Sharee’s on the road to rebuilding her credit.
“Just because you’re in a bad situation doesn’t mean that you can’t turn it around,” says Capital One Canada customer Sharee.
Sharee, from Scarborough, ON, has a handle on her credit now, but that wasn’t always the case.
“Before Capital One, my credit looked like complete garbage,” she says with a laugh. “I would charge a lot to my credit cards: school, books, travel. I definitely went over my limit and means, and didn’t have the ability to pay it back on time. Unfortunately my credit score took a hit when I missed those payments.”
When she needed to build her credit, Sharee looked to Capital One, using Quick Check® to find out which credit card she would be pre-approved for before she applied. “I chose Capital One because it was easy and efficient,” she says. “I was able to go into it with confidence knowing I’d be pre-approved.
“Getting that ‘yes’ to credit from Capital One, it felt like I was able to check something off on my to-do list in order to improve my credit. I was already one step closer to reaching my goals.”
Once she had access to credit from Capital One, Sharee could set her sights on building better financial habits, like prioritising paying down her balance on time.
“Making payments on time is very important,” Sharee says as she thinks back. “That’s something I wish I knew sooner about building my credit. I originally thought it was free money and you could do whatever you want with it.”
While learning and unlearning along the way, Sharee never let herself get overwhelmed by taking everything one step at a time. This mindset has helped her stay on track and reach her goals.
“I remember seeing my credit score get above 500,” says Sharee. “It was such an exciting milestone moment for me. I really felt like I was on my way to rebuilding my credit.”
Sharee recently hit another milestone in her credit journey as well.
“Since that ‘yes’ to credit from Capital One, and making payments on time, I’ve improved my financial standing and credit. With that increased score, I was able to get a car loan. This is my first newer car, so it’s exciting. Having that car means freedom and independence and being able to be there for my family,” she says with a smile. “Family is everything to me.”
Sharee continues to stay focused on the road ahead, facing her financial future with optimism.
“I feel proud about what I’ve accomplished so far: a pretty good credit score and being approved for, and able to take on, loans. As I look ahead, I’m optimistic about continuing to increase my credit, and achieving bigger and bigger goals. That ‘yes’ to credit from Capital One was a fresh start for me.”
We’ve given access to credit to over 4 million Canadians, like Sharee. Find out which Capital One product is right for you on your financial journey.
* If Quick Check pre-approves a card, you can be sure we’ll approve your application, except in limited circumstances. Some of the reasons we may not approve your application, among others, include:
a. There’s been a change in your credit file information, personal information or financial status from the time you receive your Quick Check results to the time you apply for one of our credit cards.
b. You’re not at least the age of majority in the province or territory you live in.
c. Your application is flagged for fraud prevention.
d. You have an existing Capital One account.
e. You’ve applied for a Capital One account in the last 30 days or had an account with us that was not in good standing in the last year. In good standing means not past due, over limit, fraudulent, restricted, or part of a consumer credit counselling program or bankruptcy.
In some cases, we may not be able to open an account for you even though your application was approved. This can happen if we’re unable to verify your identity, or you don’t provide the required security funds if you’re approved for a Secured Mastercard®.