In our society, we use credit and loans as a way to improve our lives while we are still paying for those improvements. For example, many of us don’t have sufficient savings to go to an auto dealer and pay for a car with cash, so the process of paying in installments over time allows us to have the car before we have the funds to own it outright. Once a loan is repaid, the borrower owns the item that the loan was for, and that item becomes the owner’s asset.
People move from poverty to sustainability not by simply managing their income, but by accumulating assets. Savings, investments, and ownership are the factors that can lead people to financial self-sufficiency. The process of paying over time is the most common way that people of limited means can build assets and enjoy the financial security that comes with ownership.
These days, it is very hard to find a conventional lender who is willing to make a small personal loan-it is simply not cost effective for the lender. Many borrowers have no alternative than turning to check cashing services, pawnshops, payday lenders, and wire transfer services, many of whom charge high fees for their services. Paying high prices for routine financial services effectively lowers the income of the people who use them, so our aim is to make loans accessible to our members, at a cost that is lower than they would otherwise pay.
We offer personal loans of up to $2,000, and automobile loans of up to $25,000. We offer credit counseling and advice about the lending process, and will work with our members to find ways to improve their credit and to try to get the loans that best fit their needs.
Our lending objectives include: