Yes, absolutely. But first the bad news. Only two things can improve a bad credit rating--time and re-established credit. Nobody --no company, no organization, no association--can remove negative information from your report if it's timely and accurate. 

The good news is, not only can bad credit be improved, you don't need a credit repair company to do it. You can be your own debt doctor. There are all kinds of excellent, free education campaigns that are dying to show you how.

To get closer to her dream of homeownership, for example, Sandra is using the Fannie Mae Foundation's guide, Knowing and Understanding Your Credit. (To order online, log on to www.homebuyingguide.org, or call 1-800-611-9566.)

The National Endowment for Financial Education is another great resource for Sisters seeking high-quality, unbiased personal finance information they can immediately apply to their lives. (To learn more, log on at www.nefe.org.)

As Sandra found out, our knowledge can become our strength. We just have to be willing to take the first steps toward obtaining it.