Are you gearing up to refinance or buy a home this year? These five things may stop your mortgage dead in its tracks. Here’s what you need to know to prevent your loan application from being denied. 1. Your Credit Score Is Not What You Think It Is This scenario is all too common. A consumer will get one credit score ... Read More »

TransUnion, one of the three major credit reporting agencies, has made several changes in the last few years to the credit reports it provides consumers, in addition to developing a new credit score to help lenders better evaluate potential borrowers. If you’ve requested your TransUnion credit report recently (you get free credit reports every year through AnnualCreditReport.com), you may have ... Read More »

It’s one thing to knowingly make decisions that hurt your credit score. We’ve all been there, and sometimes tough decisions must be made. But it’s an entirely different situation to accidentally wreck your credit. In some cases, we make decisions without realizing the impact on our credit. In other cases we may know that certain decisions can hurt our score, ... Read More »

More often than not I see clients who tell me they have good credit, yet are still struggling to pay their bills. Having a good credit score is great, but that alone does not necessarily mean you are good with managing your finances or that you’re not in debt. Let’s say you have a great credit score but you have ... Read More »

Millions of consumers could be lifted out of subprime status and get better loan terms if credit reports and scores were broadened to consider on-time utility and rent payments, according to a study released Wednesday by Experian. Experian is advocating for inclusion of non-traditional entries onto consumer credit reports, expanding them beyond loans, credit cards and mortgages. Doing so would ... Read More »

Among all the strategies out there for improving your credit standing, it’s important to take note of the things that are easy. Some of the best ways you can help your credit are so ingrained in your day-to-day routine, you’re probably working on your credit without really thinking about it. The simple, carefree route to good credit — sounds nice, ... Read More »

Credit cards can be good financial tools for the responsible consumer. In this day and age they can also feel absolutely essential since some stores, vendors and even airlines require plastic (though you can use a debit card too). But credit card spending can also lead to debt if not done responsibly. Switching to a cash-only life can help avoid this. ... Read More »

By Paula Pant, WiserAdvisor.com contributor Your credit score is more than just a three-digit string of numbers; it holds real power over your ability to rent an apartment, apply for a mortgage, secure a car loan and even get a job. What can you do if your credit score isn’t as great as you’d like it to be? Here are ... Read More »

The Federal Trade Commission has issued a follow-up study of credit report accuracy that found most consumers who previously reported an unresolved error on one of their three major credit reports believe that at least one piece of disputed information on their report is still inaccurate. The congressionally mandated study is the sixth and final study on national credit report ... Read More »

For those who prefer to pay with cash and avoid the credit card debt cycle altogether, building a solid credit history and high FICO score can be a challenge – but it doesn’t have to be. Only a small portion of your FICO score is based on having and using revolving credit. The first step is to understand what goes ... Read More »

“Dear Steve, I used to have a Chase Credit Card for $500. I haven’t used it since 2008 and because of some problems and no money at that time couldn’t afford to pay it out ($331). Now I got stuck with this credit card reporting each month on my Credit history as a collection. Also I have a medical Collection ... Read More »

“Dear Steve, My overall credit goes from fair to good depending on the credit agency, scores 686, 704, 708. For the past 2 years my payment history listed as 99.99% on time. I’ve paid off all of my credit card debt to $0, Only having my student loan & my mortgage outstanding. Only thing I see that is holding my ... Read More »

“Dear Steve, If I had the money to settle ,then why would I not just pay the debt? Seems to me it would have a two fold effect 1 would not have to deal with those damn phone calls. 2 would not need to worry about credit score. I don’t worry about anyway, cause I do not plan on buying ... Read More »

A Federal Trade Commission study of the U.S. credit reporting industry found that five percent of consumers had errors on one of their three major credit reports that could lead to them paying more for products such as auto loans and insurance. Overall, the congressionally mandated study on credit report accuracy found that one in five consumers had an error ... Read More »