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.
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.
While frequent data breaches may have desensitized some consumers to identity theft, it's still important to pay attention to early warning signs your info is being used illegally.
With interest rates at record lows, now is the time to refinance your mortgage. But what if you find an old unpaid debt that's impairing your credit score? The answer isn't as obvious as you might think.
Managing credit correctly requires a certain amount of discipline -- otherwise, it's easy to slip into big money trouble. That's why it's important to have some guidelines. Here are five rules everyone should follow.
"Too much of a good thing can be wonderful," said film star Mae West. But what about too much credit? Is having a lot of credit a wonderful thing as well?
Oops! You open your credit card statement and discover you forgot to make last month's payment. Or a collections agency calls about a bill you didn't even know you had. How bad is it? How much does a single late payment affect your credit score?
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.
Most people understand that a bankruptcy or foreclosure will tank their credit score, but there are plenty of small mistakes you can make that will turn a good score into a mediocre one. Here are seven of the more common errors, plus tips on how to avoid them.
There are many roads to financial security, but whatever path you follow, there are some mandatory steps everyone ought to take along the way. Alexa von Tobel, founder of LearnVest.com, cuts through the thicket of advice to give us her essential keys to sound money management.
Suze Orman is trying to succeed where the Kardashians failed. The host of the popular TV money show is offering a new prepaid card that works much the same way as a debit card. Her goal: Offer a credit card alternative that doesn't charge you an arm and a leg.
It might not be the right method for everyone seeking a home loan, but it worked for one Georgia couple: A music video that went viral got Bank of America to close on Ken and Meredith Williams' long-delayed mortgage.
Credit scores affect many aspects of our lives -- more than you may think. Paying bills on time and staying well below your credit limits are sure-fire ways to build and maintain good credit. But there are some lesser-known strategies to boost your score as well.
Mortgage lenders will soon have access to new details about a prospective borrower's past -- such as past rental applications, inquiries to pay-day lenders, and missed child support payments -- that will be factored in to a new credit score.
Cheap credit is making a comeback, at least for some people: Credit card companies' fierce competition for new, low-risk customers has them ramping up their 0% interest rate offers again, and offering those teaser rates for longer. So if you have the FICO score to qualify, it's time to take advantage.