Credit, capital, cash flow and the bigger journey toward ownership
A credit score can open doors.
But a number by itself does not build wealth.
That was one of the clearest messages from fintech consultant Vicki Willhite-Holmes during her conversation with Kourage & Kulture for The Financial Gym.
Holmes works with families, consumers and entrepreneurs around credit, capital and cash flow.
Throughout the interview, she kept returning to one bigger question:
How do people move beyond financial survival and position themselves for real opportunity?
For Holmes, credit matters.
But credit is only the starting line.
Credit Is Often the First Barrier
Holmes told Kourage & Kulture that damaged credit is one of the first obstacles she sees among people trying to strengthen their finances.
She works as a fintech consultant with Novae, a company she described as being focused on helping underserved communities gain greater access to financial education, credit services and capital.
Holmes said the word Novae represents “new beginnings.”
She also explained that the company was founded by Rico McCambrey, whom she described as having been raised by a single mother and influenced by a grandfather who served as a pastor for decades.
According to Holmes, that background contributed to the company’s faith-based and service-oriented philosophy.
Holmes also made a significant claim about who the company considers underserved. She said households earning less than $400,000 annually can still face numerous barriers in traditional lending and stated that banks can find “29 reasons” to deny a borrower.
That figure was presented by Holmes during the interview as part of her explanation of why the company emphasizes financial education and credit preparation.
Her larger point was simple:
Income alone does not guarantee access.
Start by Understanding the Whole Financial Picture
Holmes recommends beginning with what she called a financial needs analysis.
According to Holmes, the assessment takes about three minutes and is designed to show people where they currently stand and what financial areas may need attention.
She said the analysis can help identify needs involving:
- Credit
- Consumer or personal loans
- Entrepreneurship
- Business financing
- Other financial goals
Holmes also said Novae offers a five-day credit masterclass, which she described as having a stated value of $597 while being offered free through the program.
For Holmes, the point is to understand the full financial picture before rushing into a solution.
Credit is part of that picture.
But so are debt, income, savings, cash flow and long-term goals.
You cannot strengthen what you have not first measured.
How Holmes Describes the Credit-Repair Process
Holmes also discussed a service she called My Novae Disputes.
She described it as a do-it-yourself credit-dispute platform that still provides customers with guidance throughout the process.
According to Holmes, the service can be used to challenge credit-report items including:
- Late payments
- Collections
- Repossessions
- Judgments
- Charge-offs
- Bankruptcies
- Foreclosures
Holmes said the platform uses a soft credit pull, which she said does not affect the consumer’s credit score.
She also said the system uses technology to identify items that may be hurting the report and helps generate dispute letters based on consumer-protection laws.
Holmes explained that customers are instructed to print and mail their dispute letters rather than relying only on online disputes.
She further claimed that users can dispute multiple items—up to 50 or more at one time, depending on what appears on the report.
According to Holmes, customers can stop using the service once they reach the credit position they want.
She also said the system provides new three-bureau credit reports and can suggest additional dispute strategies when an item is not removed.
She Says One Client Gained 68 Points
Holmes told Kourage & Kulture that she has seen a customer’s credit score increase by 68 points during the first round of the dispute process.
She presented that as an example from her experience—not as a guaranteed result for every customer.
Holmes said the company uses the phrase:
“The 800 Club.”
According to her, the goal for consumers who want to pursue it is to move toward the 800–850 credit-score range when possible.
But Holmes was equally clear that a high score does not automatically mean someone is financially prepared.
A better score can improve opportunity. It does not replace a strong financial foundation.
An 800 Credit Score Can Still Be Denied
Holmes made one of the strongest points in the interview when she explained that a high credit score does not guarantee approval.
She gave the example of someone earning $150,000 a year with an 800 credit score.
According to Holmes, that person could still be denied financing if their debt-to-income ratio is too high.
That means improving the score is only part of the work.
You also have to pay attention to:
- How much debt you already carry
- How much of your income is committed each month
- How much cash you have available
- Whether your savings are growing
- Whether new debt would actually fit your budget
Holmes’ point was simple:
A strong score can open the door, but the rest of your finances determine whether you are ready to walk through it.
