Credit Education

In the world of credit restoration there are a lot of very effective methods for improvingyour credit scores. One of the most effective credit score improvement strategies is topay off your credit card debt. In fact some people would argue that paying off credit carddebt is the most actionable way to quickly improve your credit […]

When you think about the worst types of debt I think most people will immediately putcredit card debt at the top of the list. And, they’ve got good reason to do so. Credit carddebt is usually the most expensive debt we’ve got. In fact, the average interest rate fornewly issued credit cards is now somewhere

Despite what you may hear, gift cards and other forms of pre-paid cards do absolutelynothing to help you build or rebuild your credit reports and credit scores. So, whatshould you do with unwanted gift cards? The simple answer is…use them or sell them! Over the past few years a slew of websites has popped up

Unless you’ve been hiding in a closet for the past four years you know that propertyvalues have fallen sharply. Add to that the fact that mortgage interest rates are aslow as they’ve been, well, ever. So does this combination of affordable pricing andinexpensive financing mean it’s time for you to buy a home? Here’s my

When it comes to rebuilding your credit (or establishing credit for the first time) one ofthe most effective methods is opening a secured credit card. A bank, just like any othertype of credit card, issues secured credit cards. The consumer is required to makea deposit with the bank and the bank will issue a card

The credit crunch has changed how we view credit and lending. Many borrowers havespent the past three years trying to figure out how convince lenders to loosen up thepurse strings. And, credit scores have dropped below 650 for roughly 35% of the U.Spopulation. It has certainly been a rough stretch. However, one group of companies

One of the more common myths of credit reports and credit scoring is that your incomeplays a key role in determining your credit scores. This is incorrect primarily becauseincome is not on a credit report. And, credit scoring models are based exclusivelyon information from your credit reports. If an item is not on your credit

One of the challenges that comes with youth is the process of building a credit reportworthy of solid credit scores. There are a variety of ways to build a credit report. Someare smart, and some are not so smart. One common myth about building credit is that ifyou can add yourself to a parent’s mortgage

Today The Policy and Economic Research Council (PERC) released the findings ofa study that concluded that 95% of study participants are “satisfied” with the resultsof their credit bureau dispute investigation process and that less than 1% of credit,collections and public records were disputed. Further, they concluded that while 20% ofthe study participant’s credit reports were

Your credit report is a fluid, ever changing record of your financial obligations. It’supdated possibly dozens of times each month, at different times. In fact, every activeaccount that you have, regardless of whether or not there’s a balance, is likely updatedon your credit file at different times once every 30 days. Add to that the