Education
Our customer intake and lending process includes “in touch” education that takes the access we provide to personal finance as an opportunity to inform consumer choices at the point of transaction. In addition, we offer tailored one-on-one counseling that addresses the root causes of our clients’ financial challenges, and group workshops that focus on common areas of concern such as basic household budgeting, successful banking, and building, repairing and protecting credit.
Education and Credit Services Eligibility
Our education and credit services are open to anyone referred by a Partner or other organization, or who is interested in our services.
Loans
We understand that people need tangible resources to overcome real barriers. Innovative Changes offers three loan products designed to increase our clients’ financial resiliency and improve their transactional habits and capacities.
Loan Products
We will offer three loan products designed to increase our clients’ financial resiliency and improve their transactional habits and capacities. All loan applicants must be referred by a partner organization.
- Opportunity Loan: designed to help borrowers sustainably transition into a position of greater financial stability.
- Installment loan
- Amortized over 6 to 12 months
- $100-$1,000
- 18% interest, 5% origination fee
- Financial education required
- Credit Builder Loan: designed to help borrowers improve their credit and prepare for asset building opportunities.
- Installment loan
- Amortized over 12 months
- $150
- $25 flat application fee
- Financial education required
- Dreamer Loan: designed to help qualifying childhood arrivals under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program pay the cost of filing their application with immigration
- Installment loan
- Amortized over 12 months
- $465
- 18% interest, 5% origination fee
- Loan orientation required
Privacy Policy
Download the most recent version of our Privacy Policy. Updated 8/17/2010
Loan Eligibility
Any individual referred by a Partner who meets the criteria for a Qualified Borrower is eligible. Click here to learn more about our loan eligibility requirements
Asset-building
We also help broker direct access for our customers to numerous nonprofit asset-building and traditional financial institutions. Many of us need education and support before we can establish the money management skills and credit and banking track records necessary to access opportunities like owning a home, starting a small business, or getting post-secondary education. We recognize the importance of asset development in sustainably transitioning out of harmful financial patterns and much of our financial counseling is geared towards helping people gain the skills and meet the criteria necessary to utilize these programs and begin building assets.
Image credit: ecstaticist
