By Ashley Benkarski
NASHVILLE, TN — Quentin Ware is a man of many talents, well known to the Atlanta and Middle Tennessee communities he’s been a part of all his life.
A performer and music publisher with a background in the journalism industry, he’s adding another role to his extensive resumé as assistant vice president of the mortgage loan division for Wilson Bank & Trust.
“Becoming proficient in any career requires a constant desire for understanding the needs of people,” Ware said. “It has been my experience that people all over the globe want the same things. A safe environment to live, nutrition, education and an abiding sense of community.”
Ware did the work and passed the SAFE Comprehensive Mortgage Loan Originator National Program. “The profound effects of providing access and opportunity to everyone is enormous. The value of collaborative partnerships and community economic development can be a passport to a greater future,” he said.
Barriers such as a lack of trust in the financial system have been borne out of the historical precedent of discrimination that’s led to a general lack of knowledge concerning personal economics, Ware remarked.
“Knowledge has always been power,” he continued, and simple things such as knowing your credit score and what you have in savings are important for any financial decisions in your household.
One critical mistake Ware said is common is that people aren’t honest with themselves in identifying their comfort range of expenses— and a lack of knowledge of their finances can make a bad situation worse.
“When the community does better the bank does better,” he commented. “Money isn’t everything but it affects everything you do and have, even health.”
He stressed the advantages of home ownership and significance of generational wealth as those homes are passed down.
While the housing market is shrinking for the middle- and lower-class, Ware said certain loans, such as Fair Housing Act and United States Department of Agriculture loans, are an option.
Further, Ware noted, it’s important that money moves, but “don’t go beyond your expense limit.”
“Many people qualify for loans but don’t apply for them,” he said, and most loans available are based on gross income before expenses.
Ware was a scholarship student at Tennessee State University and part of its Jazz Ensemble, which allowed him to work with some of the most established artists in the music industry and garner a Grammy award himself.
Before moving to the Volunteer State Ware worked for his family’s publication, The Atlanta Voice. The Voice was a staple in the area’s African American community and continues to operate under the leadership of Janis Ware.
Wilson Bank is collecting toys for the Empower Me Center, a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to the needs of children with disabilities, Ware said.
For information on loan eligibility, finding a financial advisor and more visit wilsonbank.com.
