Credit Care
|
|
Tanisha Warner: Fight back against husband who opens credit cards in wife's name -- He signed her name to credit card applications and had the bills sent to a secret address; now he needs to surrender control of the accounts -- or else! ... (See Secret credit cards) Tanisha Warner: Young debtor, learn the basics before it's too late -- At age 25, a reader with a $5,000 debt in collections is young enough to overcome the problem and establish a lifetime of good money habits ... (See Set good money habits) Tanisha Warner: Keeping credit score high when you carry big card balances -- Even if your credit score is high, issuers may still reject you for a new card if your card balances are near their limit ... (See Credit card rejection) Tanisha Warner: Your post-bankruptcy credit rebuilding plan -- From now on, on-time payments are a must, you'll likely need a secured card and make sure any lenders report to all the credit bureaus ... (See Credit after bankruptcy) Tanisha Warner: Collectors calling for a 12-year-old debt? Know and assert your rights -- A collector calling on a 12-year-old debt needs to prove you really owe it, and be told it's too old to be legally collectible. Just don't ignore it ... (See 12-year-old debt) Tanisha Warner: When piggybacking, the good credit person adds bad credit person as authorized user -- Having the bad credit person add the good credit person as an authorized user won't help -- and could hurt ... (See Credit card piggybacking) Tanisha Warner: After recovering from bad credit, ditch the bad credit credit card -- Yes, you may take a small, temporary credit card hit, but getting rid of a card with a $14.50 monthly fee is probably worth it ... (See Cancel that bad credit credit card) Tanisha Warner: Fees, interest charges still possible on closed credit card account -- When an account's closed, you shouldn't have to pay any more fees on it, right? Not so fast ... (See Closed credit card accounts) Tanisha Warner: What you can do when authorized users go wild with your credit card -- When an authorized user runs up debt or doesn't make payments, the card's primary holder can take a credit hit. But all is not lost ... (See Authorized users) Tanisha Warner: Big purchases can have a real impact on your credit score -- If you make a big purchase that eats up most of your credit limit, your credit can take a hit -- even if you pay it off fairly rapidly ... (See Big purchases and credit scores) Do you need to carry a card balance to build good credit? -- Our expert says paying off balances right away is usually the wisest way to handle a new credit card and to build strong credit ... (See Card balances and good credit) Tanisha Warner: How to remove an authorized user from a credit card account -- If you've made a mistake with your credit card and screwed up your own credit, authorized users on that card shouldn't have to take a credit hit, too -- assuming you take action ... (See Authorized users) Tanisha Warner: Can a never-activated card still hurt your credit? -- If you get buyer's remorse after applying for a new credit card, don't panic. Canceling the card before you activate may impact your credit, but not much and not for long ... (See Cancel a card) Tanisha Warner: Are your mother's bank funds safe from your creditors? -- A debt-ridden woman worries her creditors may come after funds in an account she holds jointly with her mom. The good news is that mom's retirement funds are probably safe ... (See Joint accounts and garnishment) Tanisha Warner: Debt management plans vs. Chapter 13 bankruptcy -- Deep in debt and hit with a reduction in pay, a reader asks what her best option would be -- filing bankruptcy or paying her debt through a credit counselor ... (See Deep in debt) Tanisha Warner: Failing to pay the minimum can get you sued -- It's a common question: Can credit card companies sue you if you pay, but don't pay enough. Unfortunately, if you have to ask, you probably won't like the answer ... (See Minimum payment failure) Tanisha Warner: Wife's bad credit doesn't have to ruin her husband's credit -- fter paying off delinquent card and school debt, a wife wants her credit score to rise -- but not at the risk of ruining her husband's good credit ... (See Patience + payments = better credit) Tanisha Warner: Discharging student loan in bankruptcy requires major hardship -- Want to declare bankruptcy and wash your hands of that troublesome student loan? Our expert says that it's not that easy ... (See Bankruptcy and student loans) Tanisha Warner: Be wary of closing credit cards when applying for mortgage -- Considering closing some credit cards? Our expert says you better think twice about it if you're planning to get a mortgage loan soon ... (See Mortgages and closing credit cards) Tanisha Warner: Joint account