p/stellarfi
Build the credit you deserve with the bills you already pay.
Lamine Zarrad πŸš€ πŸ΄β€β˜ οΈ
StellarFi β€” Build the credit you deserve with the bills you already pay
StellarFi is the only product that reports unlimited bill payments to the 3 major credit bureaus. Use bills like Netflix, utilities, or rent to quickly build a positive payment history and overhaul your credit. We’re on a mission to make credit universal. πŸͺ
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Lamine Zarrad πŸš€ πŸ΄β€β˜ οΈ
Lamine from StellarFi here πŸ‘¨β€πŸš€ Through the course of my life, I’ve gone from refugee to U.S. Marine to financial advisor to startup founder. Along the way, my credit score played a huge role. I saw that bad credit was often a cause, rather than an effect, of cyclical poverty. Millions of creditworthy Americans are barred from building lasting financial stability because of their credit scores. Plus, existing credit-building options were inadequate at best, predatory at worst. My team and I built StellarFi to pave a new path. Here’s how we make credit-building radically inclusive: - StellarFi reports bill payments that people are already making, like Netflix, rent, or their phone bill, to Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. - Members don’t have to take on new debt or pay a deposit to build credit. - Members pay one transparent monthly membership rate, with NO interest fees or surprise charges. Product Hunters can get up to three months free using the promo code on our page! - Certified one-on-one credit counseling services, financial education resources, credit monitoring, and ID protection are all included at no additional cost. I can’t wait to see how the world changes when everyone who deserves good credit can actually get it. We’re on deck today to answer any questions you may have! πŸš€πŸš€πŸš€Use the promo code on our page and three months of StellarFi free after you link three bills.
Al Khan
@zarradlb This is impressive! Love how intuitive and simple the interface is. Congratulations on the launch!
Lamine Zarrad πŸš€ πŸ΄β€β˜ οΈ
@alcaan Really glad to hear that, and thank you so much! πŸš€
Daniel Baum
@zarradlb Awesome work, Lamine! Great product that solves a huge need - excited to watch this grow!
Lamine Zarrad πŸš€ πŸ΄β€β˜ οΈ
@daniel_baum I appreciate the kind words! It's unreal how fast this one has grown πŸ˜…πŸš€
Desi Saran
@zarradlb What is the promo code?
Praxedis Blackhorn
I was homeless for about 6 months while I was making 96K a year. How? Because I didn't have credit. My story: This was in 2015. I was self-employed and didn't have any credit cards except one business credit card. I didn't have W2s. But what I did have was bills I paid every month. The bank didn't care. Even though I had the income I only qualified for an $80K mortgage. That is nothing in Austin. The VA wouldn't even qualify me. So I looked for an apartment. Austin had a housing shortage at the time, and that gave property managers leverage. Apartments asked for 3 month's rent because I didn't have good credit or pay stubs (remember, I'm self-employed). Texas doesn't protect renters, even ones that pay their bills, from scams like this. As a small business owner, I didn't have an extra $6K ready to drop on rent. I either had to move 1 hour south to find something affordable, or put my name down on a 6-month waitlist that didn't ask for a 3-month deposit -- waitlist it was. I was fortunate to live in a warehouse, shower in a gym, and eat out of my truck for 6 months. I least I had my dog with me. My story is becoming the norm for many responsible Americans. Like grades in school, a credit score is a bias number. Regardless of your intelligence, or in this case your ability to pay, YOU ARE NOT ENOUGH. To the team that is pushing back, thank you for helping even the score - pun intended.
Lamine Zarrad πŸš€ πŸ΄β€β˜ οΈ
@praxedis_pineda wow, that is incredible. Thank you for sharing. Credit (or lack thereof) touches every aspect of our lives, but it especially impacts housing. It's our mission to make sure nobody has to go through a situation like yours because of their credit score. Also, I'm stealing that pun. πŸš€
Vicki Apodaca
@praxedis_pineda Thank you for sharing your story. You're right that you're not alone, and the paradox "it takes money to make money" is the same when it comes to credit. We're excited to have you on the StellarFi platform and are happy to support you along your credit journey.
Bobbi Butt
I love this idea! I have tried Experian boost but it doesn’t catch all the bills it should. My ex wrecked my credit and it has taken me almost 5 years to crack 600. Definitely going to check StellarFi out further!
Lamine Zarrad πŸš€ πŸ΄β€β˜ οΈ
Oof, that's some collateral damage right there 😩 We built StellarFi to make it easy to build (or rebuild) as fast as possible. Great work cracking the 600 mark! Hopefully StellarFi is the icing on the cake πŸŽ‚ The...credit cake. It's been a long day 🀣
Praxedis Blackhorn
@bobbi_butt I tried Experian "Boost." My score went down 2 points. I reached out and they said it could be a few months before I see a change. I jumped on the beta for this, and saw plus 5 points after the first time it hit my report. Experian only reports the little stuff. Cool thing here is they report anything and everything you pay on a monthly basis.
Vicki Apodaca
@bobbi_butt So sorry to hear that. You're definitely not alone, and we have spoken to many people who are repairing their credit after divorces or relationship troubles. Unlike Experian Boost, we report ALL your bills directly to all three major credit bureaus. Your credit score is supported a lot more at this volume of payments.
Lamine Zarrad πŸš€ πŸ΄β€β˜ οΈ
@praxedis_pineda we’ve heard similar stories about the Boost product! StellarFi is quite different in how we optimize ALL your score factors, and as you mentioned, the types and amounts of bills you can link vs other products. That’s probably why you saw that immediate jump. Thanks so much for that feedback!
Chris Sivori
Really love the concept: building credit by using bills you already pay. Simple and powerful. I think this service could be extended along some useful lines to include complementary services. I tried the app... onboarding process was simple. Glad to see Stellar leveraging Plaid for connecting to all my accounts. The concept of a credit simulator is interesting. Received an error when simulating one specific scenario, but otherwise worked great in modeling different actions. Powerful tool with lots of potential. Will definitely recommend to people I know who are having challenges building credit. Think this could help a lot of people.
Lamine Zarrad πŸš€ πŸ΄β€β˜ οΈ
@sivori πŸ™Œ A HUGE thank you for taking the time to test some features out and provide your feedback. "Simple and powerful" is the ultimate standard πŸ’ͺ And you nailed it...complementary services are part of our growth plan to provide radically accessible, holistic financial tools and resources for our members πŸš€
Melisa Washington
@sivori Thanks for the feedback Chris!
Qudsia Ali
Great product. Congratulations on building and launching it.
Naveed Rehman
That's so cool :)
Vicki Apodaca
@naveed_rehman Thanks Naveed!
Melisa Washington
@naveed_rehman We think so, too 😊. Thanks Naveed!
Charlie Liao
I struggled with credit throughout college and wish I had something like this earlier. Congrats on the launch team :)
Lamine Zarrad πŸš€ πŸ΄β€β˜ οΈ
Same, Charlie, SAME 🀣 I could have avoided some rough times! Thank you for the congrats, our awesome StellarFi crew is celebrating today πŸš€
Blake Ward
@charlie_liao Thanks Charlie!
Melisa Washington
@charlie_liao Many of us on the StellarFi crew have had similar experiences and we understand the struggle in figuring out the credit system. Thank you for your support!
Praxedis Blackhorn
@charlie_liao Didn't we all. What I like about what StellarFi is doing is that it's not focused on just helping you when you're struggling. You don't always have loans, but you always have bills. The use not just subscriptions, not just rent, but all your bills show bureaus you're a person worthy of good credit. All people pay bills, regardless if you're struggling or not. Love it.
gmassanek
When the opportunity to join the StellarFi came up, I jumped at the chance. StellarFi’s mission to help open doors to those struggling within the financial system really resonated, as did the excitement of building an innovative product. I am so proud to be a part of this team and of what we built together. Here’s to just getting started!
Lamine Zarrad πŸš€ πŸ΄β€β˜ οΈ
@gmassanek can’t imagine building StellarFi without you, man! Thanks for throwing all your talent and experience into this project. We are so fortunate to have you on board! πŸš€
Kivon Scott
Congratulations on the launch StellarFI Team! Much success to the founder himself and everyone at the team and beyond! @zarradlb
Lamine Zarrad πŸš€ πŸ΄β€β˜ οΈ
@kivon_scott thank you Kivon! We know you've been following since day 1. You're practically part of the StellarFi family by now!
Melisa Washington
@kivon_scott Thanks for the support πŸ™
Vicki Apodaca
@kivon_scott Thank you, Kivon! Excited to have you follow us along the way and we hope you enjoy StellarFi.
Haley Schirber
Rebuilding credit can be a long and grueling process! Seems like this is a good , user friendly way to build. Looking forward to learning more!
