How Do I Calculate My Credit Card Usage Percentage?

How Do I Calculate My Credit Card Usage Percentage? Credit Cards by John Ulzheimer Share Share Email It’s one of the most important components in your credit score, and one of the most misunderstood.  It’s “revolving utilization”, also commonly referred to as the credit card usage percentage or the balance to limit percentage.  They’re all […]

Should I Refinance My Student Loans Right Now?

Should I Refinance My Student Loans Right Now? Credit for Beginners by David B. Coulter Share Share Email You may have noticed interest rates hovering at 30-year lows and now wonder whether it’s a good time to refinance your student loans. Well, the answer is: not necessarily. You want to help, not hurt, your financial […]

Direct to Creditor Disputes Are Better

Direct to Creditor Disputes Are Better Credit Report by Steve Reger Share Share Email Eliminating credit bureau disputes by empowering consumers & credit restoration to directly engage creditors – all through the power of SmartCredit’s patented Action Buttons. – SmartCredit Mission Statement Consumers have been trained for decades to review their credit reports for accuracy. […]

How To Recover From Identity Theft (Yes, It’s Possible!)

How To Recover From Identity Theft (Yes, It’s Possible!) Credit Monitoring by David B. Coulter Share Share Email It’s been a while since it happened but it might as well have been yesterday. How long does it take to recover from identity theft? A fraudster got hold of your financial information and took your hard-earned […]

Credit Inquiries and New Accounts 101…A Refresher

Credit Inquiries and New Accounts 101…A Refresher Auto Loans by John Ulzheimer Share Share Email There are several reasons you apply for credit: 1) to take advantage of a special offer for a credit card; 2)  to purchase a home, auto, boat, etc and 3) because you need additional credit to pay your bills.  Most […]

Banks vs. Credit Union – Which Is Right for You?

Banks vs. Credit Union – Which Is Right for You? Credit Report by Maria Shahid Share Share Email Banks and credit unions provide many of the same services. Both offer federal deposit insurance, so up to $250,000 per deposit or, per institution is  protected. However, it is the differences between these two types of financial […]

CFPB to Publish Findings of Credit Score Study By End of September

CFPB to Publish Findings of Credit Score Study By End of September Credit Monitoring by John Ulzheimer Share Share Email The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (hereafter “CFPB”) will be publishing the results of a study on credit scores some time in September 2012. The CFPB performed a smaller study earlier in 2012 and concluded that […]

What Happens to My Credit When I Move Outside The United States?

What Happens to My Credit When I Move Outside The United States? Auto Loans by John Ulzheimer Share Share Email “John, my husband has taken a new job overseas and I think we’ll be there for at least 3 years. We’re both 32 years and have about 10 years of credit experience under our belts. […]

Why Is My Credit Score Low?

Why Is My Credit Score Low? Credit for Beginners by David B. Coulter Share Share Email Disappointment aside, it is better to ask why your credit score is low than to not know your credit score at all. Surprisingly, 54% of Generation Z don’t even know their score. Yes, a low score can affect your […]