From the category archives:

Credit

Do We Spend More Money When We Use Credit Cards?

There are different opinions when it comes to credit cards. Some people, usually those who have gotten over-extended or had a major issue with one or more card companies, have come to see them as debt enablers and therefore as something to be avoided. Others marvel at the convenience and the various rewards programs that […]

15 comments Read the full article →

When the Credit Score Mania Goes Too Far

An article on a well known website (not another blog) caught my attention the other day. I’m not going to disclose the name of the site or provide a link to the article since it is, more than anything else, representative of a mindset in the financial world that I mostly disagree with. The post […]

5 comments Read the full article →

Stop Identity Theft with a Security Freeze

Thumbnail image for Stop Identity Theft with a Security Freeze

While there isn’t one silver bullet to protect yourself from identity theft freezing your credit reports with a security freeze is an excellent and inexpensive way to limit your potential losses. In essence it puts a hold on your credit file so that you can’t add any additional credit lines without unfreezing the account first. […]

4 comments Read the full article →

Stop Obsessing on Your Credit Score!

Thumbnail image for Stop Obsessing on Your Credit Score!

There’s an almost religious fascination with credit scores these days, even and especially on personal finance blogs. What’s your score? How much has it gone up (or down)? What’s your credit utilization rate? (I REALLY love THAT one!) How long have your credit lines been open? Do this or that and raise it higher. There’s […]

23 comments Read the full article →

Why Debt Counseling Services Don’t Work for Most People

Debt Consolidation

It’s hard to watch TV for an hour these days without seeing at least one commercial for a debt consolidation service. The ads are convincing; just one call starts you on your way to debt freedom. “Just call us and we’ll take care of it all.” How comforting that sounds to people drowning in debt! […]

20 comments Read the full article →

What’s a Good Credit Score? Should you Care?

What's a Good Credit Score?

Usually our conversations here are limited to getting away from credit but I want to talk about something you cannot ignore which is your credit score or its official name the FICO score more important we’ll answer the question: What’s a Good Credit Score? FICO is a reference to the company that manages the reporting […]

47 comments Read the full article →