Borrowers needing help establishing credit most often start with getting a secured credit card. While secured cards are a great way to start establishing or re-establishing credit they do require you to put $300-$500 up front to secure the card. Unfortunately, some people may not have access to that much money. Luckily, there’s another option … Read more
Back to school. Seems like summer just started and it’s time, once again, to make the trip to the store for all those school supplies, school clothes and basic necessities, basically a time when you give your credit cards a little more of a workout. Can buying certian items actually hurt your credit? Do the … Read more
Winter is over. We’ve planted the flowers, washed the heaviness of winter off of the windows and dusted away the cobwebs. Now is a great time to check out any cobwebs that may be lingering on your credit report. For example – The charged off credit card from a couple years back. Or even the … Read more
Over 30,000 identity thefts occur each day with one quarter of these happening to people who are on vacation or traveling. Now that we are in the height of vacation travel, there are some fairly simple steps you can take to make sure this does not happen to you. Be proactive. Don’t wait for your … Read more
After years of hard work you have finally paid off your house. Your credit cards are paid off and the kids are off on their own. You are debt free! Then one day the Sheriff shows up on your door with an eviction notice because you have not been making your payments on your Home … Read more
A presentation of the Did You Know Series Did you know…which is better – a credit card or a debit card? In our society of more card use and less cash use along with the pervasiveness of fraud especially among the big box retailers, it is important to know which is better to use, a … Read more
A Presentation of the Did You Know Series Experian, Equifax and Trans Union have added a new function to their dispute handling system that makes explaining or providing proof of your dispute a bit easier. You can now upload, fax or mail any supporting documents you may have concerning your dispute. Prior to this the … Read more
When an account on a credit report has a dispute remark on it, an automated underwriting system (AUS) will pick up that remark and show it as a “refer” or an “ineligible”. Per Fannie Mae guidelines, the remark must be removed at the bureau level in order to run the report through the AUS. If … Read more
A presentation of the Did You Know Series Did you know…The House Financial Services Committee is working to make the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) more accountable and transparent? The house committee alleges that the CFPB has too much autonomy and power with no accountability when it comes to credit cards, auto loans and mortgages. … Read more
A Presentation of the Did You Know Series Did you know…when you get married you do not inherit your spouse’s credit? Each individual has their own separate credit file. When you marry those files are not combined…they will always be separate. So if the person you are marrying has less then stellar credit you do … Read more