Nick is a 35 year old marketing director from Connecticut. During his teens and twenties, he maxed out credit cards and missed debt payments. He joined Kikoff to build credit for a mortgage and buy a house with his wife. In two years, Nick’s credit score has jumped from the low 500s to a 754.Walk us through what your credit was like before Kikoff's credit builder account.My parents got divorced when I was young, and I turned to partying -- all through high school, college, up until I was 30. I had a drug problem. I was almost homeless. I got to a really terrible low point. So you can imagine I did just about everything to destroy my credit. I had bounced checks, maxed out credit cards, checking accounts that went negative, tax liens, around $30k in collections.I never learned how to be responsible with money. I didn’t care about the future, so credit didn’t matter to me.Why did you decide to join Kikoff?When I met my wife, I knew I wanted to build a future with her. That meant figuring my sh*t out. We talked about buying a house early on, so I’d need to get approved for a mortgage. I remember going on a free credit report website and printing mine out. It was like 50 pages. It was almost too overwhelming. There was this feeling, like, I can never fix this. My wife and I were living in an apartment under her name, and she tried to add me as a co-tenant. My credit score was so bad I couldn’t be a co-tenant -- I had to sign on as, like, a child. It was pretty embarrassing.What do you like about Kikoff's credit builder account?Kikoff approved me. That was a big deal -- not needing a credit check, giving me a chance. I love that they’re focused on accessibility. It’s also extremely cost effective. Kikoff is so cheap that I don’t even think about it. I know that they’re building my credit. I check my score once a month. It’s so easy.Now, even when my credit score has gotten so much better, I’m still going to stay with Kikoff. I think it’s a smart move to maintain my credit. It’s only $5 a month. In what ways has your life changed with Kikoff?I went from the low 500s to a 754*. We were able to get a mortgage for the house, in the town I grew up in. Whenever I drive by it, I’m like, I own a house. I can’t believe it. I get so many credit card offers in the mail now. Never in a million years did I think I would ever see those either. I qualified for a rewards credit card. For the first time in my life, buying a car or qualifying for financing sounds easy. Kikoff has opened possibilities. My wife and I want to have a kid soon. We want to save more for retirement.A lot of what I’ve been through is trying to shed the past. I think with credit there’s this sense of, your past is forever. But it is possible to change. It takes time and it’s not easy, but you can do it. * Testimonial Disclaimer: Review provided by customer to Kikoff directly. The comment above is related to individual experiences or results. Individual results may vary.
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