Credit Scores

This post originally appeared on Sisters from AARPBlack folks often face a host of credit challenges stemming from lower incomes, discrimination, a lack of knowledge about credit scoring and more. But one additional factor — the low rate of Black...

A lack of income makes it hard to cover your expenses, which can cause your credit score to fall. But there are ways to preserve it, even if you are out of work. Here are four tips for maintaining your credit...

Did you know that on a $21,788 auto loan, if you have an excellent credit score (740 – 749), you can pay 311% less in interest compared to an individual with a fair credit score (580 – 669)? 311% less!...

If you’re in the market for a loan, chances are that lenders are going to assess something called your “DTI” – also known as your Debt-to-Income ratio. What Exactly is a DTI? And, how can you improve it in order...

Just because summertime is here and you might be taking it easy, that doesn’t mean you should let your guard down when it comes to your finances. In fact, during the summer season, you should be aware of a number...

  Having your credit score fall unexpectedly can be as bad as losing a significant amount of money. With a lower score, your opportunities for low-interest loans, lower insurance premiums, and more affordable mortgages may be out of your reach....

National Get Smart About Credit Day occurs this week, and takes place annually on the third Thursday of October. While it’s not a federal holiday, in some ways it should be. For every adult in America, your credit is an...

Q: Hi Lynnette, I have been working at repairing my credit for the last 4 years (intensely). I have paid off all debtors and have managed to obtain an unsecured credit card with $1000 limit that has been upped to...

Your credit report and credit score remain important as you approach preretirement or retirement. Whether you cosign for a child's or grandchild's loan, tap your home equity to buy a vacation home, or simply finance the purchase of a new...

Q. You mentioned that closing credit card accounts hurts your FICO score.  If you closed accounts years ago, what is the timeline where it no longer affects your score?  I only have one Visa card that I use now.  I had...

To improve your credit rating or increase your credit score, you likely already know that it’s important to do the basics: such as paying your bills on time each month, and keeping your accounts out of collections. But are you...

If you’re living in one of America’s 40 million renter households, there’s an easy way for you to quickly and painlessly increase your credit score and even help qualify for a mortgage. What’s the secret? It’s simply adding your rental...

If you’ve gotten yourself deep in debt, or have fallen behind on your monthly bills you may be wondering if credit counseling or debt management can help. Despite the promise of assistance that credit counseling companies firms offer, many consumers...

If you’ve ever been frustrated at receiving two different credit scores, you probably wondered why or how it’s possible that you can get one specific credit score from a certain source and then receive a vastly different credit score elsewhere....

If you want a home loan, you may be wondering how high your credit score needs to be in order to qualify for a home mortgage. Well, there’s good news and bad news regarding your credit and how it relates...