Hey! I'm
I teach people how to better understand, manage, and improve their financial lives through real credit education, consumer rights awareness, and practical resources.
Who am I?
I am Shonda Martin, a board-certified credit educator and founder of Credit Academy. I teach people how credit really works, what consumer rights protect them, and how to move from confusion to a clearer plan.
This site is your front door: watch the videos, read the guides, pull the templates, join the Cousins, or step into Credit Academy when you want more structure.
No miracle talk. No fear. Just practical education, plain language, and a path you can actually follow.
Choose your next step.
Pick the lane that fits where you are right now.
Start with Bootcamp
Get the full credit education foundation first.
Watch the Bootcamp → WatchLatest videos
Jump into recent lives, workshops, and teaching clips.
Watch Videos → ReadArticles & guides
Use the written library when you need strategy in plain language.
Start Reading → JoinCredit Academy
Choose free community, monitoring, or VIP support.
Compare Options → MeetTour & Events
Find the next room, brunch, or live learning experience.
See Tour →Watch the latest videos.
Live shows, teaching sessions, and the latest from the YouTube channel. Click any video to watch.
Your 2026 Credit File Roadmap
Live · 2 hr workshop
How To Work Through Your Credit File Yourself
Step-by-Step Workshop
Why You're Still Getting Denied With a Good Score
Live · The Build vs. The Cleanup
Credit Q+A! Ask Me Anything About Credit
Live · Cousins-Submitted Q&A
Read what's new.
The newest article, a fresh video, the Resource Hub, and where the family can meet in person.
What Credit Score Changes Matter Most In 2026?
FICO 10T. VantageScore 4.0. UltraFICO. Buy Now Pay Later on your report. The rules just shifted. Here's what changed and how to adjust before it costs you the loan.
Can You Work Through Your Credit File Yourself In 2026?
You don't need a $3,000 shortcut. You need a clear process, the right order, and enough education to understand what you're sending.
What Credit Profile Actually Gets Approved?
Four open primary accounts. Two credit cards. One short-term installment. One long-term. Utilization between 1 and 10 percent. Here's why this works and how to build it whether you're starting fresh or rebuilding.
Where Should You Start With Your Credit File?
A workshop-style session for the Cousin who wants to understand the process before jumping into letters, monitoring, or paid tools.
Where Can You Learn Credit With Me In Person?
The teaching is coming off the screen. See confirmed cities, request your city, and watch for new stops as they open.
Read My Latest Articles.
A cleaner front door to the tools: free starters, downloadable letters and guides, video learning, and deeper support when you want more structure.
Free Resources
Bootcamp, PDFs, and quick-start tools with no paywall.
Get Free →Letter Templates & Guides
Downloadable letters, workbooks, and quick guides you can use with more confidence.
Browse →Webinars & Workshops
Standalone webinars, long-form lessons, replay access, and full video learning series.
Watch & Learn →Or jump straight to stan.store/ShondaMartin
Need more guidance?
If you want practical help, stronger tools, and more intentional support, choose the lane that fits you best: self-guided DIY, credit visibility, or full VIP support.
Dispute Hub
A full self-guided dispute kit for the Cousin who wants step-by-step directions, templates, and instructional support while still doing it herself.
- Full Dispute Hub access. Dispute path, tracker, templates, decoder, and support tools.
- Step-by-step instructional support. Built for DIY with clarity, not done-for-you service.
- Self-guided by design. Lighter support than VIP, but still organized, intentional, and valuable.
One-time access for Cousins who want to move at their own pace with the full kit in hand.
Credit Academy VIP
You get everything in Tier 1 and Tier 2, plus the full Academy experience. Built for Cousins who are tired of doing all the heavy lifting alone and want clearer support, stronger systems, and more momentum.
- Patent Pending Dispute Engine. Helps organize your report review, dispute path, and next best moves with more ease.
- Member-Exclusive Resource Library. Letters, templates, education, tools, resources, and insights made for members.
- Member-exclusive webinars, workshops, and cohorts. Credit, homeownership, finances, business, and more.
- SmartCredit 3B report and full suite of credit-building tools. Built to complement Credit Academy, including personalized pay date options, tailored lending directives, and more.
- Dedicated guidance and stronger support. For the Cousin who wants more clarity and less guesswork.
Has helped over 100k Credit Cousins since 2020!
SmartCredit 3B
For Cousins who need the full 3-bureau view, monitoring, identity protection, and profile-building tools before they upgrade into deeper support.
- 3-bureau report spread. Clear visibility into what is on your file.
- $1M identity protection. Alerts and protection tools built in.
- Profile-building tools. Pay date options, lending directives, and more.
Upgrade anytime into VIP when you are ready for more guided support.