Should You Combine Credit Accounts with Your Spouse?
There is no rule, law or requirement that you must merge liabilities with your soon-to-be spouse. That means having your name added to credit cards, mortgages, or auto loans is unnecessary and has no upside. However, there is significant downside to doing so. The minute you have your name added to any […]
3 Tax Credits to Take Advantage Of
Bet you cant wait to grab your W-2 and dig into that paperwork! Unless youre a professional accountant, doing your taxes can feel like youre wandering through a massive corn maze. But, that doesnt mean you cant save some money. Read more…
7 Signs You are Living Beyond Your Means
Whether you consider yourself to be financially responsible, or you always seem to come up short on cash, there are a few key indicators that may indicate you are living beyond your means and being aware of them can save you loads of money woes in times of a cash emergency. Clients frequently […]
What Not to Do When Applying for a Mortgage
There’s no secret password when it comes to getting a mortgage. But while most people know what to do to get a mortgage — or get a better rate — fewer people give thought about what not to do. Whether you’re preparing to apply or just got approved, there are perhaps more […]
4 Credit Myths That Could Be Hurting Your Credit Score
Even though the curtain was pulled back on FICO in 2000, allowing us to see how our credit scores are created, there are still lots of myths out there about how we should use credit and things that supposedly help or hurt us in getting the best score that we can. A lot […]
How to Establish Credit
In the right hands, credit cards can be tools for financial power. The catch-22 of credit is that it takes credit history to establish credit. If you’ve never had a credit card or a loan, establishing credit can be difficult. There are still a few successful paths, however, to building a […]
What the Heck is Credit Utilization?
Everyone probably knows what a credit score is, but most have no idea why they have the score they do. Its pretty intuitive that if you dont pay your bills on time or find yourself in bankruptcy, foreclosure, or in other serious default with your creditors, your credit score will plummet. However, […]
How Debts in Collections Can Affect Your Credit
If you have neglected paying your bills, or a creditor’s records mistakenly make it appear that you have, you may have accounts in collections. It is extremely important to know how this affects your credit and what you should do about it, as having an account in collections can be devastating to your […]