Many people have made the mistake of thinking building a good credit score requires that you go into debt, but that's not actually true. Unfortunately, charging up high balances in an attempt to build your credit score can backfire. If you ever fall behind on a payment or two, you can wind up with worse credit and a mound of debt that takes years to pay back. While borrowing money is part of building credit -...
One of the hardest parts of creating a budget is figuring out how much money you should spend on all your expenses. What's the right amount to spend on housing? Or transportation? Or entertainment? Having a guide to building a budget helps keep your spending in line. That's one of the benefits of the 50/30/20 budgeting method. Your spending on certain categories is kept within a certain percentage of your monthly income, so you can figure...
The more complicated your finances are, the harder it is to keep up with everything. You'll spend more time and effort trying to manage complicated finances and the stress of dealing with your finances may cause you to procrastinate. Overly complicated finances could lead to more expensive mistakes like missing a payment or overdrafting your bank account. If you've been feeling like your finances are all over the place, there are a few things you can...
Many people choose credit cards and loans based on the features, benefits, or the monthly payment, but there's a more important factor to consider - the APR. This number tells you how much you're actually paying to borrow money. The higher the APR, or annual percentage rate, the more you're paying when you borrow money. Finding the APR Looking at the APR gives you a better way to compare loan of the same type to each...
Coming up with a solid budget is tough even when you have a regular income from a job or business. Budgeting a fluctuating income can be even more difficult because you can't be sure how much money you're bringing in. In these situations, having a plan for to manage an unpredictable income becomes even more important to ensure all your monthly expenses are met without getting into debt or overdrafting your accounts. When you're self-employed, working...
Filing bankruptcy can affect your credit more than almost anything else, but that doesn't mean you should avoid bankruptcy if it's the best solution to get your finances back on track. Bankruptcy can be the perfect opportunity to start over and rebuild your credit. Here's how you can do it. Make sure your bankruptcy is reported correctly. Order copies of all three of your credit reports. You can use AnnualCreditReport.com if you haven't already received a...
Debt collectors do several things to try and collect debts from you. If you've ever had an account in collections, then you're already aware of the phone calls, letters, and placing the debt on your credit report. They also pull your credit report to get more information on you. Unlike most other businesses, debt collectors don't have to ask for your permission before they check your credit report. Credit reporting law automatically allows collectors to check...
Rewards credit cards hard to resist. Credit card issuers are constantly improving their rewards programs, offering bigger signup bonuses and more opportunities to earn. Even if you're not on the market for a new credit card, you may change your mind after seeing what many of the latest credit cards have to offer. As tempting as it might be to sign up for a new rewards card, they're not for everyone. You don't pay your balance...
Your credit score is an important number to keep up with, especially if you have a major loan coming up. For example, if you're planning to buy a house or car in the next few months, your credit score affects whether you're approved for a loan and the terms. Your credit score also impacts whether you have to pay a security deposit when you apply for utilities and similar services. Credit scores go up and down...
If you're dealing with multiple debts on your credit report or you're getting calls and letters from debt collectors, you may wonder if the debt is still valid. Debts generally don't "go away" just because they get older. However, older debts do reach a period where they should no longer affect you or your credit. There's a one time limit that a debt can be listed on your credit report and another for the amount of...
