MILWAUKEE -- It takes no time to increase your debt, but it does take a long time to pay it all off.
YWCA Southeast Wisconsin is showing us how they are helping people in our community become debt-free.
Bertha Nance was living paycheck-to-paycheck when she says she dipped into her emergency savings to help a family member. At one point she considered living in her van.
"Work from my van and become a van dweller - just pay off all of my debts," said Nance.
We have pictures to show how serious she was.
Then the transmission busted and she had no money to fix it. Now Bertha lives with her daughter in Milwaukee. She shared what it's like to start over at 60-years-old, $4,000 in debt. And her credit score?
"My lowest number at that time was a 503," said Nance.
She's learning from the YWCA Southeast Wisconsin's Credit Coaching Program about how to get out of debt and boost her credit score.
"What I love about Bertha is she's educating herself now," said Jackie Carter with YWCA Southeast Wisconsin.
"[Jackie Carter] she is really a godsend, I tell you. Because I didn't know that I could freeze my credit," said Nance.
Nance hopes to soon land a job as a truck driver by getting a commercial drivers license.
Click here to learn more about the YWCA's credit coaching.
