Friday 29 May 2015

Changes Coming to Credit Reports Could Help You

A settlement has been reached with the three main credit reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian and Trans Union. While the $6 million figure may seem impressive, it is what changes are being made to the way accounts are reported that could have significant impact on people.
Handling Disputes
The...
Changes Coming to Credit Reports Could Help You

Thursday 28 May 2015

Is Lifestyle Inflation a Risk to Your Credit?

You probably still remember how excited you were about your first job. You started planning for how much money you would make and what you would do with it. It might not have been much, but it seemed like a lot more because you didn’t have any bills.
Along comes a raise, promotion or a new...
Is Lifestyle Inflation a Risk to Your Credit?

Wednesday 27 May 2015

Why a Good Credit Score is Not Always Enough

You’ve worked hard to improve your credit score and now you have a number you can be proud of. Before you apply for that car loan, mortgage or credit card you have been waiting on, you need to think about what else you need.
It Takes More Than a Credit Score
Even a good credit score...
Why a Good Credit Score is Not Always Enough

Tuesday 26 May 2015

Should You Get a Higher Credit Card Limit?

After a length of time paying your credit card payments on time, you may assume that you will qualify for a higher credit limit. In fact, you may even wonder if you should ask. The question you may have is if you should get a higher limit and when you should ask.
Bigger is Not Always Better
A...
Should You Get a Higher Credit Card Limit?

Monday 25 May 2015

Is It Possible to Have a New Credit History?

The idea of starting over is often appealing. You can forget past mistakes and have a new beginning. If you have a bad credit score, you may want to do that with your credit history. Unfortunately, there is no “do over” button.
Starting Over with Bankruptcy
Many people think that...
Is It Possible to Have a New Credit History?

Friday 22 May 2015

Getting Your Credit Ready for a Mortgage

One of the most common reasons that people begin focusing on their credit is to get ready to buy a new home. They may have already applied for a mortgage and been turned down, or they may know that their credit needs some work to qualify. Either way, it is important to know what you need to do...
Getting Your Credit Ready for a Mortgage

Thursday 21 May 2015

Are You One of the 10%-33% of Americans Without a Credit Score or Have You Checked?

According to statistics by the experts, between 10% and 33% of Americans either do not have a credit score or haven’t checked theirs. If you are in this group, you may be hurting yourself for the future.
Do You Have a Credit Score?
You may assume that everyone has a credit score. However,...
Are You One of the 10%-33% of Americans Without a Credit Score or Have You Checked?

Wednesday 20 May 2015

What is the Most Important Thing to Know About Your Credit?

You will read a lot of information about credit history, credit scores and credit reports if you are working on improving your credit. Some of this information will be accurate while some will be incorrect. It can all get overwhelming and confusing. It may be easier to narrow it down to the most...
What is the Most Important Thing to Know About Your Credit?

Tuesday 19 May 2015

Where People with the Best Credit Live

Having good credit opens a lot of doors of opportunity for you. Living in a state where more people have good credit can also give you more options. Over half of the people with credit scores nationwide have subprime scores, which means they are not in the excellent category. It doesn’t...
Where People with the Best Credit Live

Monday 18 May 2015

The First Step to Rebuilding Your Credit Score

If you have been reading on ways to improve your credit score, you may be feeling overwhelmed with all of the information. Experts will give you all kinds of scenarios on what will improve your score. It could have you trying to figure out just how much each thing will impact your score so you...
The First Step to Rebuilding Your Credit Score

Friday 15 May 2015

How Your Credit Limit is Determined and How It Impacts Your Credit

You pay on a credit card faithfully and then you receive a notice in the mail that your credit limit increased. Another card that has a low balance doesn’t ever see an increase. It seems to make no sense and you’re not even sure if raising your limit is good or bad for your credit....
How Your Credit Limit is Determined and How It Impacts Your Credit

Thursday 14 May 2015

Fun Ways to Celebrate Your Improved Credit Score

If you have been living frugally and working extra hard to pay down debt to improve your credit score, you may be living to see the proof of your hard work. Once you reach the goal that you set for yourself or a milestone along the way, you may want to celebrate. Avoid doing something that costs...
Fun Ways to Celebrate Your Improved Credit Score

Wednesday 13 May 2015

Dealing with Debt Collectors When You Want to Improve Your Credit Score

Having a debt in collections is one of the worst things that can happen to your credit score. You will most likely never see an excellent score as long as it is being reported. However, the amount of damage it does will be less as more time passes.
Which Debts to Worry About First
The newest...
Dealing with Debt Collectors When You Want to Improve Your Credit Score

Tuesday 12 May 2015

Rethink Your Money Habits to Improve Your Credit Score

You probably know that paying your bills on time can help improve your credit score. It’s also a good idea not to max out those credit cards if you want a high credit rating. However, other money habits can have an indirect impact on your credit score even if you don’t realize it....
Rethink Your Money Habits to Improve Your Credit Score

Monday 11 May 2015

What Everyone Should Know About Credit

There is a lot of information about credit reports and credit scores. While you may never be an expert, everyone should know the basic information. This begins even before you get credit, starting at the high school level. If you know these things in advance, you will be more likely to start out...
What Everyone Should Know About Credit

Friday 8 May 2015

Paying Old Debts to Improve Your Credit Score

There is a lot of contradictory information available about whether you should pay an old debt, especially old credit cards or charge accounts. The final decision is up to you, but you should be aware of a few facts before you decide.
Paying Won’t Change Anything
On your credit score, that...
Paying Old Debts to Improve Your Credit Score

Thursday 7 May 2015

Why You Shouldn"t Apply for Too Many Credit Cards at One Time

It can be tempting to apply for multiple credit cards for many reasons. You never know which ones will approve you and many carry rewards that you would really enjoy. Perhaps you would like a travel rewards card, one with cash back and another that offers low interest rates. However, you should...
Why You Shouldn"t Apply for Too Many Credit Cards at One Time

Wednesday 6 May 2015

Why People Get Into Debt and Have Bad Credit

Emergencies and unfortunate events happen to everyone. However, those are not the main reasons that most people end up in debt and with bad credit. Instead, it is certain behaviors or habits that lead them down the wrong road. If you understand what causes you to get into debt and have poor...
Why People Get Into Debt and Have Bad Credit

Tuesday 5 May 2015

Should You Get Help Dealing with Your Debt?

Debt can become overwhelming when you don’t know how to pay it down or even manage the monthly payments. You don’t want to ignore it because it will hurt your credit for a long time even if you manage to get it paid off. One option is to work with someone else to help you manage your...
Should You Get Help Dealing with Your Debt?

Monday 4 May 2015

How Often Should You Check on Your Credit?

You’ve probably heard about the importance of monitoring your credit to be sure no false information is listed and that no one has stolen your identity. You also know that you have to check on your credit if you are getting ready to buy a house or car. If you have been trying to improve...
How Often Should You Check on Your Credit?

Friday 1 May 2015

Why Are There So Many FICO Scores and Does It Matter?

You may hear a lot about a FICO score and how important it is to have a good one. The FICO score is a model that was developed by the Fair Isaac Corporation to determine how much of a credit risk each person is.
What you may not understand is that there are numerous FICO scores. In fact, it is...
Why Are There So Many FICO Scores and Does It Matter?