- What’s The Point of a Great Credit Score if You Never Use it?
These days it seems like you need a good credit score for just about everything. Whether you want to buy a new car, apply for an apartment or even get a job, they all want to know what your credit score looks like. It’s obviously important to maintain a good credit score but at a… read more…
- How Much Does Bad Credit Really Cost You?
Imagine there is a knock on your front door and when you answer a complete stranger says I want $3.23 and I’ll be back again tomorrow for another $3.23 and the day after that, in fact I’ll be back every day for the next 5 years for my $3.23. You would probably slam the door… read more…
- How To Build Great Credit in 3 Easy Steps
Establishing a good credit rating is one of the most important things you can do to get ahead financially. If you intend to buy a car or home, the financing will be both easier and considerably cheaper if you have a good credit score. If you have no credit history yet, you need to be… read more…
- 10 Tips for Secure Online Transactions
Shopping and banking online occur constantly in the Internet marketplace. Unfortunately, online fraud and identify theft occurs just as frequently, thanks to clever thieves and sloppy consumer Internet shopping habits. Online transactions always carry some risk, but consumers can do… read more…
- The Problem with Free Credit Reports
Marketers and advertisers learned long ago that no other word sells more than Free. Sell, free, isn’t that an oxymoron. Technically no, but it is an apparent contradiction and the terms do appear to cancel each other out and yet the fact remains that the word free is a great marketing word Find out now:… read more…
- Building Credit Without Debt
When it comes to building credit, many of us are confused as to how to actually build good credit, and the major details that make up a credit card contract or a credit report. This information is extremely important to be aware of, especially when starting out or trying to rebuild your credit after a… read more…
- Ten Credit Commandments You Should Live By
Do you want to buy a house or car in the future and your credit has been less than perfect? Have you broken some of the rules of credit and afraid it will come back to haunt you? Having good credit is essential, especially in this economy. Banks and lenders are becoming more stringent about… read more…
- Common Knowledge on Credit Scores
Recently, VantageScore Solutions and the Consumer Federation of American conducted a survey to find out how many people were knowledgeable when it came to credit scores and their affects on finances. The majority of people knew what a credit score was all about, how to increase it, and that they needed to pay on time… read more…
- When is the Right Time to Teach Kids about Credit Card Debt?
Once upon a time there was a young man who was working full time while also going to school. He was making good money for a kid that age, and although he was paying his own way through school, he still had plenty of excess income to have fun on the weekends. When he started… read more…
- How Accurate is Your Credit Report?
Credit makes the world go ‘round. Good credit makes borrowing money less expensive and that opens to door to all sorts of perks. On the other hand poor credit may not close doors but it certainly makes them a lot more expensive to open. Keeping your credit nose clean, metaphorically speaking is all you need… read more…
- 14 Ways to Protect Your Credit Card Number
Credit card fraud is a traumatic event on so many levels. Not only is the act of theft a frightening breach of security. There’s also the short-term loss of funds, which can happen at any inopportune moment. On top of that are the longer-term effects, such as identity theft and credit damage. Consider your credit card… read more…
- Does Debt Affect Mental Health?
It’s clear that debt can impact your credit score. There are few things that cause more stress than the looming specter of debt. Even when you are meeting monthly payments and staying afloat, that silent ball and chain still drags behind you, clinking now and then to remind you that you are not really free.… read more…
- Protecting Your Virtual Wallet from Identity Theft
It is so easy to manage your finances online. Paying bills, transferring funds, and buying anything you could possibly need is becoming the new norm. With the dramatic increase in online activity, it comes as no surprise that cyber crimes are also on the rise. The Internet Crime Report for 2012 shows an estimated $525,441,110 was lost… read more…
- Don’t become a Victim of Debt Settlement Company Fraud
It is a sad day when a debt settlement company is charged with the same type of fraud perpetrated by the creditors with whom they are pledging to define agreements with. This is exactly what happened recently when the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau filed a civil suit against Mission Settlement Agency, a debt settlement company… read more…
- How do Un-Activated Credit Cards Impact my Credit Score?
Have you ever filled out a credit card application at a booth because of what they were giving away? Maybe it was a T-shirt or a coupon? Perhaps it was an entry in a raffle to win a car? Chances are, you received the card, but never even opened the envelope. You would think that… read more…
- The Best Balance Transfer Credit Cards
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. Advertiser Disclosure: The card offers that appear on this site are from companies from which… read more…
- Managing Your Finances During Military Deployment
Managing finances can be tricky for anyone, but doing so tends to be particularly tricky for service members. Members of the armed forces and their families can receive a number of financial benefits during deployment. However, these benefits often vary depending on a service member’s location. Find out now about VA loan limits. While these benefits may… read more…
- Quick and Dirty Credit Repair
The old saying “don’t fix it if it ain’t broke” was not created with your credit score in mind. Unless you have perfect credit (which you probably don’t), your credit score can always be improved. Why? Because everything related to your personal finances revolves around these three little numbers. Get your free credit score How… read more…
- 10 Mistakes That Will Ruin Your Credit Score
Your credit score is a number that will follow you wherever you go. Whether you are applying for a home loan, opening new lines of credit, or venturing into a new investment, your ability to obtain credit is incredibly important. Even small, seemingly arbitrary decisions can affect your credit score. Here are ten common mistakes… read more…
- ‘F’ Is for Foreclosure: Rebuilding Your Credit
The F-bomb has become a pernicious problem for many Americans. No, not the F-bomb that makes a PG-13 movie rated R. We’re talking exclusively about foreclosures. Though home values have risen substantially across the country since the summer of 2012,… read more…
- What Is a Good Credit Score?
Your three-digit credit score is sometimes all that stands between you and a house, the best insurance rates, your own business or even your next job. Unfortunately, thanks to the recent financial crisis, “good credit” isn’t what it used to be. Banks and other institutions have been tightening their standards and now require higher-than-ever credit scores.… read more…