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What to do After you Rebuild Your Credit Score
I’ve posted several blogs (such as this one and this one) about ways to rebuild or repair less-than-perfect credit scores — and with good reason. Your credit score determines what kinds of loans and interest rates you can get, and in some cases it can affect your ability to find a place to live or even a job. And while repairing your credit score isn’t impossible, it’s not exactly... -
How to Dispute a Credit Card Charge
How to Dispute a Credit Card Charge The holiday season usually means an uptick in shopping and spending. There are gifts to buy, travel arrangements to make, parties to attend – and so on. And while this whirlwind of holiday activity can be fun, the unfortunate flip side is that the season isn’t exactly easy on the wallet. If you’re like most people, there’s a good chance that you’ll... -
Need To Build Credit? Consider a Secured Card
If you’re trying to build (or re-build) credit, a secured credit card can be a helpful tool. A secured card works a lot like a traditional credit card: With a secured card, you pay a security deposit and have access to a line of credit that you can use to make purchases. You make payments, and, if you carry a balance from month to month, you are charged interest. ... -
How to Build Credit Without Using Credit Cards
If you read this blog regularly, you know that I’m a big proponent of responsible credit card use. I believe that, when used as intended – as in, you don’t overspend and you pay your balance off in full each month – credit cards can be helpful and useful tools for establishing good credit and good financial habits. When you have good credit, it’s much easier to do things... -
Credit, Debt, and Taxes: What You Should Know
The official IRS deadline is nearly here (it’s April 15 – unless you’re planning to file for an extension), but it’s never too late to talk about some of the ways that income taxes can affect your life – and your credit. For example, did you know that certain types of credit card rewards are considered taxable income? Or that paying your taxes late can hurt your credit... -
Five Steps to a Better Credit Score
You probably already know that less-than-perfect credit can make life difficult: Bad credit can make it difficult to buy a car or a home, and folks with bad credit can even have trouble getting a job. They have fewer choices when it comes to credit and financing, and they often end up saddled with astronomical interest rates. If you’ve ever struggled with credit issues, you also probably already... -
Bad Habits that Can Ruin Your Credit Score
Bad Habits that Can Ruin Your Credit Score Everyone wants a better credit score, but there’s more to the credit game than simply making your payments on time. Other factors – such as how you use credit, how often you use credit, and even what kind of credit you use can all affect your score. And if you don’t know exactly how your score is determined, you might... -
Clearing Up Commom Credit Limit Misconceptions
Are there really “no-limit” credit cards? Is a high credit limit better than a lower one? Will a high credit limit hurt your credit score? This month, I thought I’d spend some time discussing some of the more pervasive beliefs about credit limits. But first things first. Before you start reading, take this quick, 5-question quiz to find out how much you really know about credit card limits: 1. ... -
Simple Credit Card Debt Solutions
Ideally, credit cards are used to help people build credit and to acquire large purchases without the need to have all of the immediate funds. In short, credit cards are supposed to exist as financial tools to help consumers; yet, consumers often abuse credit card privileges or are not cognizant of ancillary information that can later lead them into trouble. Credit cards can be used as a helpful tool,...