3 Myths You May Believe about Credit Scores and Why They Aren"t True

If you have been trying to learn about your credit and how to improve your credit score, you may have read a lot of information. Some of it may seem contradictory. If you are checking out boards and forums, the issue may be even worse. Here are some common beliefs about credit scores and the...
3 Myths You May Believe about Credit Scores and Why They Aren"t True

Time for a Money Review

Now that summer is over and vacations are done, it is time to check your finances. If you have been diligent in your budget, this should be a simple task. However, if you have overspent, it can help you get back on track before your credit suffers.
Review Your Budget
Make sure that your budget...
Time for a Money Review

Life Lessons Parents Can Teach Their College Kids about Credit

Some lessons you just don’t learn in a classroom. If you are one of those parents that just dropped off their kid to the first day of college, know that you still have influence on the decisions your child makes. Take the time
to teach them these important lessons on credit that they...
Life Lessons Parents Can Teach Their College Kids about Credit

How to Protect Your Credit Score Now That You"re Back in College

You’ve enjoyed a fun, relaxing summer with no late-night studying or reports to write. Or maybe you spent the summer working so you would have extra spending money during the school year. Now that summer is over and you are back in class, you need to remember a few things to protect your...
How to Protect Your Credit Score Now That You"re Back in College

How to Create a Plan to Get Out of Debt

If you have a large amount of debt, it can be overwhelming to think about. Where do you start? How long will it take? If you have a large goal like purchasing a home, you may think it can never happen. However, if you create a plan for getting out of debt, you will find that it does happen – q...
How to Create a Plan to Get Out of Debt

Best Apps to Help You Manage Your Credit Score

You have a busy schedule with numerous obligations. As much as you might like to, you don’t have a lot of time to spend managing your credit. However, it is essential that you monitor it if you are planning to buy a car or home in the next few months. Apps that you can download on your...
Best Apps to Help You Manage Your Credit Score

Fast and Easy Ways to Improve Your Credit Score

When you are looking to improve your credit score, you may think that number will never go up. One mistake and it drops immediately. More than one negative on your credit report, and you may think you are forever doomed. While it does take time to see the ill effects of your mistakes diminish,...
Fast and Easy Ways to Improve Your Credit Score

Why You Should Know What Won"t Improve Your Credit Score

Credit scores are confusing. It seems that everything you do in some way affects your credit score. However, while this may feel like the case, in reality not everything about you impacts your score. Even if it is reported on your credit account, it won’t change your score. Let’s...
Why You Should Know What Won"t Improve Your Credit Score

Tips to Help You Improve Your Credit Score with Credit Cards

You often hear the advice to get a credit card if you want to raise your credit score. But often no one tells you how, especially if you have a bad credit score and are turned down by credit card companies. These same advisors may not tell you how to utilize your credit cards to give your score...
Tips to Help You Improve Your Credit Score with Credit Cards

Is One Credit Card All You Need If You are a College Student?

College students can benefit from having a credit card before they graduate. It helps them establish a credit history that they will need to rent an apartment or buy a car. In addition, it will help them in the future when they want to buy a home if they have a long and positive history of...
Is One Credit Card All You Need If You are a College Student?

How to Tell That You Need to Fix Your Budget Before Your Credit Score Drops

The main reason people have low credit scores is because they can’t pay their bills. While it may simply be a lack of credit history for some, most people have a separate issue with late payments and unpaid collections.
Having a bad credit score doesn’t mean you are a bad person or...
How to Tell That You Need to Fix Your Budget Before Your Credit Score Drops

How to Improve Your Credit Score to Get a Home

If you are looking to buy a home and you have been turned down because of a low credit score, don’t give up hope. You can take action that will help you qualify for that mortgage. Some of these tips will help immediately while others may take a while.
Pay Down Credit Cards
Often just...
How to Improve Your Credit Score to Get a Home

A New FICO Score Could Make Life Better

The new FICO Score 9 was just released, and promises good things for the average person. While this updated model has been talked about for some time, it was finally made public in an announcement by FICO and will be available for lenders and creditors.
Changes
The main changes in this model are...
A New FICO Score Could Make Life Better

Consider Your Credit Score When Entering a Credit Card Payment Program

If your credit card debt has spiraled out of control and you are finding it difficult to make even the minimum monthly payments, you may be considering a hardship repayment plan. These plans often lower your payments either by reducing the interest rate or allowing you to pay only the interest....
Consider Your Credit Score When Entering a Credit Card Payment Program

Can Getting Married Hurt Your Credit Score?

When you are blissfully in love, your first thought may not be about credit scores. You start thinking about wedding invitations and where the reception will be. It’s often not until later that you realize how getting married impacted your own credit.
For Better
When getting married, you...
Can Getting Married Hurt Your Credit Score?

Credit Card Mistakes that Can Damage Your Credit

Having a credit card can drastically improve your credit rating over time, especially if you have never had one before. Use it responsibly and pay your bills on time and it can be your best friend. However, there are several mistakes you can make with credit cards that can hurt your credit...
Credit Card Mistakes that Can Damage Your Credit

How to Settle a Debt and Save Your Credit Score

Late payments are terrible for your credit score, but what can hurt even worse is to have your debt go into collections. Every new collections account added to your credit report drops your score. Even though the account impacts your score less as time goes by, it can still prevent you from...
How to Settle a Debt and Save Your Credit Score

The Truth About Collections and Your Credit Score

If you have been seriously delinquent on any of your bills, they may have gone to a collection agency. If this agency reported the account to the credit reporting bureaus, it may show up on your credit report and cause your credit score to drop. Since it has such a big impact on your credit,...
The Truth About Collections and Your Credit Score

Protect Your Credit and Don"t Ignore Your Finances

Setting long-term financial goals is often difficult for people who are trying to rebuild credit. It is frustrating to think about how long it will take to see improvements. Whether you are trying to save extra for a down payment on a home or putting aside extra money to pay down credit cards,...
Protect Your Credit and Don"t Ignore Your Finances

How Refinancing Affects Your Credit Score

You may have qualified for a mortgage or auto loan but didn’t receive the best of terms. With lower interest rates and possibly better credit, you may want to refinance to lower your payments. Before you make a final decision, think about how it will impact your credit score.
A New...
How Refinancing Affects Your Credit Score

What to Do If Your Credit Card Limit is Lowered

Credit card companies can make all kinds of changes to your credit card account. While you may expect to have your credit line raised over time with a good payment history, you may be surprised to find out that the company lowers it instead. Why does this happen and what can you do?
Credit...
What to Do If Your Credit Card Limit is Lowered

How Different Types of Credit Affects Your Credit Score

You know the importance of having credit if you are trying to improve your credit score. However, not all credit is created equal. Some types of credit will weigh more heavily on your score than other types. Here is a look at your choices about the types of credit you can get and which ones will...
How Different Types of Credit Affects Your Credit Score