Speaking of Credit

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Stories & Articles

Forget the 30 percent credit utilization ‘rule’ – it’s a myth
Should I close my credit card to get my score mortgage-ready?
Should I pay off or close my credit card to get a better mortgage?
Credit scoring effect of opening vs. closing credit cards
How do I remove old negative items from my credit reports?
Will closing card with a remaining balance hurt my credit?
Raising score for mortgage purposes? Don’t open new cards!
Credit score impact of ignoring card debt while living on Social Security income
Can immigrants transition from ITIN to SSN without hurting their credit score?
Paying off in full vs. settling maxed-out card debt
Individual vs. combined utilization: Which one has greater effect on score?
Too many new cards hurt my score. Should I cancel them?
Unpaid cable termination fees can seriously hurt your credit
Can decades of excellent credit disappear from my report?
Can adding authorized user to charge card help them build credit?
Should I avoid applying for a card that pulls all three bureaus?
Why can’t I reach a perfect credit score of 850 points?
When paying off multiple credit card balances backfires
How a balance transfer can negatively impact your credit score
How will removing authorized user affect their credit score?
Can parking tickets still be reported to credit bureaus?
Q&A: What to do after defaulting on a credit card
Pay for delete: When it helps credit score, and when it doesn’t
Is bankruptcy discharge a credit scoring factor?
How multiple apartment rental credit checks affect your score
How to cancel a gym contract without hurting your credit
Adding paid-off credit account to my report; is it worth it?
Q&A: Why is there a difference between my credit scores?
‘High balance:’ What it is, how it impacts credit score
How a balance transfer to 0 percent card affects score
I’m an authorized user on high-balance cards; what to do?
Q&A: How cardholder behavior can impact your credit
What open date is reported to bureaus on authorized user’s card?
Q&A: How to achieve a good credit score as a first-time cardholder
Q&A: How to handle old debt soon to be sent to collections
Q&A: How credit utilization is calculated in a married couple’s scores
Q&A: Sudden spike in credit utilization can cause major score drop
Q&A: Should I contest credit card wrongly reported as closed by me?
Q&A: How to combine existing card balances without hurting score
Q&A: Library fines, parking tickets no longer trash your credit
Q&A: Can post-bankruptcy deed in lieu be reported to credit bureaus?
How does credit card activity affect my score?
Best strategy to raise my credit score beyond 750?
Q&A: Why a recent graduate should get a second credit card
Q&A: Missing a card payment to build credit is terrible advice
Q&A: Closing maxed-out card won’t lower credit utilization
Q&A: Does being an authorized user on too many cards hurt my score?
Wrongly reported old delinquencies can keep credit score low
Approved for a too-low-limit card; better off closing it?
6 questions to ask when adding an authorized user to your card
How will closing secured card, opening unsecured card affect credit?
Loan can boost score faster than balance transfer deal
Is credit card paid off 10 years ago lowering my score?
Will removal of civil judgments boost my credit score?
How and when to pay new cards to boost credit score
Should I pay old card balance on a 1099-C I just received?
Deed in lieu: How it lowers your credit score, and what to do about it
Q&A: With multiple credit checks, timing is key
A two-step plan for building young credit
Tips for getting a big score boost when paying maxed-out cards
How lowering your card limit hurts your credit score
Canceling new card won’t restore credit score
Credit pulls hurt score, but only once
Your 6-months-with-no-payment credit score comeback plan
7 steps: Clean up your credit by spring
Late payments’ recency, frequency, severity dictate score damage
How credit scores attempt to predict the future
Small credit line? Pay early to boost your score
Mixed credit files: How to avoid, fix them
Withholding payment after dispute goes against you
How to restore your good credit score to great
Autopayments, though convenient, can backfire
Yes, worry about a 30-point discrepancy in your credit scores
Small balance shows you use credit, helping your score
Don’t close your credit card accounts to win a mortgage
Being added as authorized user can boost credit age, score
Credit bureau policies vary when freezing a child’s credit
Removing yourself as an authorized user
How becoming a widow affects credit
How delinquent child support affects credit scores
Hard inquiry warning not required
5 credit scoring head-scratchers
Authorized user doesn’t like the piggyback ride
How a Canadian can restart credit in the U.S.
Who sees credit report 100-word statements
Just 10 credit score points shy of a mortgage
Good payment habits will raise score after balance transfers
Some states offer exceptions to credit reporting rules
Card account isn’t closed if annual fee still charged
Positive information is not always reported to all three credit bureaus
Lenders may remember old charge-off forever
Wrong address in credit report won’t hurt score
High installment loan utilization hurts your credit score
Promotional inquiries’ impact on your credit score
Credit utilization rules for managing your credit score
Allocating card payments on a limited budget
Automated credit score advice may not fit
Don’t be hasty in closing unused account with $0 balance
Check credit score before applying for balance transfer
Credit score differences: How they occur, why they matter