About 80% of consumers still aren’t checking their credit reports. According to a report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau only about 44 million of 200 million consumers checked their credit report in 2010 and… Only One in Five People Checks Their Credit Reports
It’s quite common to hear about collection agencies scheming against consumers. Numerous collection agencies have been reprimanded, fined, or shut down by Federal agencies for collecting nonexistent debts from consumers, for charging consumers more than… Collection Agency Charged in $10 Million Scheme
Anyone who’s ever had an application turned down due to bad credit knows the importance of having a good credit score. Unfortunately, turning a bad credit score into a good one can take several years,… Credit Repair Enrollment Fees Are Illegal
Of all the financial-related things consumers are concerned about – making ends meet, saving for retirement, putting money away for kids’ college – the biggest worry is credit card debt, according to a survey from… FICO: Credit Card Debt is Consumers’ Biggest Financial Worry
If you’ve checked your credit reports – hopefully you have – then you know that a variety of accounts are reported to the credit bureaus each month. Credit reports include credit cards, mortgage (if you… Which Accounts Most Affect Your Credit Score?
One of the main reasons for taking a balance transfer is to make it easier to pay off a high interest rate credit card balance. By transferring your high interest rate balance to a credit… Can You Afford a Balance Transfer?
The Federal Trade Commission says it receives more than 200,000 complaints about telemarketing robocalls each month. Many of the complaints are from “Rachel from Cardholder Services” as part of a credit card rate reduction scam.… FTC Shuts Down "Cardholder Services" Calls
Just a few years ago, banks were actually paying customers to sign up for new checking accounts. They were paying existing customers for referring friends and relatives. Meanwhile, existing bank customers enjoyed checking accounts and… Are Monthly Checking Account Fees Really So Bad?
Credit cards come with several different APRs: one for purchases, sometimes another for balance transfers, and a higher APR for cash advances. The highest APR of all is the default or penalty rate. The default… Dodging the Default Rate
The number of adults living in shared housing and the number receiving food stamps increased since before the beginning of the recession through 2011, but the there was little change in the number receiving public… Shared Housing and Food Stamps Rose in 2011