- What Is a Credit Limit and How Is It Determined?
Your credit limit is based on various factors, including creditworthiness, income, credit history and other financial obligations. Understanding these factors can help you maintain a healthy credit score and avoid the pitfalls of overborrowing. Here’s what you need to know. A financial advisor can help you create a plan to maximize your finances and reach long-term… read more…
- How Does Cash Back Work?
Editorial Note: This content is not provided by the credit card issuer. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the issuer.… read more…
- Should You Sign the Back of Your Credit Card?
Signing the back of your credit card is an important security step for protecting your card’s information should it fall into the wrong hands. Merchants are supposed to check that the signature on the card matches the signature on the… read more…
- What Is the CVV on a Credit Card?
If you’ve made a purchase online or over the phone, you’re probably familiar with the three sets of credit card numbers you have to hand over. These numbers include the credit card number, the expiration date and the CVV. If… read more…
- How to Contact a Credit Bureau and Talk to a Real Person
The information that credit bureaus collect affects just about every aspect of your life. Whether you’re approved for a credit card, get a good mortgage rate, can rent an apartment or even get a job – they all can hinge… read more…
- How Does a Line of Credit Work?
When it comes to borrowing money, you have a few options like loans and credit cards. With a loan, you receive a lump sum all at once. You then have to repay that amount, plus interest over time. You also have… read more…
- Why You Should Not Buy a Credit Privacy Number (CPN)
If you’re looking to repair your credit, you may have come across websites that advertise a credit privacy number, credit protection number or CPN. These numbers are nine digits like a Social Security number (SSN), and sellers claim that you… read more…
- How to Calculate APR on a Credit Card
Are you wondering just how much it costs you to to carry a credit card balance? To understand how much you’re going to pay in interest, you will need to understand how your card’s annual percentage rate (APR) works. The… read more…
- How to Pay Your Credit Card Bill
There are a lot of things to think about when you get a credit card. Aside from getting the best credit card rewards, you’ll hear about things like balance transfers, credit scores and APRs. But what about a simpler question… read more…
- The Worst Airports to Fly out of During the Holidays – 2017 Edition
Flying over the holidays is never an exciting prospect. December means snow in any many parts of the country, and snow means grounded flights, long delays and missed connections. Plus, it seems like just about everyone is flying somewhere making airports stressful places to be. But while the holiday-flying process is not exciting for anyone,… read more…
- What Is a FICO Score?
When a bank or other lender runs a credit check on you, they will most likely look at your FICO score – the most widely used type of credit score – to determine your creditworthiness. According to the Fair Isaac… read more…
- Who Are the Three Major Credit Bureaus?
Ever wondered where your credit report and credit score come from? These crucial tools in the financial world don’t just spring up by themselves. They are created by credit bureaus, companies that collect, weigh and distribute your information. There are… read more…
- How to Freeze Your Credit Report at Each Credit Bureau
You can freeze your credit report by contacting a credit bureau like Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Then you’ll fill out some paper work and pay a fee. Freezing your credit report is a good idea if you’re a victim of… read more…
- How to Remove a Charge-Off From Your Credit Report
It’s not always easy to keep up with your finances. Sometimes one late payment turns into two or three. When creditors feel that you’ll never repay them, they often close your account and send your debt to a collection agency.… read more…
- All About Credit Card Rental Car Insurance
Whether you use a Visa, Mastercard or American Express card, chances are you can get some free auto insurance coverage when you rent a car. Generally, in order to snag this feature, you have to use the credit card to pay for your rental car. You’ll also have to forgo the rental company’s own insurance.… read more…
- Difference Between a Credit Card and a Debit Card
Have you ever used the term “credit card” when you actually meant your debit card? What about being unsure of which card to use? If so, you’re not alone! Credit cards and debit credits cards look almost identical and offer… read more…
- Which Credit Cards Give Free FICO® Scores?
Your FICO® score comes from the Fair Isaac Corporation and is represented as a three-digit number between 300 and 850. The higher the number, the better the score. Your score reflects creditworthiness and risk based on your credit history. More… read more…
- Can You Pay a Car Loan With a Credit Card?
With payment plans, buying a car can be a reasonably affordable venture. The average monthly payment for a new car is around $480, according to Experian Automotive. A used car, on the other hand, will set you back around $360… read more…
- America’s Favorite National Parks
Visitors made 82 million trips to national parks across the United States in 2016, according to data from the National Park Service. That’s 17 million more visits than were made in 2012. But which national parks are the most beloved by Americans? Read on as we delve into the data to find America’s favorite national parks. Thinking about… read more…
- Why Isn’t American Express Accepted at More Places?
American Express is one of the sole credit card companies that isn’t as widely accepted at retail stores as some of the other providers, like Mastercard and Visa. However, Amex is still a major credit card company with millions of… read more…
- All About Credit Card Purchase Protection
Did you buy a new cell phone only to have it stolen a few weeks later? Did someone just spill coffee all over your brand new laptop? Well, your credit card may have you covered thanks to a benefit called purchase… read more…
- Credit Card Statement Balance vs. Current Balance: Key Differences
Have you ever gone to pay your credit card bill and noticed that you have two balances: the statement balance and the current balance? Turns out each balance is different, but they can often be the same amount. If having… read more…
- What Americans in the Biggest Cities Spend the Most On
Most people have a budget in mind when they spend money. But people in different cities tend to spend in different ways. For example in New York, the population density means high housing costs, but the availability of public transportation means that people can save money on getting around the city. Below we analyze what Americans… read more…
- The Best Cities for Pizza Lovers – 2017 Edition
There’s no question that pizza is one of the most beloved foods in America. According to a USDA report, about one in eight Americans consume pizza on any given day. That number jumps to one in four if you limit it to American males. But where can you get the best slice without breaking the bank?… read more…
- What Credit Cards Does Sam’s Club Accept?
If you’re trying to figure out what credit cards does Sam’s Club accept to make sure you bring the right one to the store, don’t worry! Sam’s Club accepts all major credit cards. A few years ago, the list of… read more…