Experian

Americans are getting more educated about credit scores, and younger people are the most well-versed of all. But that doesn't mean there aren't some gaps in their knowledge. So what should you do to keep on top of your credit? Here are a few free tips.

There must be something in the cheese: Four of the top 10 American cities for credit scores are in Wisconsin, and four more are in nearby Midwest states, according to a new analysis by Experian. But all is not sunny in the South, where the cities with the worst scores are concentrated.

Have you ever been turned down for a loan? Had your credit line slashed or interest rate bumped up? Well, starting Thursday, banks and other lenders will be required tell you a bit more about why. The FTC and the Fed are implementing a new rule requiring lenders to show consumers the credit score data they used to make their decision.

We all know that making late payments or having credit card accounts in collections can hurt your credit scores. But you might be shocked to learn that a lot of other seemingly innocent actions can also negatively impact your credit rating. Here's a list of five surprising things that can lower...

You should always know what's in your credit report -- especially if you're planning any major purchases or intend to apply for a new job in the near future. But creditors and credit agencies aren't the only ones who can contribute to your report. You can have your say, too.

For years, renters who got behind on their housing payments could do so without worrying about the impact that a late payment would have on their credit rating. Next year that's going to change. One of the big three credit bureaus, Experian, recently began collecting data about consumer rental...

Your credit score impacts your ability to get out of debt and stay out of debt. The worse your credit score, the higher the interest rate you will be charged on money you borrow. The better your score, the less your debt will cost you and the quicker you'll be able to pay it off.

Get a free credit report once a year from AnnualCreditReport.com, a site sponsored by the three major credit reporting companies, Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian. You can request your free credit report online, over the phone or via the mail. The last two options are not instantaneous,...

If you've been rejected for a car loan due to poor credit, you might want to apply again. The automotive credit industry increased the share of new car loans going to credit-challenged borrowers by 12.7% in the third quarter, a sign that lenders are loosening their credit criteria.

If you thought it was hard to qualify for loans and obtain credit in 2010, wait until 2011, when lenders start using freshly updated, more rigorous versions of two popular credit-scoring systems. Fair Isaac, creator of the widely-used FICO score, recently rolled out an enhanced version of one of...