Credit

When it comes to building and maintaining good credit, the best path isn’t always obvious.

A new survey from U.S. News & World Report shows that nearly one-third of Americans surveyed were unclear about exactly what factors have an impact on their credit score. It’s no wonder with a lack of financial literacy courses available to most school-age students in the U.S.

 Missing a credit card payment isn’t the end of the world. If you’ve missed one payment by a few days, you can often get your credit card provider to waive any fees by citing your history as a good customer and reaching out to them directly. But if you’ve missed multiple payments for long periods of time — think a month or two — your credit will take a hit. Here are some ways to rebuild your credit score, should that ever happen.

Are you checking your credit report regularly? If not, you should be. According to data from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, credit report errors are skyrocketing.

Here’s yet another reason to consistently check your credit report: Debt Parking. This is the term used for a new scam in which debt collectors place fake debts on your credit report in the hopes of fooling you to pay up. Read on below on how you can protect yourself and keep your credit safe:

How to build your adult kids’ credit
If your child recently graduated college and is struggling to find a place to live, their credit — or complete lack thereof — could be the reason. Good credit is a key to landing apartments, mortgages, credit cards and loans. So what do you and your adult child do now? Try building their credit by following the steps below.

Is Debt Consolidation Right For You? Here’s How To Find Out:

Having multiple sources of debt can make you feel like you’re being pulled in several different directions at once, and takes a toll on you both financially and emotionally. That’s debt consolidation can help! It’s exactly what it sounds like — rolling multiple debts into one manageable monthly payment. Debt consolidation loans help bystreamlining the payment process with a budget-friendly option, as well as, potentially lowering your interest rate.

Maintaining a good credit score during this pandemic might not be a top priority at the moment. However, try to remember that this crisis will pass, and you should do your best to come out of this as financially solid as possible.

The impacts of the coronavirus are causing many people to experience financial stress. If you’re one of them, consider employing some of the strategies below.

According to Debt.org, more than 189 million Americans have credit cards. On average, each household with a credit card carries $8,398 in credit card debt. It can seem all too easy to continue adding to this debt, but nearly impossible to get rid of it - especially with high interest rates. 

Your credit score rating says a lot about you. It represents the most important impression you’ll make on a potential lender. The better your score, the more creditworthy you appear and the more likely you’ll be approved for a loan or credit card the best terms.