Happy 50th Anniversary to the Equal Credit Opportunity Act!

This year marks a powerful financial milestone: the 50th anniversary of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA), which granted American women the legal right to apply for credit on their own, without a male cosigner. Before the ECOA, banks required a husband or father to sign off on a woman's credit card or loan application, severely limiting her ability to build credit, buy a home, or start a business. Picture this, as a woman you could be LEGALLY DENIED access to credit by banks simply because of your gender.

• Want a mortgage? Where's your husband? We need him to co-sign.

• Interested in an auto-loan? We need to talk to your father first. 

• Curious about a business loan? Come back when you're married (to a man). 

You get the picture. 

And let's be honest, 1974 wasn't that long ago; this was the reality for many women in our lives. 

The ECOA changed all that overnight. Women could finally apply for credit in their own names, without discrimination based on gender, marital status, or pregnancy. This was more than a financial shift; it was a transformative step toward financial independence and opportunity.

Yet, despite these wins, we know that many economic challenges remain. 

As we watch basic human rights erode, it's important to remember and acknowledge all of the generations of women who fought for the progress we have now. We must fight to ensure these rights remain for us now and future generations.