Advice To Homebuyers: Boost Your Credit Score

Another bit of advice Green offers is to note how close you are to the credit limit on any of your cards. If you’re near the limit, that is a black mark against you in a lender’s eyes – the ideal is to have a balance of less than 30 percent of your credit limit. If you can’t pay down the limit, Green suggests asking the credit card issuer to up your card’s limit to get it below that 30 percent threshold. Paying close to attention to credit scoring details, insists Green, can up your score by 100 points in no time.

11 Ways to Raise Your Credit Score, Fast

While crash diets don’t usually work and can be unhealthy, it is possible to change your credit score fairly quickly. But just as with weight loss, “quickly” is a relative term. Seeing any improvement could take 30 to 60 days, according to Liz Weston, personal finance columnist and author of “Your Credit Score, Your Money & What’s At Stake.”

The Comeback Card – Secured credit cards offer a helpful route to the real thing

The horror stories about credit cards are real. Far too many people have used them irresponsibly and dug themselves a deep, deep financial hole that takes years or decades to get out of. But those unfortunate tales shouldn’t overshadow the very real fact that credit cards have revolutionized how we live, arguably doing for commerce… Continue reading The Comeback Card – Secured credit cards offer a helpful route to the real thing

How To Use A Secured Card To Rebuild Your Credit

Who among us hasn’t needed a second chance? Or a first opportunity? For the millions of Americans who were battered by the Great Recession and came out of it with a tattered credit score, plus the legions of young people who haven’t had a chance to earn and spend money wisely, these are not abstract… Continue reading How To Use A Secured Card To Rebuild Your Credit

Coming Soon: Free FICO Scores For Discover Cardmembers

First it was cash back rewards and now it’s free FICO scores. In early February, Discover, the card that has become synonymous with cash back rewards, announced that it’s millions of cardmembers will soon see something new on their monthly account statement – free FICO scores. Discover is the first credit card company to include… Continue reading Coming Soon: Free FICO Scores For Discover Cardmembers

Extra Credit – Credit Scores: Are There Rewards for Responsible Repayment?

True, it’s just a number, but maintaining a good credit score is key to getting the best rates for your mortgage and car loans We all have numbers that, for better or worse, define us. Age is an obvious numerical marker, but so too are the ones that your doctor hectors you about – weight,… Continue reading Extra Credit – Credit Scores: Are There Rewards for Responsible Repayment?

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