Topic: Personal Credit Ratings
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Secured credit cards: Get beyond these Top 5 myths
Often derided as tools for consumers with horrible credit, secured credit cards can be a great credit-building tool. Here are five myths debunked to help you understand how to use secured credit cards to maximum advantage.
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Credit card offers: five mysteries explained
Credit-card companies often say you are "pre-approved," "pre-screened," "pre-qualified," or "pre-selected" to receive their credit card. Here is a guide to sorting through credit-card offers:
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Top 4 New Year's resolutions for your pocketbook
It’s resolution season, and with the continued economic recovery significant opportunity exists to improve your finances in the coming year. The question is how. Here are the four most important financial New Year’s resolutions that consumers can make:
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5 great travel rewards credit cards
Summer travel can be cheap with the help of credit card rewards. Here are five great credit card rewards programs to fit your vacationing style.
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Credit cards: Top 4 tips for retirees
Credit cards make sense in retirement, as long as you don't slack off on managing your credit. Seniors who maintain a healthy credit history and high FICO scores will benefit – not only from low interest rates and better terms on loans, but also from leveraging lucrative credit card sign-up bonuses to earn thousands in free travel, cash back, or other merchandise. The key is to use credit cards responsibly. Here are four tips on how to use your credit cards in retirement:
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Change Agent Mobile phones unleash farmers in Uganda
The information farmers in Uganda provide via mobile phones does more than just help them order and pay for supplies. It allows the collection of data that will help them sell their crops, build a credit history, and receive other services, such as crop insurance.
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The Simple Dollar How to save money by keeping car insurance costs low
If you take steps to improve your auto insurance rate, Hamm writes, you’re likely taking steps that will save you in other aspects of your financial life.
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Opinion: This Valentine's Day, a call to avoid the pitfalls of credit-score dating
There's a new dating trend of disclosing your credit score – and it can be a real deal-breaker for prospective couples. I'm glad credit-score dating didn't exist 18 years ago. Had I not teamed up with my wife, my credit score might have remained higher, but I would have ended up much poorer.
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Secured credit cards: Get beyond these Top 5 myths
Often derided as tools for consumers with horrible credit, secured credit cards can be a great credit-building tool. Here are five myths debunked to help you understand how to use secured credit cards to maximum advantage.
-
Credit card offers: five mysteries explained
Credit-card companies often say you are "pre-approved," "pre-screened," "pre-qualified," or "pre-selected" to receive their credit card. Here is a guide to sorting through credit-card offers:
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Top 4 New Year's resolutions for your pocketbook
It’s resolution season, and with the continued economic recovery significant opportunity exists to improve your finances in the coming year. The question is how. Here are the four most important financial New Year’s resolutions that consumers can make:
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In Gear Despite easy credit, a decline in late car payments
Americans are keeping up with their car payments even as credit once again becomes easier to find, Read writes.
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The Simple Dollar Late on a bill? Call customer service.
Calling customer service when you're late on a bill will usually eliminate the credit report ding and often eliminate the late fee, too, Hamm writes.
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The Simple Dollar The perks of paying bills weekly, not monthly
Paying your bills weekly avoids all late fees and all potential dings to your credit score, Hamm writes.
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Saving Money Eight surprising ways to raise your credit score
Boosting your credit score from merely good to great will give you access to the best offers and best rates on nearly everything. Here are the best ways to do it.
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Saving Money How to pick the right credit card if you are retired
Retirees should look for easy-to-understand credit-card terms and low-tech customer service. Avoid carrying a balance because finance charges can quickly diminish retirees' modest monthly income.
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Saving Money 21 things you can get for free
One of the best ways to become richer is to stop paying for things you could be getting for free. Here are 21, from cars to software.
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The Simple Dollar Raise your credit score: three simple steps
Your credit score is a single number, but it has so many powerful effects on your life. Understanding it, then improving it, can make your financial life much easier.
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The Simple Dollar Pay your bills on time
It's all too easy to postpone paying your bills, but the sooner you pay them, the more money you'll save, Hamm writes. The key is developing a standard process for paying your bills.
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The Simple Dollar Credit cards: Pros, cons, and tips
You aren't required to have a credit card, and plenty of people get along just fine without them. But with self discipline and on-time payments, credit cards can reap great benefits.
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Credit history: What your college kid needs to know
Credit history starts sooner than you think: Your college kid has no credit and mounting credit card offers in the mail, so parents need to have the talk about the importance of a good credit history.
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College costs: Have the talk about financial literacy now
College costs: Who pays for toothpaste and textbooks? Will it be credit or debit? How to budget. Parents should have the talk about finanical literacy before they launch their student.
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In Gear Car loans: Is is time to refinance?
Little-known fact: refinancing isn't just for mortgages. But how do you decide if refinancing your car loan is the right move for you?
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Private student loan report: Is subprime mortgage crisis comparison fair?
A new government report says the private student loan market suffers from risky terms and lax underwriting, paralleling the subprime mortgage debacle. Private lenders say the criticism is out of date.
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Saving Money Credit score: Can you remove settled debts from your credit history?
Credit scores can be affected by outstanding debt, even if it no longer exists. Navigating debt negotiations can be tricky, especially if you settled with a company for less than you owe. But a company can and will remove a settled debt from your credit history, if you know how to ask.
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5 great travel rewards credit cards
Summer travel can be cheap with the help of credit card rewards. Here are five great credit card rewards programs to fit your vacationing style.
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Saving Money No credit history? You can still get a credit score, Experian says.
Experian announces new credit score system for those with little or no credit history. 'Extended View' credit score looks at rental data and public records to establish a credit score.
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Saving Money Credit scores: Can another card user hurt your credit rating?
Credit scores for children and spouses can be helped by adding then as authorized users on your own credit card. But does that put your own credit scores at risk from their behavior?
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The Simple Dollar Father's Day: cheap, memorable gifts for Dad
Father's Day is fast approaching, and the search for the perfect gift well underway. But planning a day together is the best Father's Day gift you can give, and it doesn't have to cost much. Father's Day is question nine in this week's mailbag.
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Credit cards: Top 4 tips for retirees
Credit cards make sense in retirement, as long as you don't slack off on managing your credit. Seniors who maintain a healthy credit history and high FICO scores will benefit – not only from low interest rates and better terms on loans, but also from leveraging lucrative credit card sign-up bonuses to earn thousands in free travel, cash back, or other merchandise. The key is to use credit cards responsibly. Here are four tips on how to use your credit cards in retirement:
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