If anything is certain about credit scores it’s that they change. How much they change can depend heavily on your decisions, and if you want to save money, there are steps you can take to attain and maintain a high credit score. How you manage your debt determines whether you have great credit, bad credit … Read more
To successfully buy a home these days, you’ll need patience, resilience to rejection and sound financial planning. You don’t need to earn gobs of money to successfully purchase a home — well, depending on your area. You do, however, need to have enough income left over after your proposed mortgage payment and other financial obligations. … Read more
Credit Karma, an online consumer finance platform with more than 35 million members, today launched a new consumer education website in honor of March’s Credit Education Month to better educate consumers about credit health. The new site, CreditEducationMonth.com, is designed as a first stop for consumers to educate themselves on the importance of actively managing … Read more
You probably already know it’s a good idea to review your credit reports and your credit scores. But what happens when you get a copy of your credit report and you aren’t sure what to make of it? In a recent survey by Credit.com, 27% of consumers who said they had reviewed their credit reports were … Read more
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 … 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 … 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 … 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 … Read more
National Debt Relief recently shared in an article published February 19, 2015 how consumers can repair their credit scores rather easily. The article takes a look at the number of ways people can repair their credit scores with ease. Phoenix, AZ (PRWEB) March 03, 2015 National Debt Relief recently shared in an article published February … Read more
Mobile alerts from your credit card issuer can do much more than alert you to possible fraud. You can use that information to help you improve your credit. First, a word about how credit scores work. The two biggest factors are paying on time (35%) and the amount of credit you use relative to your … 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 … 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 … 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 … 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 … Read more
“Dear Steve, A collection agency is reporting that I opened a credit card in 2011. I was actually totally unable to get credit by 2011 because in graduate school I became unemployed and had some serious financial problems. I think this is a debt from 2004. Is there anything I can do about this? Thanks … Read more