Credit experts share their top tips for taking control of your FICO score and boosting your credit fast Sometimes it feels like you have no control over your financial life, like you can’t seem to get on top no matter what you do. It can be extremely frustrating and this feeling of helplessness is one of the biggest reasons people fail at budgeting and reaching their financial goals. At the … [Read more...]
Should You Help Pay Your Partner’s Student Loans?
Two must-ask questions before you help pay off your partner’s student loans The amount Americans owe on student loans has ballooned to over $1.4 trillion, more than 10% of total household debt owed. Chances are, even if you don’t owe money on student loans someone close to you does. So what do you do if you’ve managed to avoid racking up thousands in debt or have paid off your student loans … [Read more...]
5 Steps to Fixing Credit Report Errors and Lower Rates
Fixing credit report errors can be the easiest way to lower rates and better loans Each additional percentage point of interest adds approximately $47,000 to a $200,000 home loan when paid over 30 years. An interest rate of 6% will cost you $1,199 a month and add up to $431,676 over three decades. That’s bad enough but consider just a percent more and the same loan will cost you $1,330 a month … [Read more...]
10 Credit Myths that Just Won’t Die
As much as I try, these top credit myths still trap a lot of people into missing their full financial potential Why are there so many myths and misunderstandings about credit?! That was the question in a recent mastermind group I hosted with some personal finance experts. Between the group, we had more than five decades’ experience in financial planning, debt counseling and money … [Read more...]
Step-by-Step for Building Credit for Bad Credit Borrowers
These six steps for building credit will take you from a financial zero to credit hero and get the best rates on any loan Building credit is something like a chicken-and-egg situation. Without a loan or a credit card, it’s hard to build a credit history. Without a credit history, it’s hard to qualify for a loan. So how does someone start from scratch to build a credit score? Honest answer: … [Read more...]