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6 Smart Moves to Boost Your Credit Score

Even if you're not planning on applying for a mortgage or credit card anytime soon, you need a good credit score. Here are some lesser-known strategies to help boost yours.

Late-Payment Rate on U.S. Mortgages Hits 4-Year Low

Homeowners who took on mortgages well after the housing bubble burst are doing a better job in keeping up with payments, a trend that has helped push the national rate of late payments on home loans to the lowest level in four years.

The Most Important Item in Your Credit Report

Most of your financial life is reflected on your credit report. But there's one specific aspect that carries more weight than any other when Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion calculate your credit score -- because it accounts for more than half of the updates the credit bureaus receive.

You're Late: Credit Card Debt Rises - and So Does Delinquency

Americans cranked up their use of credit cards in the third quarter, racking up more debt than a year ago, while also being less diligent about making payments on time. But though delinquency is rising, it's still significantly below historic norms.

Fewer Americans Late on Mortgages in Third Quarter

U.S. homeowners are doing better at keeping up with their mortgage payments, aided by an improving housing market and more refinancing opportunities. The percentage of mortgage holders at least two months behind on their payments fell in the third quarter to 5.41%, the lowest point in more than three years.

CFPB Complaint Site Takes on Credit Report Issues, Too

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's complaint website already gave Americans a way to seek redress over problems with credit cards, mortgages, bank accounts, auto or personal loans, even student loans. Now, it's also ready to help us deal with credit reporting agencies.

The Hidden Credit Scores That Could Sink Your Finances

It's not hard to get copies of your credit report: You can even get them free from the major credit-reporting agencies. But each one of us has more than one credit score, and the one you're given may be very different from the ones lenders and other businesses actually use.

Where Does Your Spouse's Credit Card Debt Go When They Die?

When a husband or wife dies, it's not just the emotional issues that can be overwhelming; the financial issues can be, too. Here are three important financial actions no widow or widower should delay taking -- and the answer to the pressing question in the headline above.

Dealing With Your Credit Report Just Got a Lot Easier

It has never been more important to have good credit, but it's no easy task to go against the ratings agencies when your credit report is wrong. Now though, you have an ally in your corner: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Consumer Bureau to Supervise Credit Reporting Agencies

Credit reporting agencies will soon be subject to federal oversight for the first time. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced Monday that it will begin supervising the nation's biggest consumer reporting agencies this fall.

4 Ways for Young Adults to Get a Better Handle on Credit Scores

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.

Car Loans Are Now Americans' No. 1 Bill-Paying Priority

The recession and its hangover have turned our bill-paying habits upside down. Cash-strapped Americans are paying off their car loans before they pay credit card bills and make mortgage payments, a TransUnion study finds.

What Blue States Can Teach Red States About Credit

It's not just politics that defines the differences between Republican-leaning "red states" and Democrat-leaning "blue states" -- and some of those differences may surprise you. For example, when it comes to credit scores, blue states are where the smart money is.