The three major credit bureaus take several factors into account when determining your credit scores. But there is one factor that has the most impact: whether or not you pay your bills on time. In fact, payment history makes up 35% of your FICO score. Even a single late payment can cause your score to drop, so it’s essential to pay your bills on...
As we approach the New Year, it’s time to start thinking about ways to streamline and make life easier. Reducing the financial clutter in your life will go a long way toward doing both. Just what is financial clutter? In addition to obvious things like paper statements, it’s also things you might not think of, such as multiple 401(k) accounts f...
If it seems it’s getting harder to protect your personal and financial information, you’re not wrong. As more of our financial activities migrate online, hackers and thieves are working overtime to find ways to compromise it.
Fortunately, there are also more options for keeping your information safe and out of the wrong hands. Two of these i...
With the year more than half over, it's time for a mid-year financial resolution checkup. If you've been making progress on your resolutions — way to go! If you haven't, don't worry. There's still plenty of time to work on them before the year ends. And even if you didn't make any, it's a good time to take stock of how you're doing financially ...
If you feel like there’s always more to do and less time to do it, you’re not alone. We all seem to lead busier, more chaotic lives than ever before. Fortunately, your financial life doesn’t have to be a never-ending cycle of confusion and busy work. There are plenty of small, manageable things you can do to simplify your financial life and s...
We all make financial mistakes now and then. But missing a credit card payment is one you should try your best to avoid. Not only can it throw off your whole budget (you’ll have to pay twice as much or more next month), even one missed payment can have lasting negative effects on your credit. Here’s what happens and what to do if you miss a cre...
Spring’s arrival is the perfect time to tackle ambitious spring cleaning projects like purging closets and pantries. But spring cleaning should go beyond living spaces—your finances can likely use some attention, too. Here are several ways you can review and refresh your financial life:
Refresh your budget
A realistic and balanc...
When you’re struggling with high levels of credit card debt, it can feel like your only option is to keep paying as much as you can each month and wait for the debt to someday go away. But paying minimum payments on multiple credit cards can feel like running on a hamster wheel: you’re working hard, but not really getting anywhere.
Fortunate...
Reaching any major milestone requires time, patience and commitment. And that’s especially true when it comes to saving money. It’s all too easy to have the best intentions, without ever making real progress toward your savings goals. After all, each paycheck can only stretch so far.
Fortunately though, there are some simple, proven things y...
With summer quickly coming to a close, it’s the perfect time to check in on your finances. The change of seasons is always a good time to take stock of where you are and what you’re doing financially, and make any necessary adjustments you need to reach your financial goals. It might surprise you how even a few small changes can add up to big s...