credit cards

How Do I Order, Read and Understand My Credit Report?

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Your credit report contains a great deal of information about your financial past: Your current and past debt balances How often you’ve missed payments Where you’ve applied for credit Information on bankruptcies and tax liens How far behind you are on child support Your previous addresses Previous employers and more Since your credit report contains […]

College Students And Money: Should College Students Have Credit Cards?

For many young adults, college is when the topic of money and finances gets real. Many college students start to manage money on their own for the first time in their lives. College students use money daily. Many have recurring bills to pay, such as rent, insurance, and tuition. They also have to pay for […]

Why Is Taking on Debt (Even “Good” Debt) Such A Problem?

In today’s world, taking on debt seems to be a matter of course. It’s how you’re expected, even encouraged, to pay for college, a new car, and a house. Even if you’re averse to getting into debt, the high costs of those things can make it necessary to take out loans. So is debt really […]

What Can I Do Now To Save Big On Next Summer’s Vacation?

If you’re already thinking about your summer vacation amid this dreary winter weather, who can blame you? And if you’re thinking of using credit card travel rewards to book your summer trip, now is definitely a good time to start planning your vacation. How to Plan Your Summer Vacation with Travel Rewards First, you need […]

Is Cosigning For A Loan Ever A Good Idea?

An internet search of the term “cosigning a loan” quickly reveals it’s a terrible idea. And there are valid reasons for much of the negativity. Helping a family member or a friend by cosigning a loan is incredibly helpful for them, but significant problems arise for a cosigner when they don’t know or understand what […]

What Should I Do About Fraudulent Credit Card Activity?

While you’re working hard to find great deals and optimize your holiday shopping, criminals are working hard to steal and use your credit card information. If you haven’t experienced an unauthorized charge on a credit card yet, you probably know someone who’s been a victim of fraudulent credit card activity. Thieves don’t wait for the […]

How Can I Optimize Holiday Shopping For Savings And Rewards?

It’s that time of year again! The time when most of us get our credit cards out and spend more than we usually do. Holiday shopping is so much more than just buying gifts though – think about the amount of money you spend on groceries for the holidays! If you’ve ever hosted a Thanksgiving […]

Is Opening A Store Credit Card The Best Way To Save Money?

The holiday season is here, and you’re beginning to think about all of the shopping you need to do! Whether you did some planning and set a budget for the holidays or not, it’s important to think about what you can afford to spend. Clever marketing by retailers can have you believing you’re saving when […]

Is It Smart To Freeze My Credit (And How Do I)?

You’ve probably heard at one time or another that freezing your credit is a good idea. Since almost 45% of Americans had their personal information stolen in the Equifax breach in 2017, more people have taken steps to do a credit freeze of their files. About 20% of Americans secured their credit directly after the […]

How Do I Build A High Credit Score and Keep It There?

480. 550. 640. 720. You know your number. Maybe you even use a credit score manager to keep an eye on your credit score. Now you are thinking about trying to improve it. After all, a good credit score opens up a world of opportunities for you. Lower interest rates on loans. Higher chances of […]

Is Work-Life Balance Making Your Credit Card Debt Worse?

Work-life balance is not a new concept; everyone feels the pull between home and work. In a never-ending quest for the perfect work-life balance, however, we end up hurting ourselves. Let’s look at this issue through the lens of another, seemingly unrelated issue: scarcity mindset. When we look at the quest for balance in this […]

In What Ways Can a Bad Credit Score Hurt You?

As you may be aware, your credit score is kind of a big deal. A good score makes life easier, while a bad score might make it pretty difficult. The trouble is, a lot of people don’t realize what their credit score really is. Or how having a bad credit score can hurt them. Here’s […]

Is Travel Hacking The Best Way To Save Money On Vacations?

You’ve probably seen pictures of people lounging in over-the-water bungalows sipping tropical drinks while claiming they’re traveling to expensive vacation destinations for little to no money. At first, you might’ve thought it was a scam. Then you heard about using credit cards to do something called travel hacking. Unless money is not a consideration when […]

How Are Secured And Unsecured Debt Different?

When reading about borrowing money, you may have heard the terms secured and unsecured debt come up. Not entirely clear on what they mean? You’re not alone. Secured Debt Secured debt refers to debt guaranteed or secured by an asset. Great, but what does that mean? It means that when you borrow the money, the […]

What Is The Best Way To Use A 0% Credit Card Balance Transfer?

Everyone gets credit card offers in the mail. And you may have a high enough credit score that 0% credit card balance transfer offers show up on occasion. Sometimes credit card companies even mail you “convenience” checks you can cash and use to pay off debt or have money transferred into your account to use […]

How Can I Pay Off My Credit Card Debt For Good?

After you pay your mortgage or rent, buy groceries, and send in the car payment, there may not be enough money left for the month. It’s easy to use a credit card to fill in the shortage. But before you know it, you’ve run up massive balances, with no idea how you’re going to pay […]

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