- Unpaid Medical Bills Could Be Dragging Down Your Credit Score
Anyone who’s ever experienced a serious illness or injury knows that those doctor bills can really add up, especially if you don’t have insurance. Working out a payment plan can keep the debt collectors at bay but if you’ve racked up thousands of dollars in medical debt it could take years to pay off. In… read more…
- Don’t Be a Victim of Credit Card Skimming
We’ve all seen the news stories lately about virtual identity thieves hacking unsuspecting customers’ credit card accounts but there’s another growing scam you may not be aware of. Skimming is becoming an increasingly popular way for crooks to access your credit and debit card information which can then be used to pilfer your accounts. 5… read more…
- Top 5 Frequent Credit Card Mistakes
Most people’s first venture into establishing credit is opening a credit card. Unfortunately, many of those people are young, on their own for the first time and still figuring out how to handle their money. This can lead to a number of problems, often eventually leading to poor credit. However, opening a credit card does… read more…
- How to Really Read Your Credit Report
Financial experts always tell you to read your credit report. And this is good advice. By studying your report, you can determine whether someone has opened a credit-card account in your name or whether your lender mistakenly says that you missed a car payment when you’ve never paid one even a day late. Find out… read more…
- 5 Things You Need to Do When Your Identity’s Been Stolen
As the high profile security breaches at Target and Neiman Marcus have demonstrated, identity thieves are becoming more savvy than ever when it comes to accessing your private information. With just a few keystrokes, hackers can steal your bank account and credit card numbers, creating a financial nightmare for unsuspecting victims. If you think your… read more…
- 3 Things That Won’t Affect Your Credit Score
With all the talk about hurting or helping your credit score these days, there are probably a lot of confused consumers out there. Most credit monitoring companies try to portray your credit as a mythical entity but managing your credit doesn’t have to be a mystery. Check out our budget calculator. There are lots of… read more…
- Easy Credit Isn’t Always Worth It
Need a new credit card? It might be easier to get one today, even if you’ve missed payments in the past. But even if you can qualify for a new card, you need to watch out for potential traps. Related: What Card is Best for Me? Some cards come with low teaser rates — rates that… read more…
- Get Off The Credit Go-Round and Stop Overspending
There was a time when a trip to the supermarket ended with the question from the cashier – paper or plastic? The cashier was of course asking about what type of bag you wanted your groceries packed in. While paper bags fell into disuse the phrase of paper or plastic stuck around but the meaning… read more…
- 4 Money Moves That Are Keeping You in Debt
Getting into debt easy. Digging your way out, on the other hand, is usually a much tougher challenge. Whether you’ve got credit cards, student loans or a car, eliminating your debt requires discipline, a little sacrifice and a solid strategy for paying it down. If you’re just blindly throwing money at your bills each month,… read more…
- 6 Ways to Make the Most of Your Credit Card Rewards
Rewards credit cards offer not only convenience but the potential to earn some major perks like free travel, merchandise, gift cards or even cold hard cash. The smarter you are about using your card, the bigger the payoff will be. Before you pull out the plastic, take a look at these six strategies for making… read more…
- Grow Your Credit Score From the Ground Up
There are those, myself included, who will tell you that having no credit is worse than having bad credit. While this is largely anecdotal, it seems that creditors don’t like virgins, credit virgins that is. It’s like looking for your first job where positions are listed as entry level but employers really want someone with experience.… read more…
- 4 Questions to Ask Before Getting a Retail Credit Card
Shopping with a credit card is a smart way to rack up rewards on just about everything you buy, but not all cards are created equally. Retail credit cards, for example, offer discounts and other incentives to shoppers who favor a particular store. But using one doesn’t always guarantee you’ll get the best deal. Find… read more…
- Want to Keep Your Credit Score High? Don’t Close Those Old, Unused Credit Cards Just Yet
Keeping your credit score high isn’t as simple as paying your bills on time (though that helps!). There are many other factors to consider. I was always under the assumption that you want to close old credit cards that have no value to you. Check out our credit card calculator. As a teenager and twenty-something,… read more…
- Credit Card Grey Charges Could Be Costing You Big Bucks
If you’re not taking the time to read over your credit card statement carefully each month, you could be in for an eye-opening experience. Your bill could be loaded with extra charges or sneaky fees that you’re not aware of, which are slowly siphoning your cash. Here’s everything you need to know about grey charges… read more…
- 5 Ways to Repair Your Credit
Your credit score is more than just a number, it’s a report card of sorts. It tells lenders how well you manage your finances. The better your credit score is, the more likely you can be approved for loans, credit cards or other types of credit. A higher credit score can also mean you get better… read more…
- Do Credit Cards With Annual Fees Make Sense?
There are so many credit cards to choose from. It can be overwhelming picking between travel rewards, cash back options, and interest rates. But it’s just confusing to hear that some are free and other credit cards come with an annual fee. Does it make sense to pay for the privilege of using a specific… read more…
- Psssst, Buddy, Wanna Boost Your Credit Score
There are some facts that are immutable: 1. The modern world as we know it runs on credit. 2. Access to credit is governed by credit scores. 3. Crime is driven by greed. The first two facts above drive a particular type of the third. Scams, cons, hustles, and plain old fraud are some of the terms… read more…
- Bankruptcy vs Debt Settlement: Which Is Right For You?
You’ve done your best to keep up with your debt payments but find yourself falling further and further behind. Debt collectors are calling about unpaid bills and some are even threatening to sue. So what do you do? What credit card is best for me? Filing bankruptcy can wipe the slate clean and get your… read more…
- 3 Ways to Build Credit Without a Credit Card
A good credit score is the key to getting approved for the best interest rates. But building a solid credit history takes time. Using a credit card is one of the easiest ways to improve your score but it can be hard to get approved, especially for young adults who are just starting out or… read more…
- Debt Settlement
If you’re drowning in credit card debt, you may think bankruptcy is the only way to dig yourself out. While filing bankruptcy can give you a clean financial slate, it can also cause serious damage to your credit that may take years to repair. Settling your debts is an easier way to get out of… read more…
- Top 5 Things to Buy With a Credit Card
Credit cards can be a blessing or a curse, depending on how you use them. If you’re charging more than you can pay off each month or you’re using your cards to shuffle your debt around, it’s probably time to put them away for good. On the other hand, there are some benefits to paying… read more…
- The Cost of a Long Term Car Loan
I’m reasonably confident that when Benjamin Franklin wrote that time is money back in 1748 he was not talking about the relationship between the term of a loan and the cost of money being borrowed. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t appropriate the sentiment when we discuss car loans. The credit report agency Experian reported… read more…
- Car Loans with Bad Credit: Pros and Cons of Dealership Loans
Having less than perfect credit shouldn’t be an invitation to being taken advantage of but it often is. The fact is that the worse your credit is the worse it can get if you’re not careful. The reason is that when you agree to bad terms because you desperately need a car often results in… read more…
- Making Things Right: Tips for Disputing a Credit Report
If credit drives the world of personal finance what happens when your credit report has a flat tire. From credit cards to home mortgages and car loans, even career opportunities are driven by credit reports. These are some of the reasons why maintaining an accurate credit report should be such an integral part of our… read more…
- The 5 Fastest Ways To Improve Your Credit Score
There is no magic bullet to repairing your credit score. It often takes a lot of hard work and a long time to repair years of damage to your credit score. There is no silver bullet answer that will raise your credit score hundreds of points overnight. But, there are a few small changes that… read more…