Business credit cards are the credit card industry’s best-keep secret. They feature lower APRs, better rewards, and better introductory terms than consumer cards—and anybody with good credit can get one. No business? No problem. Here are five reasons to swap your current plastic for a business card. Continued

American Express announced a new service allowing holders of American Express credit cards the ability to review credit card balances on their mobile phones by sending a text message to “MYAMEX”. Consumers with Chase credit cards already enjoy a similar feature that provides credit card balance information by text message. Existing AMEX cardmembers can enroll for the text service at www.americanexpress.com/text. What do you think— is this something you would use?

Mortgage crises or not, it’s still a great time to buy your first home. Be smart, however, and have a pre-approved mortgage in hand before going house hunting. Applying for (and getting approved for) a mortgage before you shop could save you time, money, and heartbreak. Here’s how. Continued

Buying a car with cash is stressful enough; finding the right auto loan is even harder. In my car shopping tips from an ex-car salesman, I recommend getting a pre-approved car loan online before heading to the dealership (even with bad credit). Here’s how, plus reviews of online car loan sites. Continued

Want to know how your credit score stacks up? Check out Credit Karma, a new site that lets you check and track your credit score without subscribing to anything. Continued

If you had to tap unsecured credit to meet an unexpected expense, you would probably turn to your credit cards without much thought. There is, however, another option. Personal loans – also called signature loans – may or may not be a better option than credit cards to finance your expenses. Continued

Struggling with credit card debt? Low-rate balance transfers can save you wasted cash. But before you transfer a balance, double check to be sure moving your balance won’t do more harm than good. Continued

I usually don’t blog about every credit card teaser and bonus that comes along, but this is an exception: The Discover® Business Card is giving you the ability to earn a $100 Cashback Bonus when you apply now. Continued

Most people know that paying your credit cards late can wreck havoc on your credit score, but there are many other less-known ways to harm (and help) your credit. Here are five things that can damage your credit, and five things that can raise your score. Continued

The ads for free credit reports and credit monitoring are impossible to miss, like the one with the guy in restaurant, playing the guitar in a pirate shirt. While it’s unlikely having your identity stolen is going to reduce your career prospects (as this ad suggests), there are still plenty of reasons to consider credit monitoring. Many offers also provide free access to one or more credit bureau reports if you cancel within 7 or 30 days. But which offer should you choose? Continued