Credit laws and consumer protections are complicated. You don’t need to know every detail about these laws but you should definitely be familiar with your rights so know how to properly respond to issues that arise. The Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA)The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)The Fair Debt Collection…

When applying for a mortgage, debt-to-income ratio (DTI) is one of the factors, along with credit score and income, that lenders use to determine your mortgage eligibility. If you’re hoping to qualify for a mortgage or a refinance, you’ll need to know about your debt-to-income ratio and how to improve…

We live in a credit-driven world, so if you have a low or no credit score, you might be getting through life without having a credit card. That can be challenging since you always need cash readily available to buy what you need.  It’s the catch-22 of credit. If you…

The Answers To All Your Important Questions. Credit is the ability to borrow money or access goods or services with the understanding that you'll pay later. Lenders, merchants and service providers (known collectively as creditors) grant credit based on their confidence you can be trusted to pay back what you…

One of the most important things you can do to protect your credit – especially now – is to check your report regularly. Equifax, Experian and TransUnion are making every consumer’s personal credit report available for FREE on a weekly basis through April 2021. To get a free copy of…

Most people who have entered into the world of credit have heard of Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. These three credit reporting agencies—also called credit bureaus and consumer reporting agencies—play a big role in our ability to get mortgages, car loans, credit cards, and sometimes even renting an apartment or getting…

Did you know that there is more than one scoring model to calculate your credit score? The two main scoring models to calculate your credit score are FICO and VantageScore and lenders may look at one, or both of them when making decisions to issue credit or approve you for…

Your credit score determines if you can be approved for a loan, can get a good deal on a cell phone plan, can have utilities in your name, and can be approved for a credit card. But, what if you’re like one of the 45 million of Americans who have…

What Credit Score Do You Need To Get Approved For A Mortgage? For many people, home ownership is part of the American dream – you work hard and save up to buy your dream home. And to make that dream a reality, most likely, you’ll need a home mortgage. When…

You’re in college to earn a degree to get that dream job. And like millions of Americans, you probably had to get a student loan to help pay for tuition, books, and living expenses. That means when you graduate, you’ll have student debt. Unfortunately, student debt has long-term effects on…