5 Practical Money Tips for New Grads
Beyond the usual platitudes and cliches, commencement speakers should consider giving their audiences of eager graduates these five crucial pieces of advice.
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5 Tools to Help College Students Manage Their Money
Along with worrying about their academics, parents are worrying about their college kids' financials. Here are 5 things parents can do to help sharpen students' money skills.
A Debt Collector Came After Me for $8.97
An overdue movie rental turned into a collections ordeal for one woman. Could an $8.97 debt impact your credit score?
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.
Credit Score Dating Has Potential Partners Watching Their Assets
You know your credit score gets checked when you apply for a credit card, a job, an apartment or a loan. But these days, even potential dates may be asking about your FICO.
Is Budgeting the Best Way to Save? Seven Personal Finance Myths
Can money buy happiness? Does more education equal more money? When it comes to personal finance myths, what you don't know CAN hurt you!
Most Americans Have More Savings Than Credit Card Debt
A recent survey shows that a majority of Americans have more money in their "emergency funds" than the owe on their credit cards. But if most people have more savings than credit card debt, how come it also feels like the majority of us are broke?
Study: 1 in 5 Consumers Had Error in Credit Report
One in five consumers had an error in a credit report issued by a major agency, according to a government study. The FTC study also said that 5 percent of the consumers identified errors in their reports that could lead to them paying more for mortgages, auto loans or other financial products.
Prepaid Cards Can't Hurt Your Credit, but Can't Help It Either
Some people think that using prepaid cards can help them build or restore their credit. Not true. Unlike traditional credit cards, or even secured cards, the best one can say about prepaid cards is that they won't let you damage your credit.
6 Myths Couples Should Stop Believing About Joint Bank Accounts
Setting up a joint bank account is a pretty standard move for most couples, but things start to get a little dicey when it comes to credit cards. Many consumers are confused about what happens to their credit when they get married. Here are some of the most widely-held myths.
3 Surprising Findings From the Latest Study on Credit Reporting Agencies
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau analyzed data from the three largest CRAs %u2013%u2013 Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion %u2013%u2013 over the last year. We pored over the 38-page report. Here are a few of the most staggering findings we came across.
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.
Meet the Man with a Near-Perfect Credit Score
The median FICO credit score is 723, and a perfect score -- 850 -- is virtually impossible to achieve, according to experts. So how did Tom Pavelka of Westlake, Ohio, end up with a score of 848?
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.
Can Credit Scores Predict Which Way Swing States Will Swing?
That's the question posed in a new survey of voters' financial health. The conclusion? Despite what you might be hearing on the news today, seven of the 12 so-called "swing states" could be "in play" come November.