Managing Credit
How to Use Social Media to Get More Value From Your Credit Card
Wednesday, February 5th, 2014
Social media began as a way to connect with other people in your local community. The phenomenon quickly spread and soon people all over the world were communicating online. Businesses got in on the action and began to market their products and services through social media. Throughout this transition, consumers have gained a tremendous amount of power.
You too can use social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare to leverage your credit card account and save money.
Here is some credit card advice on ways you can extract the maximum value from your credit cards by strategically using...
How To Cut Back On Credit Card Spending?
Wednesday, October 16th, 2013
Many people have problems managing their credit card spending. But while there’s certainly no shortage of advice on how to cut back spending, some of these tactics may have limited value in the real world.
For example, one common piece of advice is to cut up your credit cards. Cutting up the card will certainly help you curb your spending, but it precludes you from using your credit card in situations where using cash or some other method of payment is impractical (such as renting a car or buying airline tickets).
Instead, consider the following three foolproof tactics to help...
How to Monitor Your Credit for Less Money
Friday, June 21st, 2013
Your credit report is one of the foundations of your financial future because lenders use it to determine whether to extend credit to you, and how much to charge you for that credit. Having too much negative information on your credit report could lead to your having to pay higher interest rates on your home mortgage, car loan and credit cards, or perhaps not even being able to get those loans in the first place.
You need to be on the lookout for inaccurate information that appears on your report, and any unauthorized attempts to use your credit record to...
It’s Time For Your Annual Credit Report – What You Need to Know
Tuesday, April 23rd, 2013
Your credit report is the single most important financial document when it comes to determining how much you’ll have to pay in interest and fees whenever you borrow money. Because you’re likely to end up borrowing hundreds of thousands of dollars or more over the course of your adult life (in the form of home mortgages, car loans, credit cards and other consumer debt), it’s important to be active in managing your report.
Of course, managing your credit means that you need to know exactly what your report contains, so many individuals choose to review their reports on an annual...
Simple Tips to Build Credit from Scratch
Monday, March 25th, 2013
Trying to build good credit from scratch has often become such a challenge that it almost seems like a bad joke. Some individuals find that their lack of a credit history often serves as a basis for being rejected for a new credit card, car loan or home mortgage. Of course, having one or more of these accounts is the best way to build a credit history in the first place.
Fortunately, there are other ways to build your initial credit history, and make it more likely that you’ll be approved for credit cards and loans in the future.
Here...
6 Credit Hits That Can Lower a Credit Score by 100 Points or More
Thursday, March 7th, 2013
Your credit score is quite possibly the single most important measure of your creditworthiness when you’re applying for a new loan or credit card. Home mortgage lenders and credit card companies will not only use your score to determine whether or not to extend you credit, but also what interest rate you’ll pay for that credit.
While the exact formula used to calculate your credit score is not known, and contains a number of different components, we do know that certain types of activities can result in a significant drop in your score.
Here is some credit card advice on...
Why Financial Institutions May Automatically Raise Your Credit Card Limit
Friday, February 15th, 2013
It seems like some individuals are always searching for ways to increase the credit limits on their credit cards. The reasons for doing so are varied, and might include a desire for greater day to day purchasing power, the need for an easy to access source of funds for emergencies, or even to lower an individual’s credit utilization ratio.
But sometimes a bank or credit union or credit card company will automatically raise a customer’s credit limit without ever being asked to do so. While this might seem a bit unusual, there are actually a few good reasons why your...
Advice on Making the Most of Your Credit Card in 2013
Tuesday, December 18th, 2012
Many of us start each New Year by making resolutions to improve ourselves. These resolutions often relate to our health or spending time with our famines. Another common type of resolution relates to matters of personal finance. Since credit card debt and spending is an ongoing problem for many individuals, improving your credit card situation can be a great personal resolution for the coming year.
Reducing your level of credit card will likely be one component of your plan for the coming year, but there are also some other elements of your credit card spending and accounts that you...
How Often Does Your Credit Report Change?
Friday, December 7th, 2012
Your credit report – and the credit score that’s calculated based on the information on your credit report – plays a significant role in determining how much you’ll have to pay in interest charges whenever you take out a loan. In fact, your credit report will likely be the primary factor in a lender’s determination of whether or not to make a loan to you in the first place.
It’s important to understand that your credit report is a living and breathing document. Many different things you do will impact your credit report, and your report will change based on...
When is the Best Time to Get a Credit Report?
Monday, November 26th, 2012
Your credit report is one of the most important documents when it comes to your financial identity. Any time you apply for a credit card, a car loan, a home mortgage, or even when you apply for certain types of jobs, someone will use your credit report as a significant factor in making their decision.
Unfortunately, credit reports sometimes include mistakes or outdated information. The only way to make sure that this information doesn’t stay on your credit report, and therefore doesn’t factor into any decision that could cost you money, is to stay on top of your own...