Lamine Zarrad πŸš€ πŸ΄β€β˜ οΈ
Thank you Haley! I've been through the process of destroying (oops) and rebuilding my credit... it was NOT a fun experience πŸ˜… I'm grateful for the opportunity to help create a better credit-building experience! πŸš€
Praxedis Blackhorn
@haley_schirber I think the best part is the ability to add all my monthly expenses and then just let it run. It's like one of those Age of Empire games where you let your characters collect resources on your behalf. Set it and forget it.
Tyler johnson
Just started using the app to build my credit after getting rid of my debt. Only issue I have is I’ve been locked out of my account and Im waiting for them to call me so we can fix my account
Lamine Zarrad πŸš€ πŸ΄β€β˜ οΈ
Thanks Tyler! Yes, our identity verification process is pretty sensitive and some members have been hitting a snag there. Working on that. In the meantime I’ll connect with our customer support team and make sure you’re taken care of. Really appreciate it and awesome job getting rid of your debt, that’s no small feat πŸš€
Lamine Zarrad πŸš€ πŸ΄β€β˜ οΈ
@voltage_johnson Hi Tyler, have you tried to sign in again? You should be good to go! Please let me know if you experience any issues.
Chelsie
For years friends and I have discussed this issue at length.. about how the bills that matter don’t even help us! Growing up in poverty it’s been a struggle to make it on my own as an adult, THIS is the product we’ve been waiting for and something like this is going to be what helps me eventually be a home owner one day! So so incredible!
Lamine Zarrad πŸš€ πŸ΄β€β˜ οΈ
@chelsie_renee who’s chopping onions over here 😭😭 It’s dang near impossible to get ahead when you live without a safety net, and getting harder and harder as inflation increases and the wealth gap widens. There are no bootstraps if you don’t have a boot πŸ˜…πŸ˜… Please keep in touch along the way, we would love to watch you go from Product Hunter to homeowner 🏑πŸ’ͺπŸš€
Vicki Apodaca
@chelsie_renee We're so excited to help you along your journey. We hope with StellarFi, we can support generations to get out of poverty. ❀️
Alison Hamling
What a great idea to help level the field. Poor credit is keeping people who already over-pay exorbitant rent from being able to experience the pride of home ownership, and that hurts EVERY neighborhood. If you pay a combined $4,000 or so per month in rent, utilities, memberships, credit cards, etc... you should sure be able to buy a car and qualify for a mortgage. Low credit scores penalize loan seekers too. I love this concept!
Lamine Zarrad πŸš€ πŸ΄β€β˜ οΈ
@alison_hamling Thank you so much Alison! This is exactly why we built it!
Melisa Washington
@alison_hamling Thank you for your support Alison! You're absolutely right.
Brian Ward
Congrats @zarradlb & StellarFi team! Simple + Powerful = Massive impact for everyone deserving credit πŸ’ͺπŸš€
Lamine Zarrad πŸš€ πŸ΄β€β˜ οΈ
@bdward thank you so much. Millions of creditworthy Americans are paying their bills and doing their best, but have still been refused the opportunity to build credit. It feels good to know they have a chance now!
Vicky Bindra
This is a great product that fills a huge need for 1) people to pay bills and 2) for people to build credit. Love the explanations and details provided. Think this is a winner!
Lamine Zarrad πŸš€ πŸ΄β€β˜ οΈ
Thanks Vicky! I’m glad to see that StellarFi’s purpose and capabilities are clear. We appreciate the kind words!
Pamela Champ
I am happy with StellarFi. Customer support has been very helpful. I'm looking forward to great results.
Lamine Zarrad πŸš€ πŸ΄β€β˜ οΈ
We're so pleased that everything is working out well @pamela_champ!
Jenaya McGowan
Thrilled about this launch! I know far too many Millennials who pay all their bills on time but are still shut out of home ownership β€” forced into paying exorbitant rents due to how the credit system is designed. I look forward to StellarFi empowering so many people who could benefit from this platform!
Amelia Charlie
Hey team, congratulations on your launch
Lamine Zarrad πŸš€ πŸ΄β€β˜ οΈ
Thank you Amelia! It’s an exciting time πŸš€
Vicki Apodaca
@amelia_charlie Thank you so much!
Melisa Washington
@amelia_charlie Thank you πŸ™
Saif Ali
Amazing product! Tried it and loved it ❀️ Keep it up guys.
Lamine Zarrad πŸš€ πŸ΄β€β˜ οΈ
@saifali97 So glad to hear it, we’ve had quite the day over here reading all the reactions to our new tool πŸ™πŸΌπŸ’ͺπŸΌπŸš€
Melisa Washington
@saifali97 Happy day! Thank you!
Shrishty Pandey
Cool product @zarradlb congratulations on the launch !