Credit Building as Immigrant

Last weekend, a Puerto Rican immigrant became the first Latino and Spanish-speaking artist to headline the Super Bowl half-time show as a solo act.

According to MIT news, immigrants in the U.S. are significantly more entrepreneurial than the native-born population, starting businesses at higher rates and driving substantial economic growth. Co-authored by an MIT economist, the study finds that, per capita, immigrants are about 80 percent more likely to found a firm compared to U.S.-born citizens. Those firms also have about 1 percent more employees than those founded by U.S. natives, on average.

However, immigrant founders face a unique challenge. Many immigrants in the U.S. struggle with their personal credit scores, which can limit their borrowing power. According to a 2018 study by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), immigrants in the U.S. have an average credit score of 664, compared to 714 for native-born Americans. Immigrants residing in the country for less than five years often have even lower scores, averaging 624.

Last weekend, The Puerto Rican immigrant became the first Latino and Spanish-speaking artist to headline the Super Bowl half-time show as a solo act.

According to MIT news, Immigrants in the U.S. are significantly more entrepreneurial than the native-born population, starting businesses at higher rates and driving substantial economic growth. Co-authored by an MIT economist, the study finds that, per capita, immigrants are about 80 percent more likely to found a firm, compared to U.S.-born citizens. Those firms also have about 1 percent more employees than those founded by U.S. natives, on average.

However, immigrant founders face a unique challenge. Many immigrants in the U.S. struggle with their personal credit scores, which can limit their borrowing power. According to a 2018 study by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), immigrants in the U.S. have an average credit score of 664, compared to 714 for native-born Americans. Immigrants residing in the country for less than five years often have even lower scores, averaging 624.

• Know your Credit Score. Everything starts with knowledge.
• Know your Tomo Score. Cash flow management is the key to your long term financial health.
• Pay bills on time.

• Check your Credit Score regularly to see how your credit utilization has been changing. We recommend it once a month.
• Check your Tomo Score regularly to see how much you are spending and saving daily. We recommend daily.

While building credit as an immigrant can be extra challenging, it is totally possible and it is an important necessary step toward achieving financial stability in a new country. Don’t be scared. Get started by first learning about your current status with TomoCredit. For your better tomorrow, start with Tomo! If you want to learn more about our team and our mission & love for immigrants, check out our latest interview in the substack