“The Very Wealthy Use Other People’s Money”
Holmes also challenged the idea that credit itself is automatically bad.
During the interview, she said:
“The very wealthy use other people’s money.”
Holmes explained that, in her view, financially successful people often preserve their own cash while using credit or financing strategically for businesses, investments and other opportunities.
She contrasted that with spending heavily on appearances.
The car.
The clothes.
The image.
Holmes warned that a person can look successful without actually building wealth.
Her focus is different:
Save more. Build assets. Use credit strategically. Create something that can reach the next generation.
That distinction matters.
Looking wealthy and becoming financially secure are not the same thing.
From Employee to Legacy Builder
Holmes’ own career helped shape the way she thinks about ownership and generational wealth.
She said she earned a master’s degree in human resource management and spent part of her professional life hiring people to work inside other organizations.
But as she approached retirement age, her thinking changed.
Holmes said she realized she had spent years helping people build someone else’s dream while doing the same herself.
Then she began thinking about her own family.
She spoke about her son and his five children and said she wanted to create something that could eventually become an inheritance for them.
For Holmes, entrepreneurship became about more than earning additional income.
It became about legacy.
A paycheck can support the present. Ownership can reach the next generation.
Running to a Billion
Holmes also spoke about an initiative she called Running to a Billion.
She said the initiative was introduced by Novae founder Rico McCambrey during the company’s annual convention and is structured as a 10-year vision.
According to Holmes, the goal is to expand the company’s community to one billion people over time.
She said Novae currently operates throughout the 50 United States and Puerto Rico, with international expansion planned gradually.
Holmes said the initiative includes recruiting and serving:
- Fintech consultants
- Clients
- Entrepreneurs
- Tax professionals
- Marketing professionals
- Other business professionals
She described the larger mission as bringing financial tools, education and opportunities to people she believes have historically been underserved.
For Holmes, the initiative is about more than growth.
It is about service, financial education and building stronger economic communities.
The Education Gap
Holmes also questioned whether traditional education always gives people enough practical financial and business knowledge.
She recalled taking a business course where, according to her, the instructor did not personally own a business and was teaching primarily from a textbook.
Holmes said the experience left her feeling that there is a difference between studying business and actually building one.
Her point was not that formal education has no value.
It was that people also need knowledge they can apply in real life:
- How credit works
- How interest affects borrowing
- How debt can limit opportunity
- How businesses access capital
- How savings can earn more
- How ownership and legacy are built
For Holmes, financial education becomes valuable when people can turn information into action.
Knowing the terminology is one thing. Knowing how to use the knowledge is another.
Put Your Savings to Work
Holmes also encouraged listeners to pay attention to what their savings are actually earning.
During the interview, she compared traditional savings accounts that may pay very little interest with a high-yield savings option she said was available through SoFi Bank.
Holmes personally identified SoFi Bank in the interview chat when Kourage & Kulture asked her to confirm the institution she was discussing.
At the time of the interview, Holmes said the account she referenced was paying approximately 4%.
She contrasted that with savings accounts she described as paying around 0.01%.
Her example was simple:
If $100 is sitting in savings, would you rather earn almost nothing—or have that money earning at a higher rate?
Holmes also said the banking option she recommends can include:
- Savings
- Checking
- ATM access
- The ability to open the account without immediately funding it
Those account details and rates were described by Holmes during the interview and can change over time.
But her larger lesson is simple:
Know what your money is earning.
She Says Businesses Have Nine Financing Options
Holmes also discussed business financing.
According to Holmes, the financial network she works with provides nine different loan options for businesses.
One area she highlighted was commercial real estate.
Holmes said the financing network can fund up to $150 million for commercial real-estate transactions, depending on the circumstances.
She also said financing may extend to certain residential investment properties, including:
- Single-family fixer-uppers
- Two-unit properties
- Three-unit properties
- Four-unit properties
Holmes presented these as financing capabilities available through the organization she represents.
