Financial Security

THE GOAL

cdcb Financial Security's goal is to create financially healthy individuals and families.

THE PROBLEM

In our more than 40 years of existence, the cdcb come dream. come build. has helped thousands of families from the Rio Grande Valley on their way to homeownership. We have seen that one of the biggest hurdles in becoming financially stable is a poor understanding of credit. Misconceptions and poor knowledge on the effects of bad credit result in limiting people's choices when it comes to making purchases, obtaining loans, buying a house, renting a house and more.

We aim to help families make better financial decisions and achieve financial stability.

THE PLAN

cdcb Financial Security program seeks to educate our clients and members of the community on the different financial challenges they may face. cdcb's certified housing advisors/financial coaches are available to meet with current and prospective clients and work with them on creating budgets and financial habits that will lead them towards homeownership.

MEET THE TEAM

Claudia Kowalski

COUNSELOR, Claudia joined cdcb in 2002 and is a graduate of the University of Texas at Brownsville. She has a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences degree. Prior to joining cdcb, Claudia worked in the banking industry. She is a certified Early Delinquency Servicing, HUD Loss Mitigation Counselor and Pre-Purchase/Post-Purchase Homeownership Educator. She has extensive experience with the followoing: Individual one-on-one assessment and pre-qualification of families seeking homeownership; credit analysis; household income and expense budgeting; development of remediation “action plans” for credit and savings; enrollment in housing assistance programs; and referral of clients to sound financial products and services available in the community. Claudia's technical knowledge of the CounselorMax client database management system, along with her sincere commitment to assisting low-income families achieve financial stability, make her an invaluable asset to the cdcb Financial Security Program Team.

Tammy Villarreal

COUNSELOR, Tammy has been a member of the cdcb Team as a Mortgage Loan Processor for more than 15 years. She has an extensive background in the banking industry working as a teller for 12 years and in a loan department for seven years. She specializes in assisting clients with creating feasible, debt reduction plans, and she has successfully negotiated hundreds of debt obligation settlements for clients struggling with immense debt burdens. Her client rapport is a critical component to her success as she quickly gains the confidence and trust of the individuals she counsels.