Experian partners with Orange County Rescue Mission, fosters financial literacy in the local community
Residents of the Orange County Rescue Mission benefit from one-on-one credit education as they work toward reaching their financial goals
Apr 23, 2015, 11:00 ET
COSTA MESA, Calif., April 23, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- With the objective of supporting its local community and helping Orange County residents overcome financial issues, Experian® worked with the Orange County Rescue Mission (OCRM) to spread financial literacy in local communities by providing residents with the insight and resources to guide them on a journey to independence.
As part of this program, Experian is offering at no charge its Experian Credit EducatorSM product, a tool designed to provide consumers with one-on-one telephone-based education sessions and guide them through important information related to their credit lives. This innovative tool helps prepare consumers for career exploration, future employment opportunities, home rentals and other important financial decisions.
"Experian was eager to strengthen its partnership with OCRM because our company strongly supports its goal of providing the homeless with the skills and resources to become self-sufficient, and we feel Experian can contribute with its proficiency in credit education to make this process even smoother for OCRM members," said Rod Griffin, director of public education at Experian.
Within 30–60 days of entering OCRM, residents will work with an Experian volunteer to schedule their session, where an agent will provide individuals with a copy of their credit report and help them review, understand and improve their credit score. This session enables the resident to identify any potential issues with their credit report or score, while learning the fundamentals of credit reporting from a reputable resource.
"OCRM recognizes the expertise and infrastructure that Experian brings to this consumer education program," said Jewel Loff, chief program officer of OCRM. "I think credit education is extremely important. I spent a number of years as a banker, and I know that the average person does not know a lot of the information that we share today. I think in any form, this information would be very helpful."
The phone-based sessions usually take 35 minutes, and a significant number of OCRM members have been empowered with in-depth information to take important steps toward improving their financial literacy. The initiative is part of Experian's broader mission to promote data for good by leveraging insights from the use of Big Data into actionable solutions that benefit consumers, businesses and government organizations.
Experian already has provided more than 25 sessions to the OCRM's members and is on schedule to deliver 15–20 a month as new OCRM members become integrated into the independent-living and job-training programs.
For more information about the Experian Credit Educator, please visit http://www.experian.com/crediteducator.
About Experian
We are the leading global information services company, providing data and analytical tools to our clients around the world. We help businesses to manage credit risk, prevent fraud, target marketing offers and automate decision making. We also help people to check their credit report and credit score, and protect against identity theft. In 2014, we were named by Forbes magazine as one of the "World's Most Innovative Companies."
We employ approximately 16,000 people in 39 countries and our corporate headquarters are in Dublin, Ireland, with operational headquarters in Nottingham, UK; California, US; and Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Experian plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index. Total revenue for the year ended March 31, 2014, was US$4.8 billion.
To find out more about our company, please visit http://www.experianplc.com or watch our documentary, "Inside Experian."
About Orange County Rescue Mission
The Orange County Rescue Mission facilitates many effective programs that serve as a source of help to many Orange County residents. Our mission is to minister the love of Jesus Christ to the Least, the Last and the Lost of our Community through the provision of assistance in the areas of guidance, counseling, education, job training, shelter, food, clothing, health care and independent living communities.
Experian and the Experian marks used herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Experian Information Solutions, Inc. Other product and company names mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.
Contact:
Michael Troncale
Senior Manager Public Relations, Experian North America
1 714 830 5462
[email protected]
Joey Gonzalez
Success Center Manager, OCRM
1 714 247 4370
[email protected]
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SOURCE Experian