Credit and Debit

Afraid that marrying the wrong person could negatively impact your credit score? Well, it can and it can’t. As Emily Guy Birken explains, your credit score is yours and yours alone. When you get married, your credit score and your spouse’s credit score are not directly affected. However, that does not mean that your finances… Read More

The debate over whether to use a debit card or a credit card continues, but recent data breaches as major US retailers, like Target incurred over the holidays, make security a primary concern when using all cards. So which is safer? This article from Yahoo Finance suggests that the fact that credit cards are not… Read More

Typically an account is sent to collections if it is more than 90 days past due.  What does this mean, how does this affect a credit report, and how is best to remedy the situation? A collection occurs when we are late on a payment; examples could be auto loans, utility payments, or other services… Read More

Credit cards and available credit can be tempting, we all know this.  How should college students, often new to credit, choose what they charge on credit?  Greg Meyer shares some tips on his blog, creditunionguy.blogspot.com.  He advises only charging emergency expenses or something that could be considered an asset; necessary car repair or possibly books… Read More

One of the many myths about credit scores, and a dangerous one, is that missing just one payment won’t hurt you. When you miss a payment deadline, even for the first time, you risk a lower credit score. The best thing you can do is never miss a payment. But when that is not possible,… Read More

The old cliché practice makes perfect applies to healthy personal financial habits. And building credit, as well as understanding it, is no exception. College presents a great time for young adults and teens to start working towards a working knowledge of credit cards and the right ways to use them. AJ Smith, in this article,… Read More

Many retailers offer their own credit cards for frequent shoppers, but often times these cards are not all they seem to be. Many of them offer an introductory period during which you don’t get charged interest. This is to entice you to sign up and use them but after that introductory period is over, they… Read More

It is a popular thought that young people + credit cards = danger. After the financial collapse, Congress passed a number of laws meant to help the financial state of our country, including limiting credit card companies from signing up people under the age of 18 without a cosigner. But a recent study by researchers… Read More

A good credit score is important, and there are many things you can do to ensure your score remains high. But sometimes, we make mistakes, and our score suffers. If you find yourself with a credit score that could use some help, there are some things that you can do in order to raise your… Read More

 The financial services industry is always coming up with ways to make spending easier for consumers. The latest development by today’s tech entrepreneurs means that a person no longer needs their wallet to make a purchase. An impulse buy is as simple as writing #buy using your Twitter account. Backers of the technology, including AMEX,… Read More