knocks wait no longer. The show’s premiere is Oct. 27 on PBS Passport. The app is available to 

downloadable at no cost. 

It allows viewers to stream their favorite PBS shows, create the perfect watchlist, and connect with their local station— anywhere they watch. 

We recommend downloading the app that fits your streaming device. PBS supports 7 platforms including Roku, FireTV, Samsung, iOS, Apple TV, android TV, and android. 

Broadcast Dates vary by local PBS stations. Check your local listing.