When are personal loans a good idea is a top question for those searching the internet. When one takes the time to look at the financial situation in much of the first world, it is no wonder why people would be asking this question. Here are a few considerations when deciding to take out a […]
How to Build Your Credit Score
There are lots of reasons your credit score is important. If you’re opening a bank account, getting a loan, or applying for a credit card, a good credit score matters.
3 Reasons Why Your Credit Score is More Important Than You Think
When I first graduated college, I was so proud of myself. I didn’t have a credit card, which meant I didn’t get into debt like some of my friends did. I had no other debt than my student loans. I assumed I had been very responsible with my money, building a small savings and submitting […]
Increase Your Citi Credit Card Limits
Editor’s Note: Here’s a Saturday bonus article since I didn’t technically write an article yesterday 🙂 Most of the time when I get mail from Citi it’s junk mail like offers for balance transfers, adding an authorized user or those paper checks. Does anyone actually use those stupid checks that probably charge 30% interest? I […]
Reader Question: What to do After Your Identity Has Been Hacked
(Editor’s Note: CVS unexpectedly squashed their Vanilla Reload program this week so the article I was planning on releasing today is now pretty much useless. I still posted it since I worked hard on it but I thought I would give everyone another article to satiate their Friday hunger for personal finance! 2 articles for […]
Get Your Free FICO Score from Barclaycard
The media likes to bombard us with credit related advertisements. It doesn’t matter whether you’re watching TV, listening to the radio or playing a podcast, it seems like there are always ads for free credit scores, debt repair and things of that nature. I’ve always felt strongly though that I shouldn’t have to pay for […]
Why the Target Data Breach Was a Good Thing
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past couple months you’ve probably heard about the massive Target data breach. It was kind of amusing how it all started off so innocuously and now it’s grown into such a massive story. At first, Target told us that data for ‘only 40 million users’ had […]
Video Blog: What Makes Up Your Credit Score?
Today, I’m doing something a little bit different. I’m posting a video blog post instead of a written one! I’ve still included a transcript of the video below, but the video will have all the information you’ll need. I get a ton of questions from readers, friends and family every week about credit so I […]
Amex Backdating Still Alive But Authorized User Results May Vary
A lot of the questions I get from readers of this blog have to do with building credit. Everyone wants to know things like what type of monitoring services they should use or how they can increase their score in the shortest amount of time. Unfortunately though, building credit isn’t always a quick and painless process. […]
Reader Question: Should I Close My Old Credit Cards and Open a New One?
One of the most popular articles on this site is an article I wrote last year about ‘piggybacking’ off someone’s credit(1,121 views in just the past month alone). In the article, I actually did a case study where I added my fiancee as an authorized user to my AMEX Gold card and compared her scores and […]
Case Study: Build Credit for Someone by Adding Them as an Authorized User
When I first purchased my condo three years ago, I was not offered the lowest rate due to my insufficient credit history. Even though I always checked my credit score and it was in the high 700’s, the bank considered me a slight risk because my credit history was so limited(I was only 22). I […]
Take Advantage of Credit Card Sign Up Bonuses
I got my first credit card when I was in college and I used it for most of my entertainment(see alcohol) and dining out purchases. Although I was approved for a high limit, fortunately I never carried a balance. After four years, I realized I had accumulated a ton of points. I quickly spent these […]
Should College Students Start Using Credit?
When I bought my first real estate property in 2010, I had excellent credit. My score was over 760, but my mortgage broker told me they couldn’t give me the best rate because my credit history was too short. At the time, I was 23, and the only credit card I owned was one that […]
Credit Karma iPhone App Review
As many of you know, I’m a big proponent of do it yourself credit monitoring and score checking. I don’t think you should ever have to pay for something that is yours. Credit Karma is one of the only companies around that allows you to check your credit score absolutely free. I’ve been a member […]
My Do It Yourself Identity Theft Protection Plan
These days, there are tons of ways criminals can steal your identity. They can copy your credit card information at a restaurant or go through your mailbox at home. There are some services out there that charge you to monitor your identity, but most of them only offer services you can get for yourself for […]
Knowing Your Credit Score and Building It Up
We have all seen, and laughed at, the litany of free credit score commercials on television now a days. Whether it’s a funny rock band song that you can never get out of your head, or the overweight, balding credit score man seen on your left; we are constantly bombarded with ads for paid services to […]