Working Credit Helps Pine Bluff Residents Build Financial Stability, New Opportunities

By William Hehemann, Guest Contributor

PINE BLUFF, Ark. — June 30, 2026 – When Jorge Nieto was preparing to reenter society in 2024 after six years of incarceration, building credit was not something he knew much about.

Today, he has built up enough credit to purchase two vehicles, and he hopes to buy a home soon. He is currently working two jobs and is married with two stepsons and a baby girl on the way.

“I never thought I would reach this level of stability or achieve half of what I have in such a short time,” Nieto said. “I expected it to take three years to reach complete stability and about five years to be this financially comfortable.”

Nieto’s experience reflects the kind of long-term impact Working Credit hopes to create in Pine Bluff.

Since launching its Pine Bluff initiative in 2023, the national nonprofit has served more than 550 residents through its 12-month credit-building counseling program and reached nearly 3,000 people through workshops and community outreach.

Working Credit data show that 54% of participants who completed counseling and had a credit score at enrollment improved their scores by an average of 43 points. Nearly two-thirds of participants who entered the program with subprime or near-prime credit scores improved their scores by an average of 44 points, and some achieved prime credit status. Participants also made significant progress in reducing debt, with nearly half of those carrying credit card balances reducing their debt by an average of $2,458.

Founded in 2015, Working Credit provides credit-building education, one-on-one financial coaching and counseling designed to help participants build, maintain or rebuild their credit.

Morgan Spears, co-CEO of Working Credit, said the organization’s mission is rooted in economic justice and the belief that credit affects nearly every aspect of a person’s financial life.

“It used to be that you needed credit to purchase a house or purchase a car,” Spears said. “But the reality is that even to rent an apartment, your credit becomes paramount.”

Credit can influence everything from loan approvals and interest rates to insurance costs and housing opportunities, she said.

Working Credit originally operated as an employee-benefit program before expanding its work through partnerships with nonprofits, schools, employers and community organizations. After piloting a place-based approach in South Chicago, the organization selected Pine Bluff as one of its focus communities.

With support from the Walton Family Foundation, Working Credit has since partnered with more than two dozen local organizations, including schools, employers, childcare providers and the Arkansas Department of Corrections.

The organization’s goal is to meet people where they already live, work and receive services.

“What would happen if we partnered with the local high school, the university, reentry programs, employers and nonprofits all at once?” Spears said. “What would happen if we embedded our services throughout one community?”

For Nieto, the connection came through Working Credit’s partnership with the Arkansas Department of Corrections.

While incarcerated, he attended a pre-release workshop hosted by the organization and later enrolled in counseling after his release.

Before joining the program, Nieto said he struggled with budgeting, managing expenses and understanding how credit worked.

“I didn’t know how to build credit or use credit cards effectively,” he said. “My credit advisor helped me understand how to use tools like Self Financial and the importance of keeping my credit card usage below 10% and paying it off monthly.”

A year and a half after his release, Nieto said he has already surpassed many of the goals he once believed were years away.

“Having the financial stability to afford an extra vehicle or to spend quality time with my family at a fair or other social event is massive for me,” he said.

He now hopes to become a homeowner and eventually retire comfortably.

Working Credit’s partnership with the Arkansas Department of Corrections has become one of its most successful initiatives in Pine Bluff.

Spears said many people leaving incarceration are effectively “credit invisible,” meaning they have little or no established credit history. Others discover fraudulent accounts or financial issues that developed while they were incarcerated.

“When you’re trying to rebuild your financial life, credit becomes foundational to that,” Spears said.

Initially, Working Credit staff were permitted only to conduct workshops and leave informational materials at correctional facilities. Spears said she was surprised by how many participants kept those materials and contacted the organization after release.

That response eventually led to a deeper partnership that now includes counseling sessions and expanded programming within correctional facilities.

One participant, Spears said, went from having no established credit score to achieving a score above 700 in less than a year and is now preparing to purchase a barbershop.

Shanta Rice, community engagement manager for Working Credit in Pine Bluff, said the organization’s success often begins with changing misconceptions about credit.

Many workshop participants, she said, arrive believing that a credit score in the 400s or 500s is considered good simply because they can still qualify for loans.

“Yes, you did get approved, but you may have a 39% interest rate,” Rice said. “Their lack of understanding that part wasn’t there.”

Others grew up hearing that banks could not be trusted or that credit automatically meant debt.

“Nobody had ever shared that information with them and broke it down to how interest rates vary payments,” Rice said. “Those are the aha moments that we get when we’re dealing with community members in the Delta.”

Rice said another key difference is the organization’s nonjudgmental approach.

Participants are paired with the same counselor throughout the program and encouraged to discuss goals such as homeownership, debt reduction, transportation, education and financial stability.

“A lot of people will forget what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel,” Rice said. “We build relationships.”

For Kintul Jordan, a Pine Bluff resident and mother of two, that support helped her better understand credit, budgeting and financial planning.

“At the time, I was facing challenges related to building and maintaining a strong credit profile,” Jordan said.

Jordan said the program gave her greater confidence in managing her finances. Since participating, she has purchased her dream truck and has begun taking steps toward becoming a first-time homebuyer.

“Improving my credit has given me greater financial confidence and peace of mind,” she said.

The need for financial education remains significant in Pine Bluff. Among Working Credit participants who enrolled with a credit score, the average score was 603. Participants also carried an average of $4,539 in credit card debt and $5,203 in collection debt when entering the program.

Spears said those numbers reflect the challenges many families face as they work to balance rising costs, debt and long-term financial goals.

For Nieto, however, the progress he has made over the past year serves as a reminder that change is possible.

“To have done it in only a year and to reach heights I never imagined were within reach is outstanding and astonishing,” he said.