Credit 101

When you’re reconnecting with your credit after some time apart, there may be information that’s been reported in the meantime that you want to address. But how do you go about correcting information you have a right to confirm looks as it should? Discover how you can follow up with account information you don’t recognize or personal identification data that isn’t right. What comes next depends on just what you’re seeing.

Ever wonder how different your life might be if you had all the confidence in the world in your finances? Comparing your credit score to ranges of others can offer you that kind of information, and certain scores can offer even more knowledge. FICO® Scores are just some of those types of scores. Popular with lenders, when you consult your FICO Score, there’s a strong likelihood that your next lender is seeing your information the same way. Interested to learn more? Listen in and discover the value of knowing your FICO Score, and working to enhance your credit confidence.  

It's one of the worst and most pervasive myths about credit: that checking your own credit damages your credit scores. While it's often true that the best lies are rooted in truth, there's simply none to the idea that looking in on your own credit harms it. How would you ever be able to track your progress to meet credit goals, or be knowledgeable before making a major purchase where you'll need to be informed about your credit, like a new vehicle or next home purchase? It's almost laughable, but unfortunately it's a common misconception that many people believe to be true. Learn the real facts and set your sights on credit goals you can track.

For some, tax time means going back to a shoebox of loose receipts they’ve tossed in as the months flew by. Now that it’s time to revisit those expenses, make sure you’re including everything that qualifies for you – and that you’re evaluating how to get better set up for next year. Don’t fear the shoebox – make it work for you!

Preparing to embark on a new job search means you'll polish up all the ways that businesses evaluate their new candidates. But you probably aren't considering your credit information as one of those things that new employers can see. While they can't access it without your knowledge and permission, your credit information gives potential employers a peek into how you've been keeping up with your financial responsibilities over time. They may be interested in looking that over before they give you the keys to their kingdom, especially in industries like finance, or at levels that are senior executive or above where you may have profit and loss sheet responsibility. It's not often the first step in their review process, but confirm that your credit information appears as you think it should early on, so it doesn't become a last-minute surprise that ends up costing you a great opportunity later.

It’s one of the most common misconceptions about credit that persist today: many people think they have just one credit score. However, it’s simply not the case. The reality is that there are hundreds of different credit scoring models that can process the information in your credit report that a credit score can consider in its calculation. If that’s surprising to you, it may be time to give a listen and grow your knowledge about credit scores a bit. Knowing more about the different types of credit scores available to you and your prospective lenders can help you identify which will be important to keep track of as you work towards your next financial goal.

When your credit scores are good, you're on the right track with your credit behaviors. When they're excellent, it tells lenders that credit isn't just something you know about, it's a personal priority and a goal you've worked to realize. When your scores are next-door to excellent, you might wonder what it really is that can separate them from that upper tier. For nearly all of us, there are factors that are either helping or hurting our credit scores. Discover a few ways that may help you neutralize some of the score factors that could be holding you back from reaching that next level. When it's your credit goal to reach the excellent level, you've got to have a road map to success. See the changes that can help you chart yours.

Ever wondered if it’s possible to entirely prevent credit card fraud? Confirm you’re doing all you can to keep your card information secure and private especially when you’re on the move. Remember: fraudsters can do just as much damage with your card information as with the card itself, so lock those numbers down!

If you’re not sure where you’re going, how do you get there? Your credit works the same way. Once you know what a good FICO Score is considered to be, you can see where your Score lands, and figure out where you want it to be if it’s not quite there. Learn how far it is to get your Score from good to great – and more!

The beginning of the year is a great time for choosing to get serious about your credit. With a chance to reset after the frenzy of holiday shopping and before tax prep requires your time, make sure that you’re starting simple as you work to learn more about what makes your credit tick, and how it can impact your finances overall.

They say that when it comes to education, there’s no such thing as wasted money. But with the increasing costs of higher education, how can you maximize your payment options when everything feels like a stretch to your budget? College dreams don’t come cheap, but there are ways that having good credit can help you maximize the funds that can power your next academic chapter.

Learning that you’ve become one of identity theft’s latest victims is a real downer. It means that your personal identity information wasn’t always as secure as you’d been assured, and that’s alarming news. If this is the first time you’ve dealt with a discovery of identity theft, it’s common to feel rotten and upset. But as those feelings cool, what action do you take to stitch things back up? Listen in to learn some essential steps to include in your plan for response. Make sure you close loops to get things back to normal and minimize the chance for serious harm.

When you’re reconnecting with your credit after some time apart, there may be information that’s been reported in the meantime that you want to address. But how do you go about correcting information you have a right to confirm looks as it should? Discover how you can follow up with account information you don’t recognize or personal identification data that isn’t right. What comes next depends on just what you’re seeing.

The first thought many people have about an identity theft risk is not a thought, but a question. Instead of a flashing siren, it’s a quiet red flag that raises an eyebrow or gives them pause. If that’s what you’ve noticed as you look over your information, you might wonder if that’s enough information for you to take action on. The answer? It absolutely is. Learn how you can get the ball rolling and start to notify authorities of your concern even if you’re not 100% sure yet.

Big purchases are an inevitable part of life – and at least some of the time, you know when they're coming. If there's a chance that this year you might become a homeowner for the first time, or buy a new car, know that now – and in the months leading up to your big buy – is the time you'll want your best credit behaviors to be on display. Learn why they're extra important now, and how they can help you score before you sign on the dotted line.

Asking if overspending your credit limit can harm your credit seems a little like asking if the sky is blue. When you go beyond what’s been extended to you, there’s bound to be consequences – and those are often reflected in your credit scores. Learn what can make a bad situation worse, and also how you can plan to turn things around if you’re already overextended things.

A credit score is a unique thing: and one that has a unique formula to evaluate your information. Your FICO® Score powered by Experian data considers a specific set of five factors when it looks at information in your Experian credit report. When you know the items that go into the scoring calculation, you can start to see how your credit behaviors are reflected back in your Score. And when you know that, you’ll know how your actions – whether great or not – are impacting your credit scores.

There are more than a few reasons why you might have added a security freeze to your credit report. Similarly, there are also more than a few reasons why you might need to remove it. Fortunately, you have options – whether you need to lift access temporarily, or you’re ready to end the freeze altogether. Learn how to make the right choice for your needs, and still keep fraudsters away from your credit information.

It’s one of the most effective ways to actively hurt your credit. Missing payments on a loan or credit account isn’t an action that has no consequences. When you miss a payment, you’re showing creditors that you’re not always sterling on keeping your word that you’ll pay on time, every month. Learn more about how damaging missing payments can be to your credit scores.

When you’ve recently become the victim of identity theft, It’s natural to be concerned about how secured your credit information is while you’re continuing to use it. An initial fraud alert may help. When added to your credit information, it prompts your creditors to confirm your identity when someone’s trying to use your name and account. Learn more about how long these alerts can last, and how they help keep your information in only your hands.