Will A $100 Collection Hurt Your Credit Score?
A $100 collection may seem insignificant, but even a small collection account can negatively affect your credit score and impact your financial health. Understanding how collections work—and how they influence your creditworthiness—is essential for avoiding unnecessary damage and taking control of your credit profile. What Is a $100 Collection? A $100 collection occurs when an […]
Credit Scores Decoded: What Really Matters
When you think about your financial health, one of the most critical components to consider is your credit score. Understanding what affects your credit score is essential, as this three-digit number serves as a snapshot of your creditworthiness. It influences your ability to secure loans, obtain favorable interest rates, and even rent an apartment. Essentially, […]
Get a Loan With No FICO Score Needed, No Joke
Before you can get a mortgage, student loan or personal loan, lenders usually first check your credit score. But one lender – a San Francisco-based startup called SoFi – is changing all that. In fact, you can get a loan with SoFi even if you have no credit score at all. That’s because, as of […]
Fact vs. Fiction about FICO Credit Scores
During financial literacy workshops that I give around the country, I leave about 30 – 45 minutes at the end for a q&a session with my audience. Here are the top questions about FICO credit scores that I have heard over the years: FICTION : If I check my credit report often, all those “inquiries” […]
How to Compare Your Equifax, Experian and TransUnion Credit Reports
If you’ve thought about ordering your free credit report, which credit reporting bureau should you contact? Many people wonder what the difference is between the Equifax, Experian and TransUnion credit reports. Each credit reporting agency uses a different set of criteria and variables to calculate your credit score, and some lenders prefer to use one […]
FICO vs. PLUS Score: What’s the Real Difference and Why It Matters
If you’ve applied for a loan, a credit card, or a mortgage recently, your credit score likely played a pivotal role in the lender’s decision. But did you know there’s more than one type of credit score? Two commonly referenced models—FICO and PLUS Score—serve very different purposes. Understanding the difference between the FICO vs. PLUS […]
What Exactly Is Perfect Credit?
If your FICO credit score falls between 760 and 850 points, you rate among the top tier of all consumers and have the cornerstone for what I call Perfect Credit. Getting a great FICO score, however, is just part of the achievement. Fair Isaac reports that, among consumers with credit scores of 760 or higher, only 1% risk defaulting on a debt. So having Perfect Credit also means being able to access a whole host of products and services—mortgages, automobiles, credit cards, business lines of credit, and personal loans—at the most favorable terms available in the marketplace. Once you snag that impressive credit score, and all the benefits it entails, does having Perfect Credit today mean you’ll have Perfect Credit tomorrow? Unfortunately the answer is “no.”
Bad Credit Can Cost You a Job or a Promotion
If you’re out of work, nobody has to tell you how tough it can be to find a job. Now there is another obstacle to overcome before you land your next gig: cleaning up your credit. Employers are increasingly checking people’s credit reports before deciding whether to hire someone or who to promote. In fact, […]