THE MAN

The financial crisis that hit in August 2007 changed the lives of millions of Americans. For Anthony Davenport, the stress and shock of the changes in the financial world were the forces that transformed his career—from being on the other side of the desk as a loan origination executive for a bank to becoming a financial literacy and consumer credit expert who has dedicated his life to helping clients solve some of their most difficult challenges.

After graduating from Washington State University, Davenport started his professional career as a loan officer for Bank of America in its Seattle office. His skill as a relationship builder helped him quickly move to become one of the top originators in the region. Davenport moved on to Wells Fargo—where he started his advanced training in the intricacies of the home mortgage business.

Ironically, it was as Davenport ascended to the highest levels of Wells Fargo’s sales structure that he noticed the mistakes, misinformation and pure arbitrariness in credit reports that were costing uninformed consumers tens of thousands of dollars in extra interest on their loans.

As the home mortgage market was being fundamentally altered in the financial crisis, Davenport resolved to go out on his own and build a company that would help people avoid the old pitfalls that caught so many of the clients he had seen at Bank of America and Wells Fargo—and the new ones coming. In 2010, Davenport founded Regal Financial in New York City.

“As a former mortgage originator, I understand how unfavorable credit—or no credit at all—can impact your livelihood,” says Davenport. “Whether caused by error, theft, or rookie mistakes, bad credit affects your ability to live life on your terms.”