holder? You're likely stuck with that credit card debt -- Deceived by her husband, a reader wants her name off a jointly-held credit card with $10,000 of debt on it. Our expert says she shouldn't get her hopes up ... (See Joint cardholders and debt) Tanisha Warner:Take these steps when a minor's identity is stolen -- If your identity was stolen when you were a minor, clearing your name won't be easy, but it can be done. Here's how ... (See Minor ID theft) Tanisha Warner: Not paying your credit card bill after a rate hike won't help -- New columnist Tanisha Warner answers a question from a reader who just had her credit card rate hiked. She's thinking about not paying the bill. Tanisha says: No ... (See Rate hike) Kim McGrigg: Old accounts in good standing won't hurt your credit score -- Don't worry about removing old card accounts from your credit report, as long as the cards were in good standing when they were closed ... (See Credit report) Kim McGrigg: Dad's bankruptcy may force daughter to pay joint card debt -- A worried mom wants to know if her daughter will be stuck paying the debt on a credit card she held jointly with her dad. Unfortunately, our expert says, that's likely the case ... (See Joint account) Kim McGrigg: Be wary of getting more credit when student loan comes due -- With a $14,000 student loan coming due soon, a reader wonders if getting a new department store credit card was a bad move. Our expert's answer: It depends. ... (See Credit cards and student loans) Kim McGrigg: Canceling a credit card is OK -- if done wisely -- When your credit improves, it can be tempting to dump your old, bad-credit credit cards in favor of newer cards. But, our expert says, drop too many cards and your credit could pay the price again ... (See Cancel a card) Kim McGrigg: Want to cancel your card? Bank must comply -- Whether you've just applied for a preapproved credit card or you've had the card for 20 years, you can cancel the card whenever you want ... (See Cancel a card) Kim McGrigg: Bad credit and living on disability: Is a new home out of reach? -- A new home may not be out of reach just because you have bad credit and live on disability payments, our expert says. But don't expect it to come easily either ... (See Bad credit and mortgages) Kim McGrigg: Can you apply for credit after Chapter 13 bankruptcy? -- Even if you just want to use it for emergencies, a new credit card can be hard to get following Chapter 13 bankruptcy. However, you may have options ... (See Chapter 13 and new credit) Kim McGrigg: What to do when collectors pursue your time-barred debt -- Your debt may be really old, but that may not stop debt collectors from trying to get you to pay. Our expert lays out what to do if this happens to you ... (See Time-barred debt) Kim McGrigg: How to cope with massive family credit card fraud -- When family members commit fraud against you, it can be devastating. Our expert lays out what your options are ... (See Family credit card fraud) Kim McGrigg: Yes, your card payment can be rejected if it's too small -- It may be shocking, but a credit card issuer can refuse to accept your payment if the amount is smaller than the minimum that you owe ... (See Minimum payments) Removing yourself from shared card account may be tough -- Want to get your name off one of your credit cards? How easy or hard it is will depend on whether you're a joint account holder or merely an authorized user ... (See Removing yourself from a card) Kim McGrigg: How late can a payment be before it dings your credit? -- If you're just a few days late with your credit card payment, will it show up on your credit report? Maybe. It depends on your card issuer's policy, says our expert ... (See Late payments) Kim McGrigg:Mortgage trumps title when it comes to foreclosures, credit -- Your name may no longer be on the title of your foreclosed house. But, our expert says, if it's still on the mortgage loan, there's still going to be a black mark on your credit ... (See Foreclosures and credit) Kim McGrigg: How to prioritize debt payments when your income falls -- It's all too common these days: A down-on-his-luck cardholder struggling to make ends meet confronts more bills than he can pay, and needs help prioritizing them ... (See How to prioritize debt) Kim McGrigg: Your credit card agreement trumps your divorce decree -- Even if your divorce decree says your ex takes responsibility for all your joint debts, it may not matter. That's because your credit card agreement takes precedent over your decree ... (See Debt and divorce) Kim McGrigg: How to eliminate card debt without hurting your credit -- It's a common question: When you've paid a card off, should you close it? Our expert tells a confused reader what the choice would be for her credit ... (See Debt and credit scores) Kim McGrigg: New rules force banks to protect funds from garnishment -- At least part of Social Security income is protected from wage garnishment, and a new rule means banks must take steps to safeguard it ... (See Garnishment rule) Kim McGrigg: Can't pay your debts? Why you should still care about your credit -- As appealing as it may seem to put your fingers in your ears and not worry about debt, there are lots of reasons that's unwise ... (See I can't pay and I don't care) Kim McGrigg: Are you liable for your late spouse's card debt? -- The death of a spouse can bring with it many financial questions, including whether you are liable for paying his or her debts. The answer, sadly, isn't so simple ... (See Debt and death) Kim McGrigg: Don't worry if resold loan appears twice on credit report -- The same loan may appear multiple times on your credit report -- once with the original lender and again with the collector -- but it only impacts your credit once ... (See Credit report) Kim McGrigg: How much can a debt collector take from your paycheck? -- If you have a written deal with a debt collector to withdraw a set monthly amount from your bank account, the collector can't take a penny more. If he does, spring into action ... (See Debt collected from your pay) Kim McGrigg: Paying more than the minimum must decrease your credit card balance -- A reader is frustrated that the portion of her credit card debt with a high interest rate doesn't seem to be falling, even though she pays more than the minimum ... (See Credit card debt) Kim McGrigg: Declared bankruptcy? You can still be an authorized user -- A reader wonders if he can still be listed as an authorized user on his wife's credit card account if he declares bankruptcy ... (See Credit after bankruptcy) Kim McGrigg: Bank must shield your Social Security money from garnishment -- A reader's bank account, which only contains Social Security funds, has a levy against it. Our expert says a new law requires bank to make sure those funds aren't touched ... (See Social Security funds) Where to get alternative, specialty free credit reports -- Specialty credit bureaus collect consumer data on such things as rental history, insurance claims and checking accounts, and they're required to provide consumers a free report annually ... (See Specialty credit reports) Kim McGrigg: How to revive your credit score after foreclosure -- A reader who recently suffered a foreclosure wonders how she can raise her FICO score and how long she'll have to wait to get her next mortgage ... (See Credit after foreclosure) Kim McGrigg: To raise credit score, pay delinquent debt? Or declare bankruptcy? -- A reader so deep in debt she's weighing bankruptcy wonders how to get good credit in a year. Years plural, says our expert. ... (See Bankruptcy) Kim McGrigg: Will card debt hold up my Australian visa? -- A reader ran up credit card debt in Australia, left, and now wants to move back. Will the debt jeopardize his return? ... (See Card debt and visas) Kim McGrigg: Debunking a myth about wage garnishment and student loans -- A reader who defaulted on her student loan has heard that paying any amount of money on a debt can help stave off wage garnishment. Our expert debunks the myth ... (See Student loans) Kim McGrigg: How to protect yourself from email phishing attacks -- Scammers are after your personal information. Armed with these tips, you won't make it easy on them ... (See Fend off phishing) How to rent property when you have bad credit -- A frustrated reader keeps getting rejected when applying to rent property. Our expert tells him to improve his score -- and how to land a place now with his current bad credit ... (See Renting with bad credit) Kim McGrigg: Replacing lost credit cards won't impact credit score -- A reader worries that his credit will take a hit when he replaces credit cards that he recently lost. Our expert says he need not worry ... (See Lost credit cards) Kim McGrigg: Debt on his late mother's credit card haunts son -- He was only an authorized user on his late mother's card, but a mistake lays his mother's charged-off debt at his feet, hurting his credit score ... (See Authorized user) Kim McGrigg: Why families shouldn't share credit accounts -- An adult daughter who shared a credit card with her mother wonders if she is liable for the $10,000 balance on the account ... (See Family credit cards) Kim McGrigg: Are 'free miles' really free? -- Frequent flier rewards cards usually carry annual fees, so that free flight isn't truly free, but if you handle your card right it can be pretty close ... (See Frequent flier) Kim McGrigg: Good credit no longer wins automatic credit limit increases -- Today, with credit card lenders still skittish, even good payment history may not win an easy credit limit increase ... (See Credit limit increase) | 
