The Power of a Second Chance

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Whether you have no credit, low credit or are facing hard times financially, there is hope. Your credit score doesn’t tell your whole story. It only tells us where you are. At PREMIER Bankcard, we're more interested in how we can help you.




Valerie is a PREMIER Bankcard customer who earned a good living and hustled to provide for her family. An unexpected turn of events derailed the financial stability she worked so hard to achieve. Hear her story and learn how her perseverance and commitment helped her family bounce back from a difficult time. Feeling empowered by her second chance from PREMIER Bankcard, Valerie gave her family an opportunity for a brighter future, finding hope when they needed it the most.


Bad credit shouldn’t define us, but life happens, and you can’t always control your financial obligations as hard as you try.

Bankruptcy, divorce, unemployment, loss of loved ones, and illness happen to everyone, often when you’re least expecting it. Any one of these life-altering events can turn your life upside down, leaving you scrambling to make ends meet. In these moments it often feels like you can’t get a break, stress keeps mounting and helping hands are few and far between.


We believe in you. And in second chances.

Fortunately, hope is out there. And that’s exactly why PREMIER Bankcard was created. “Our mission is to provide credit access to those who need it most, in an honest and straight-forward way.” That was the case when a tough situation left Valerie as a single mother of three filing for bankruptcy. Valerie valued her family and her career as a property manager. She always earned a good income and felt on top of her finances and bills. Unfortunately, her financial success was compromised after she was blindsided by a divorce and left to pick up the pieces.

“I went through a divorce. It took a toll on my whole life.  Everything got rearranged. My life got turned upside down and I basically had to start over. I had to file bankruptcy and I couldn’t afford the bills on my own any longer. I ended up losing our home and lived with my family for about three years,” says Valerie.


PREMIER Bankcard employee, Sujey Sayre explains, “Valerie’s situation is very common, we see this happen to people all the time. Something unexpected comes up and they’re not prepared for it. It could be a result of poor money management, or it could be something that’s completely no fault of their own. People like Valerie are so important to PREMIER Bankcard because one single credit score doesn’t define them as a person. There are ways to come back from that and we want to make sure that we give you a second chance.”


So how exactly did Valerie transform her financial situation? She leaned into her hard-working nature. Dedicated herself to finding a solution that would help her get back on track and ensure her family was taken care of. Her diligence led her to PREMIER Bankcard and she was able to start her journey to better credit. She opened her first credit card following the bankruptcy and used it responsibly by making payments on time and keeping her balance below the credit limit. Over time, as she remained disciplined and dedicated to rebuilding her credit with all lenders, Valerie’s credit score increased, and she was able to get herself and her family back on their feet.

Valerie says, “Starting in the situation that I was put in, it does feel like you’re the only person going through this. You’re ashamed because you can’t get simple things like a vehicle or an apartment. But there is hope. If you work hard and focus on improving, you can get through it and come out on the other end. PREMIER Bankcard has been there along the way from my early stages of coming out of bankruptcy to now. I still use the card, I still have them both open and they’ve been a significant part of my credit journey.”


PREMIER Bankcard is passionate about providing the credit card you deserve to get you back on your feet. Our core belief lies in the power of second chances. When our customers succeed, we succeed.


At PREMIER Bankcard, we’re on your team. We understand the effort and dedication it takes to overcome financial hurdles. Together with our card offer and our customers hard work, we create opportunities to improve credit and the chance to achieve your goals.


Sujey Sayre adds, “Something that Valerie did so well was she started with a card with a smaller limit, made her payments on time, monitored her finances and eventually graduated to a card with a larger limit. Credit is very important. It’s the thing that will help you get better scores or better interest rates when you want to buy a house or rent a car, or in Valerie’s case redo your home. It really plays into a lot of different factors in your life.”


From bankruptcy to home ownership.


Over time, Valerie’s hard work and effort paid off for her and her family. After her divorce she was able to buy a house where she and her new fiancé could raise their blended family. Without her hard work and improved credit, purchasing a house would not have been possible.  “Being able to become a homeowner was a significant change in my life. Having better credit definitely helps all around. Having a safety net, those larger credit lines, equity in your home and being able to fix things if needed, plays a big part. If I was in this situation five years ago, I think I would have been really stressed out not having a savings or a credit card I could fall back on to purchase things that were necessary,” Valerie says.

Along the way, Valerie picked up some invaluable tips that will serve her for a lifetime of better credit. For anyone who is experiencing financial struggles, Valerie says, “There’s hope. There’s a lot of information that you can get out there, and just not giving up is the biggest thing.”


Check out PREMIER Bankcard Credit Cards, pre-qualify and take the next step to improving your credit today. Pre-qualifying allows you to see your offer before you apply with no impact to your credit score. Consistently use your credit with all lenders responsibly, keep up the good work and in time you could be on your way to a better credit score. Your progress will be reported back to the credit reporting agencies, so your hard work is rewarded.


Valerie says, “Going through this process I became more financially aware and credit savvy. Just knowing little tricks on how to pay my credit cards on time, paying more than the minimum payment and little things that boost my credit.” Inspired to take the first steps on the road to better credit? Watch our segments on The Balancing Act to pick up some valuable credit tips and tricks and join Valerie on the journey to better credit today.