Homeownership

Small business means big things for local economies. And there's a conference next week in St. Louis that will focus on making very small businesses mean even more.

About 500 members of the Association for Enterprise Opportunity are gathering Sunday through Wednesday at the Chase Park Plaza for their annual convention. AEO is a group that advocates for the nation's 25.5 million “micro-businesses” – defined as companies with five or fewer employees – and helps them find loans and access professional services.

Justine PETERSEN helps small businesses and individuals achieve new levels of financial capability by focusing on building assets. Emphasis is on the loan applicants' strengths in achieving their goals. Sharon Echols, JP micro-customer and owner of Miss M’s Candy, is featured.

You've probably heard about the importance of a good credit score -- it opens access to affordable mortgages, auto loans and reasonably priced credit, but it could also help to secure a job, buy a cell phone or establish utilities without paying a hefty deposit. And a low credit score will cost you. People with a weak credit rating willl pay approximately $250,000 more in interest throughout their working lives than those with stronger scores.