Using credit wisely can keep you from going into unmanageable debt. Learn how using credit wisely can help you when you need to buy a house, a car or other large purchase.
All new credit cards come with a credit limit, which is the amount you can charge up to on that card. Depending on the type of credit card and your credit history, the credit limit may be anything from a few hundred to many thousands of dollars. After you’ve used the card for a while, you may find yourself thinking you’d like to have a higher l...
If you have a credit card in good standing, chances are you have received communication from the credit card company offering you the opportunity to add an authorized user to your account. It’s a quick, easy process. But there can be real financial consequences if you’re not careful about who you allow to charge on your account. Here’s what y...
When you’re running short on cash, it might not seem like a big deal to miss a credit card payment or two. You’ll make plans to catch up the following month, only to find that money is still tight. By the time the late payment hits the 30-day mark, the delinquency can start to affect your credit. Let’s take a look at what happens when you bec...
70% of Americans have at least one credit card, and 34% carry three cards or more. As widespread as credit cards are, so are some persistent myths that surround them. Let’s separate fact from fiction when it comes to these credit card myths. MYTH: Paying Even One Day Late Hurts Your Credit Score While it’s true your payment history m...
Using credit responsibly includes understanding credit limits and how they can affect your finances. Let’s take a look into some common questions surrounding credit limits and what they mean for consumers. What is a Credit Limit? When a consumer opens a new credit card, that card includes a credit limit, which is the amount of credit available...
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...
Remember layaway? It was a service many retailers offered that allowed customers to buy now and pay later without using credit cards. A customer would select their items, place them on layaway, make a small down payment, and then pay the balance in installments. Once paid-in-full, the customers took home their items. It was an efficient system that...
When it comes to getting out of debt and achieving financial freedom, there are a lot of myths surrounding the many ways to accomplish that. Credit repair is one those methods that many people misunderstand. Keep reading to separate the facts from the myths about credit repair. Myth: Credit repair works to improve credit instantly Fact: T...
If you’ve ever looked at a debt-free friend or family member and wondered what their secret was, you might be surprised to know there isn’t one. In fact, most debt-free people share a common set of habits that help them achieve and maintain their financial freedom. Let’s take a look at seven habits of debt-free people. Following a Budget It...
When most people hear “student loans,” they’re thinking of federal student loans that are issued by the Department of Education and managed by a variety of loan servicers. But in addition to these widely known federal student loans, there are also private student loans. These are loans issued by banks or other financial institutions directly ...
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