When it comes to dealing with your credit, it is important that you know what to do. Having a high credit rating is essential to your overall financial health as it can determine a number of things from your ability to get a mortgage to even getting a job. For most people, debt is the reason why their credit rating is poor. Debt is an unfortunate necessity as you often need it for mortgages and car loans but you can avoid certain debts like credit cards and personal loans that can really hurt … [Read more...]
Dealing With Your Personal Finance Holiday Hangover
Ahhhh the New Year is up on us! 2012 here we come! Now that your Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Winter Solstice gifts are unwrapped, the fruit cake from Aunt June is put away to age for the rest of eternity, you finally have a moment of clarity! Holy crap! I have credit card bills on their way. I have to pay for all of these merry festivities now! Not to fret, we’re here to make some sense of it for you, and to give you some guidance so that you don’t go as crazy as “Cousin Eddie” standing in the … [Read more...]
Vital Things You Need To Know About Your FICO Score
The Origins of FICOFirst of all, let’s briefly discuss the origins of FICO (Fair Isaac Corporation). Back in 1956 many were introduced to credit scoring by two pioneers in the field: engineer Bill Fair and mathematician Earl Isaac. Over the years, the pair convinced lenders that mathematical formulas could do a better job of predicting whether an applicant would default than even the most experienced loan officers. Thus, the birth of your FICO score.Understand that there are now many different … [Read more...]
Credit Cards And Your Credit Score
Can Cancelling a Credit Card Affect My Credit Score?Cancelling a credit card will affect your credit score, especially if you have had that card for several years. 15% of your FICO credit score is based on how long you have had that line of credit. The older the better. Once you cancel that card, you will lose that long history you had with the card and your score will go down.How Do Credit Cards Affect My Credit Score?Credit cards affect your credit score with two factors:The balance on … [Read more...]
How to Improve your Credit Score For Free
Everyday, companies target people who have poor credit histories with promises to clean up their credit reports so they can get a car loan, a home mortgage, insurance, or even a job – after paying a fee for the service. The truth is that no one can remove accurate negative information from your credit report. It's illegal. What You Need To Know When negative information in your report is accurate, only the passage of time can assure that it will be removed. A consumer reporting company can … [Read more...]