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.
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.
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.
The American consumer's financial health is showing signs of improvement, but the weak job market continues to derail the nation's economic recovery -- particularly for people in the lower income brackets, according to September's Consumer Reports Index, released on Tuesday.
Citigroup announced Monday its new no-fee, no-penalty Simplicity credit card, designed for the very creditworthy person who might once in a while forget to make a payment on time. No gotchas in your credit card bill sounds like a great idea, right? Well ... maybe.
Bank of America credit card holders, beware. If you're late on a monthly payment, that little "oops" might become a big "ouch": Your future balances could be subject to a penalty rate of nearly 30%. But the penalty rate will not be applied to previous balances.
