Seeing your credit score drop even five points can really spook you since it’s not always clear why your score decreased. There are several factors that can influence your credit score. But first, it’s important to understand how your credit...
Becoming an authorized user can help you build credit and make life easier for a family. An authorized user is allowed to use someone else’s credit card—usually, a family member’s like a spouse or parent. You can get a separate...
Earning cash just from buying what you need seems too good to be true, but it’s easy with the evolution of credit cards. Cash back cards originated in the 1920s when individual firms began issuing company-specific cards to customers for...
The world of credit can be intimidating and confusing when you’re first starting out. If you’re just starting to build credit, you may be wondering what the scores mean, how they’re calculated, and what’s good and what’s bad. Do we...
Credit limit increases don’t hurt your credit score. In fact, they could even help your credit score. Using your credit card isn’t bad for your credit score if you’ve got a larger line of credit, make on-time payments, and keep...
It may feel like everywhere you turn, is another opportunity for your credit to get dinged. Between loans, credit cards, and bills, it can feel overwhelming to try and rebuild credit once it’s already suffered some setbacks. However, that doesn’t...
If you’ve never had a credit card before or have already received that dreaded credit card rejection — don’t worry. There’s still a way for you to build credit. A secured credit card allows you to build a positive credit,...
When you finally pay off a credit card it feels like an easy next step to celebrate your zero balance by closing your account and forgetting about it once and for all. But before you do so, it’s important to...
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I received the following question from a Minter via the Mint.com Facebook page: Question: “John, I just got all of my credit reports for free and there are some items that are old, accurate, and just downright bad. I’d love...
Seeing your credit score drop even five points can really spook you since it’s not always clear why your score decreased. There are several factors that can influence your credit score. But first, it’s important to understand how your credit... 
