Your Credit Report Shows Your Stress with Cierra Michelle Jones of The Credit School

Ep 139: Your Credit Report Shows Your Stress with Cierra Michelle Jones of The Credit SchoolPart of noseyAF's 31 Days of Black Business series 🖤She got denied on her first house, couldn't afford a credit repair company, and went to Google instead. She calls herself her own first client.Cierra Michelle Jones is the Founder and Executive Director of The Credit School. She joined the Army at 17, spent years running from her credit problems, and got denied and scammed trying to buy a house in 2015. Now she has zero debt except her house and her car, and she's teaching millennial families and underserved communities how she did it.What We Talk AboutWhy the biggest military misconception is that you're automatically set, and what actually happens after the bonus is spentWhat she can see on a credit report that has nothing to do with numbers, including your stress spendingWhy credit repair takes 18 months and not 30 days, and how to spot someone who doesn't know what they're talking aboutThe unexpected turn: an election year is the best year to buy a house, and here's whyIf you love a conversation that hands you something you can actually use, this episode is for you.All about Cierra Michelle JonesYou're gonna love Cierra. She's a self-described bookworm and history buff who reads financial news like other people read gossip. She's the Founder and Executive Director of The Credit School, helping millennial families and underserved communities demystify credit education and build toward home ownership and generational wealth. A retired Army veteran and single mom, she built the platform after learning the hard way that the problem isn't a lack of effort, it's a lack of clarity. She's the author of The Military Credit Blueprint, with more books and a children's book featuring Penny the Pig and Sam the Scammer on the way. Her whole thing: she made the hard mistakes so you don't have to.Things We MentionedThe Credit School → IG @thecreditschool · TikTok @thecreditschooloneThe Military Credit Blueprint, her book (affiliate link)The Color of Law, on redlining and Black home ownership (affiliate link)The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), and why to watch what happens to itArnita Johnson-Hall, her credit coach, and the Credit Consultants AssociationClass action settlements, which she says are worth checking your junk folder for also check classaction.org and the consumer database.Debt Free Gonna Be, for student loan newsChapters:00:09 - Introduction to Black Business Month03:42 - The Journey to Financial Empowerment26:24 - Understanding Credit Challenges32:53 - Understanding Financial Choices and the Pressure of Appearance42:09 - Expertise and Growth in BusinessThis series is supported by Off the Grid, a podcast for small business owners who want to leave social media without losing their clients. Find them at offthegrid.fun 🖤Connect with Cierra Michelle JonesIG and Threads: @thecreditschoolTikTok: @thecreditschooloneStay Connected📬 Get the noseyAF Dispatch → Subscribe here🏡 Grab the Good Neighbor Playbook → Download it freeMore ways to connectEmail: [email protected] on IG: @stephaniegrahamListen to more episodes: noseyaf.comSupport & FeedbacknoseyAF is listener-supported; thank you for being here. 💛🫶🏾⭐ Rate & Review the Show📣 Share noseyAF with a friend who needs to hear thisEpisode CreditsProduced, Hosted, and Edited by Stephanie GrahamLyrics: Queen LexInstrumental: Freddie Bam FamCover Art: Emma McGoldrick