Anyone considering this type of financing should still verify the actual lender, current eligibility requirements, interest rates, fees, collateral requirements and underwriting terms before moving forward.
Big numbers mean nothing if the terms do not make sense.
Services for Churches and Religious Organizations
Holmes also said the company works with churches and other religious organizations in addition to consumers and businesses.
According to Holmes, some services are available free of charge to qualifying registered religious organizations.
She connected that work to Novae’s faith-based identity and its broader emphasis on financial service and community support.
For Holmes, helping churches and religious organizations strengthen their financial position is another way of extending resources into the communities they serve.
Those eligibility and service details were described by Holmes during the interview and should be confirmed directly with the provider before any organization makes a financial decision.
The larger lesson: financial education and access should reach institutions that are already serving the community.
Her 90-Day Financial Plan
When Kourage & Kulture asked Holmes what someone could realistically do over the next 90 days, she gave several practical directions.
First:
Find out where your credit actually stands.
If there are serious problems, address them.
Second:
Look at your broader financial needs.
Holmes said even someone with good credit may still have weaknesses involving savings, debt, business capital or cash flow.
Third:
Pay attention to where your money is being held and what it is earning.
She encouraged people to learn about higher-yield savings options rather than automatically leaving money in accounts paying very little interest.
Holmes also encouraged people to eventually position themselves for real-estate investment when they are financially prepared.
Her larger message was not that everybody should immediately borrow money or buy property.
It was that people should start positioning themselves to have more choices.
The One Mistake Holmes Says to Avoid
When Kourage & Kulture asked Holmes to name one serious financial mistake people should avoid, she focused immediately on high-interest borrowing.
Holmes said people sometimes accept expensive financing because they want something right away or because outward appearance becomes too important.
Her advice was direct:
If the interest rate is extremely high, do not rush into the deal.
Wait if you can.
Improve your credit.
Strengthen your financial position.
Then pursue better terms.
Holmes described excessive interest as something that is “devouring households.”
That warning matters because a monthly payment can look manageable while the total cost of the debt tells a different story.
Sometimes the smartest financial move is not buying today. It is getting stronger first.
The Financial Gym Lesson
Holmes’ interview ultimately reaches far beyond credit repair.
Credit is one tool.
Capital is another.
Cash flow matters.
Savings matter.
Debt matters.
Interest matters.
Ownership matters.
And financial education connects them all.
A better credit score can create opportunities.
But the real goal is becoming financially strong enough to use those opportunities wisely.
Know your credit.
Know your debt.
Know your income.
Know what your savings are earning.
Know what borrowing will actually cost.
And know what you are trying to build.
Because the most important question is not simply:
“Can I qualify?”
It is:
“If I qualify, am I financially prepared for what comes next?”
That is the difference between chasing a number and building a financial life.
Credit is the starting line.
Ownership is the destination.
Connect With Vicki Willhite-Holmes
During her interview with Kourage & Kulture, Holmes provided the following information for readers who want to learn more about the financial services she discussed:
Vicki Willhite-Holmes / Novae
novaemoney.com/vjholmes
Bank referenced during the interview:
SoFi Bank
Readers should review current pricing, eligibility requirements, interest rates, lending terms and account disclosures directly with the appropriate provider before making financial decisions.
Kourage & Kulture
Reclaim the Narrative. Build the Future.
kourageandkulture.com
news@kourageandkulture.com
Editorial Disclosure
The financial products, services, credit-dispute capabilities, score increases, lending limits, savings rates, banking features, eligibility requirements, company reach and Running to a Billion initiative discussed in this article were described by Vicki Willhite-Holmes during her interview with Kourage & Kulture.
Kourage & Kulture is presenting those statements as her claims and explanations, not as guarantees of results.
Rates, terms, eligibility, program availability and financial outcomes can change. Readers should independently review current information and provider disclosures before opening an account, purchasing a service, disputing credit information, borrowing money or entering any financing agreement.
Kourage & Kulture does not provide individualized financial, legal or tax advice.
