Credit scores are an important part of your financial health as they are used to determine your creditworthiness, buy a house, sign a cell phone contract, or even get a job or security clearance. Because your credit score is so important, many companies offer consumers a “free credit score”. Unfortunately, some of these free credit [...]

Identity theft can be a devastating and demoralizing problem that has far reaching consequences and can be difficult to repair. Unfortunately, identity theft cases continue to increase. If you have been a victim of identity theft, believe you have been a victim, or want to increase the security of your credit history, then you can [...]

The average amount that college graduates owe in student loans continues to rise—topping $25,000 according to the most recent data—while job prospects for new graduates are bleak to say the least. Students generally have a six-month grace period after graduation to allow them to find a job before the first payment is due. But since [...]

I’m sure you now your credit score is important. It can affect your ability to get a loan, buy a home, get a good interest rate on a loan, or even get a job. But what you may not know is there is no “one-size-fits-all” standard for credit scores. In fact, there are literally hundreds [...]

Can closing your credit cards affect your credit score? Debbie P. wants to know: I had a rewards credit card with one of the major airlines for less than a year. However, I just closed it due to the $85 annual fee and a change in the rules about checking luggage. Will canceling the credit [...]

If you can’t pay your mortgage or credit card debt, you’ve probably wondered what happens if a lender cancels or forgives your debt. It’s important to understand that if you owe a debt that is officially cancelled or forgiven, it may be taxable. What Forgiven Debt Is Taxable? In general, if you borrow money from [...]

Your credit score is one of the most important numbers in your financial life (probably #2 after your Social Security Number, which is required for just about everything!). Because credit scores are so important in today’s society, it’s essential to understand your credit score – why it is important, how it is comprised, and how [...]

Automating your finances can save you time and money. I’ve heard it before, I’ve said it before, and for the most part, I follow this advice. But I didn’t set up automatic bill payments for my business credit card and it almost came back to bite me. I just got off the phone with Discover [...]

One of the consequences of the recession is that more people are considering their finances, and, in many cases, deciding that it is a good idea to get out of debt. And to never use debt again. Living a life completely without might be a noble idea, but is it practical? In a lot of [...]

One of your biggest financial goals should be to not only to reach retirement with enough money saved to live out your dreams, but also to retire debt free. You would think that would be the goal for the majority of people and that debt in retirement would not be an issue. But far too [...]