Building credit with credit cards.Credit is one of the most frustrating financial topics to me. It’s really a conundrum. You don’t necessarily have to have credit. But it sure makes life a lot easier. Without it it is difficult to rent an apartment, pay low car insurance rates, get a Read more…
Dealing with collectors. Yuck. This is an article about a topic about as enjoyable as hemorrhoids or an IRS audit. But, alas, it is unfortunately necessary for about 68 million Americans. Collections and collectors themselves can be the result of several different situations. Maybe life happened to you and you Read more…
Credit inquiries. To me, one of the most frustrating topics when discussing credit reports even though it only accounts for 10% of your overall score. Let me explain. (1) What is a Credit Inquiry? A credit inquiry is just a fancy way of saying a credit pull. When you have Read more…
Credit Mix is really exactly what it sounds like. It is simply the different types of credit that you have. It makes up the smallest portion of your credit score (10%). Here’s how it works: (1) Credit Mix is Not That Important There are several different types of credit accounts Read more…
Credit and collections. Yuck. This is one of those topics that no one wants to read about. If you are reading this, you are probably doing so because you need to read it. No one wants to read about bad debt or collections. But unfortunately, sometimes it is necessary. I Read more…
A hard credit pull VS. a soft credit pull. If you opened this article not knowing the difference, trust me, you’re not alone. When I was a banker, most of the clients that I worked with had no idea. But let me tell you, there is a BIG difference between Read more…
Credit and credit history length. Credit can be so frustrating. I get it. In the past, I have had horrible credit and I have scratched and clawed to improve it. So if you are struggling with your credit report right now, I get it. I’ve been there. But if you Read more…
Payment History. The most important part of your credit report. Most of us know that it is important to pay out bills. Additionally, most people also know that it is important to pay our bills on time. But sadly, a lot of Americans are behind on their bills. This can Read more…
Credit card utilization. A phrase that most people have never heard, and even less people care about. But guess what? Credit card utilization is what I’m here to write about! And guess what? You chose to be here. You chose to read this article because you care about your finances Read more…
Your credit report. One of the many items that can make you both happy and sad for being an adult. It is difficult for someone to go through life without credit. Not impossible, but difficult for sure. For all of us who are laden with student loans (ahem, me), have Read more…