Credit Score

Mortgage Rate Shopping: How Multiple Applications Affect Your Credit Score Learn how to shop for the best mortgage rates without hurting your credit score with multiple inquiries for a new credit lines or loan. Valencia Patrice Higuera Lance Cothern How to Check Your Business Credit Score When you apply for a loan as an individual, the lender checks your personal credit... Valencia Patrice Higuera Experian Boost 2024 Review: Does It Really Help Your Credit Score? Having a higher credit score opens the door to better financing... Should You Pay Off an Old Debt with a Collections Agency? Find out whether it is a good idea to pay off an old debt held by a collections agency because there are situations when you are no longer legally responsible. Kevin Mercadante Equifax Data Breach Settlement: How to Claim Up to $20,000 for Damage to Your Credit Learn how to file a claim for damages to your credit from the Equifax data breach settlement - credit monitoring services and repairs after identity theft. Kevin Mercadante Valencia Patrice Higuera What to Do With a Debt Collections Item You Didn’t Know About If an unknown debt collection shows up on your credit report, getting a credit... Kevin Mercadante Should You Use a Credit Repair Company? Your credit may not be in the best shape -- millions of Americans have damaged or... How to Rebuild Your Credit Score After Bankruptcy Learn about what you can use to rebuild a good credit score after bankruptcy and how to ensure that you‘ll be able to borrow again in the future. Thomas (TJ) Porter How Your Credit Score Affects Your Car Insurance Premiums Find out how your credit score affects the cost of your car insurance coverage. Learn about the different insurance-based credit scores that insurers use to calculate your insurance premiums. See the ways that you can improve your credit score and that you should go about getting cheaper car insurance. Ben Luthi Thomas (TJ) Porter How Stay-at-Home Parents Can Build Good Credit Credit scores are an incredibly important part of your financial life. They... Thomas (TJ) Porter Installment Loan vs. Revolving Credit: Effect on Your Credit Score Your credit score has a significant impact on your financial life. It affects... Good Credit May Be Required When Applying for a Green Card With the Department of Homeland Security proposing a new rule for permanent resident status, learn how credit scores matter when applying for a green card. Thomas (TJ) Porter Can You Lease a Smartphone with No Credit or Bad Credit? Find out how you can lease an expensive smartphone even when you have no credit or bad credit. See which mobile carriers are best for those without good credit. Kevin Mercadante Rebecca Lake Can Free Credit Scores From Chase Credit Journey Help You Build Good Credit? If you've ever applied for a loan or a credit card, you know how important a good... David Rodeck How to Maintain Your Credit Score Abroad Moving abroad is the adventure of a lifetime. While you’re definitely going to... 4 Reasons I Turned Down a Store Credit Card, Despite Being Offered a Huge Discount If you're trying to save more on holiday shopping, there are a few things you should think about before getting a store credit card to snag a big discount. Rebecca Lake What to Know About the Discover Free FICO Score Program Find out whether you should use the free FICO score program from Discover. Learn how it works, who can use it, and what it costs. Rebecca Lake Thomas (TJ) Porter Do You Need Multiple Credit Cards to Build Good Credit? You've been using that one credit card responsibly and your credit score has... John Csiszar How Parents Can Help Their Children Build Good Credit When it comes to your credit score, time is an important element. The longer... When is it Okay to Take a Hit to Your Credit Score? Find out when it is appropriate to let your credit score take a hit and drop a little bit because it serves a valuable financial purpose. Thomas (TJ) Porter How to Get Approved for a Mortgage With Two Different Credit Scores Find out what you can do when you're seeking a joint mortgage for a home purchase and you or your joint applicant has a bad credit score. John Csiszar Kevin Mercadante Why Your Credit Scores Can Vary So Much at Equifax, Experian, TransUnion People wonder why one credit bureau generates a significantly different credit... Thomas (TJ) Porter What to Do if Your Credit File is Mixed with Someone Else’s Your credit score can sometimes affect your ability to get a phone plan or utility... How to Start Building Good Credit as An Immigrant As a U.S. immigrant, learn how you can obtain your first line of credit so that you can begin building a good credit score for key loans in the future. Thomas (TJ) Porter How Pay for Delete Works and Should You Ask for It? Learn how to use the pay-for-delete method to remove a damaging debt collections remark on your personal credit report -- lowering your credit risk for lenders. Kevin Mercadante Nicole Dieker Free Credit Freezes: How to Use Them to Protect Your Identity Credit bureaus used to charge consumers for the privilege of freezing and... Thomas (TJ) Porter Can Utility Bills In Collections Hurt Your Credit Score? Americans are responsible for more utility bills than ever these days. Gas,... Can a Gym Ruin Your Credit Due to Unpaid Membership Fees? Find out whether your gym can ruin your credit if you do not pay membership fees. Learn how an account sent to a debt collection agency can affect your credit. Thomas (TJ) Porter What's a Good Credit Score For a College Student? Find out what is considered a good credit score for a college student who wants to ensure that they're a low borrowing risk as they enter adult life. Learn what goes into calculating credit scores to understand how students should manage their debt correctly. See which credit cards are best for college students to build credit. Valerie Ashton