As I often mention, I login to the free service CreditKarma every couple of months to keep track of my credit score. One time a year or so ago I logged in to see a new feature that differentiated my credit score from my auto insurance score. To my … [Read more...]
Auto Insurance Scores: The Surprising Truth About How Credit Affects Car Insurance Rates
April 25, 2013 by 1 Comment
New to Credit? Five Ways to Speed up Building a Good Credit Score
December 4, 2012 by
Anyone whose tried to get a loan with a weak credit history knows that even an excellent credit score will only get you so far with lenders. That myth your uncle told you about signing up for a credit card, using it once, paying it off and letting … [Read more...]
Credit Sesame Review: A Free Tool for Improving Your Credit
May 23, 2011 by
Credit Sesame is new service providing free credit score tracking and ways to organize your existing debts so you can identify opportunities to pay them off faster. It's like Credit Karma meets Debt Goal meets LendingTree. Credit Sesame gives … [Read more...]
What is a Credit Score? The Complete Guide to Understanding “Your Number”
January 25, 2011 by
I don't know about you, but I really, really, really wish we didn't have to be slaves to our credit scores. Although it's possible to live without regards for the modern American credit scoring system, it's not easy. For most of us, we're going to … [Read more...]
Do It Yourself Credit Repair: 6 Steps To Recover From Bad Credit
June 3, 2010 by
If you’ve had an overdue student loan, years of high credit card balances or even a foreclosure, you probably have a low credit score, which can cost you a bundle if you ever want new credit. With poor credit, you may simply not be able to get … [Read more...]
Credit Scores Scare Me
May 7, 2010 by
I just turned off the TV. Why? There was an ad on about a furry, man-eating, house-soiling credit score run amuck. This is the stuff of nightmares. Most of us reading here bought what our parents and teachers sold to us all through … [Read more...]
Paying Off an Auto Loan Is Bad For Your Credit Score!?
April 7, 2010 by
Dave Ramsey tells people that FICO scores aren’t credit scores; they’re “I love debt” scores. Case in point: Last week, I paid off my auto loan. This week, my FICO score dropped 60 points. Sixty! There have been no other changes to my credit … [Read more...]
Beware Free Credit Score Ads
April 5, 2010 by
Have you already noticed that all the annoying TV ads for FreeCreditReport.com are now for FreeCreditScore.com? That’s because as of April 2, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) now requires companies claiming to offer free credit reports to … [Read more...]
Eight Steps to Achieve Credit Nirvana
October 13, 2009 by
Tired of worrying about your credit, and being punished for having a low credit score? The eight steps listed below will lead you to financial freedom. Some are easier than others, but by following even some of them your credit score will rise. … [Read more...]
How to Check Your Own FICO Score
September 3, 2009 by
A reader working to qualify for a mortgage writes: "I have checked my credit with the three bureaus, and they seem to have all my info up to date and everything looks good. My problem is that on the free credit reports I received (via … [Read more...]
