Veterans United Home Loans wins 2013 BBB TORCH Award for exceptional ethical business practices

October 24, 2013

The company, accredited and rated A+, was among the 12 chosen to win for practices focused on high-quality customer service

St. Louis, MO — Veterans United Home Loans, based in Columbia, Mo., was awarded the 2013 BBB TORCH Award today, Oct. 24 in St. Louis. The award is given annually by the Better Business Bureau serving eastern Missouri and southern Illinois to businesses with exceptional ethical business practices and high-quality customer service. Veterans United was one of nine businesses and three charities to receive the award.

Veterans United, a national VA lender, received the award because of its commitment to working with veterans and service members who may encounter special circumstances that can make purchasing a home challenging. Among other things, the BBB cited the company's 24-hour call center, allowing veterans deployed around the world the ability to call and be served regardless of local time zone.

Our mission is to serve those who have served our country, said Gardell Powell, chief production officer of Veterans United. It is an honor to work with our nations heroes on a daily basis, and we are very proud to receive the TORCH Award. We are here for our customers 24/7 and will do whatever we can to help them achieve the American dream of homeownership.

In addition to its 24-hour call center, BBB recognized Veterans United for creating a program aimed at helping veterans who have credit problems. The Lighthouse Program is a free, no-obligation credit consulting service that assists veterans and service members in the steps necessary to improve their credit scores by addressing budgeting and long-term financial health. The program, started in 2008, has helped an additional 2,000 veterans realize their goal of homeownership by addressing their unique individual circumstances.

As part of its commitment to high-quality customer service, Veterans United also received mention for developing a team of client advocates who act as an independent client resource for veterans and military families if they have questions, reservations or issues during the home buying process.

Our client advocate team is just another way for us to work with our customers to ensure they receive the service they deserve and expect, Powell said. We want to make sure our customers are comfortable with the process from start to finish, and having a team that focuses solely on that effort makes our company even stronger. We thank the BBB for recognizing our efforts nd we look forward to continued innovation and improvement for our nation's service members and veterans.