Full Interview · June 17, 2026

Why Having ZERO Debt Is Ruining Your Credit Score

Hosted by Matt Rhine

Still from Matt Rhine’s interview with Juan Pablo “JP” Bergas

Choose the full interview or a clip below.

Regional Director at UQUAL

Juan Pablo “JP” BergasRegional Director, UQUAL

Inside the Interview

Why zero debt may leave little credit history.
Credit score vs. overall financial wellness.
How loan-readiness coaching helps future buyers.
When debt settlement enters the conversation.
What credit-card utilization can signal.

Meet the Guest

Juan Pablo “JP” Bergas

Juan Pablo “JP” Bergas is identified in the episode description as a UQUAL guest; his public professional profile lists him as a Regional Director at UQUAL. UQUAL describes its work as loan-readiness education, coaching, and customized plans.

More about Juan Pablo “JP” Bergas

Bergas describes how UQUAL helps clients referred by loan officers, agents, and mortgage professionals prepare to seek loan qualification.

Read the official profile ↗

Regional DirectorUQUAL

Sources: profile ↗

Take the conversation with you.

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Three conversations worth your time.

Choose a highlight to watch it in the full interview player above.

No Debt Doesn’t Always Mean a Strong Score

Juan discusses debt, credit history and the importance of understanding what lenders see.

Declined for a Mortgage—What Comes Next?

Juan describes different starting points for borrowers and the work involved after a mortgage decline.

What Your Credit Cards Are Telling Lenders

Payment history, card balances and credit myths: Juan explains the factors discussed in the interview.

Questions and answers.

Use each timestamp to watch the answer in context.

Can zero debt still mean a weak credit score?

JP and Matt say someone with no active loans or credit may have little repayment history for a lender to assess. They distinguish that from overall financial wellness.

Watch from 00:09:01 →

What happens after a borrower is declined?

JP says UQUAL gives referred clients tools and support before sending them back to the loan officer, agent, or mortgage professional to seek qualification.

Watch from 00:17:10 →

What credit-card utilization does JP recommend?

JP calls under 30% of a card’s limit a “good” tier and 10% or less an “excellent” target. Those are his interview benchmarks, not personalized advice.

Watch from 00:30:32 →

Why Having ZERO Debt Is Ruining Your Credit Score

Inside the Interview

Meet the Guest

Juan Pablo “JP” Bergas

Take the conversation with you.

Follow the podcast.

Three conversations worth your time.

No Debt Doesn’t Always Mean a Strong Score

Declined for a Mortgage—What Comes Next?

What Your Credit Cards Are Telling Lenders

Questions and answers.

Can zero debt still mean a weak credit score?

What happens after a borrower is declined?

What credit-card utilization does JP recommend?

More questions

Make your next move with a plan.

For buyers

For sellers

Read the full conversation.

Listen to the interview.