Hi there!
I'm Nicole Hamilton, a Credit Educator, author of this blog, and President of Credit Hour, Inc., a Michigan-based credit education company that helps you "get smart about your credit."
I specialize in helping consumers improve their credit and raise their credit scores, and in helping entrepreneurs and small business owners establish and build corporate business credit.
I've always loved numbers and money and had a strong interest in personal finance. I recall taking a serious interest in the subject starting way back in my freshman year of high school where I enjoyed reading magazines like Kiplinger's Personal Finance as a hobby (ok, well, maybe it wasn't that waaay back!). And over the years (and still this very day), friends, family and co-workers often asked for my opinion on financial matters - mostly because they knew I was a personal finance junky who'd either probably know the answer, or wouldn't mind helping them find it.
As a result of my strong interest in personal finance, my professional background has pretty much always revolved around money in some form or fashion.
In my "former life" I worked for several years as a Financial Analyst for Northwest Airlines on the $1.2 billion project that designed and built the new Edward H. McNamara Terminal at Detroit Metro Airport. Talk about stressful, but fun. If you ever fly in to, out of, or through Detroit on Northwest (soon to be Delta), be sure to stop and have a moment of silence in that terminal on my behalf since they nearly worked me to death! :)
Anyway, after leaving Northwest, I decided to get involved in the real estate industry. I worked as a Mortgage Manager for a mortgage brokerage firm out of Southfield, MI for a while, and I also worked as a Sales Consultant for a luxury home builder out of West Bloomfield, MI for a while.
Each of those professional journeys taught me a LOT.
Primarily, that a large percentage of people, regardless of their ethnic or socioeconomic backgrounds, or their profession or how much money they make, have credit problems and/or a lot of misconceptions about credit... partly due to "old school" theories and philosophies, and also because of all of the confusion surrounding credit in the marketplace.
And, that's what ultimately led to me founding Credit Hour, Inc. I endeavored to build a business that would not only help people address their credit issues, but also help educate them too.
And I must say, running Credit Hour has been, and continues to be, a very rewarding experience. It allows me to combine my personal and professional interests and help lots of people in the process.
Over the years I've studied in one format or another, just about everything credit related out there. I'm talking about the underground (and sometimes illegal) stuff, the private sector stuff, the government stuff, and everything along the spectrum.
And as the credit game continues to change, I continue to be a student of the industry to keep abreast of the latest developments and issues affecting consumer credit and business credit.
I've pursued professional designations as a Certified Credit Report Reviewer and Certified Identity Theft Prevention Specialist, and I'm also a member of several noteworthy organizations, all of which help keep me on top of the credit game.
So, I said all of that to say what?
Well... first of all, I want you to know a little bit about the person behind JustAskNicole.com.
And second, I want you to know that I've worked long and hard at it, so when it comes to credit, I'm pretty smart. And I want to help you "get smart about your credit" too.
So, if you have a question about consumer credit or business credit, and you want a straight and truthful answer, remember that you can always ask me!
All the best,
P.S. DON'T BLAME ME! :)
Please be advised that I am NOT a licensed attorney or certified accountant. The information on this site is educational in nature and should not be construed as legal, accounting, or tax advice. If you seek help with legal, accounting, or tax matters, you should consult the appropriate licensed or certified professional to assist you. Got it? Good! :)
