A few years ago my husband and I paid off our credit cards. Finally. We had dreamed about paying off our credit cards from the day we got married. Unfortunately, we didn’t have a plan at first, so paying off our credit cards remained a dream. Eventually we made a plan to pay off our … Read more 5 Steps to Paying off Credit Cards
After suffering from debt issues, you may want to start rebuilding your credit as soon as possible. However, you are likely to find a combination of cold shoulders and vultures – some put you down, and some want to bleed you dry. Unfortunately, filing too many (rejected) applications can also have a negative impact on … Read more Using Secured Credit Cards to Rebuild Credit after Debt Issues
Thanks to the growing interest in credit, and how it affects finances, a number of consumers are increasingly interested in their scores. Your credit situation can not only impact whether or not you are approved for a loan, but also how much you pay in auto insurance, and even whether or not you can open … Read more How to Get Free Credit Score from Credit Sesame
BeingFrugal.net began as a personal journal to hold me accountable for my commitment to get out of debt. Getting out of debt is a high priority for my family, and I like to write about it frequently; partially because I still need to hold myself accountable, and partially because I want to motivate others who … Read more How to Get Out of Debt
We have all experienced the uncomfortable situation of being offered a store credit card when we’re shopping. Whether you are buying groceries, consumer electronics, or some new home decorations, the clerk at the register will stop and ask if you’d like to get 10% off by signing up for a credit card right that very … Read more 6 Reasons Not to Apply for a Store Credit Card
You are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Your last debts have been paid off a few months back and your bank account is steadily growing for a change. You aren’t stressing daily about affording life in general. It feels good. The tide then begins to turn as you work to … Read more How to Raise Your Credit Score with a Credit Card
While there are many different opinions as to how much debt is too much, the two ratios below are the most widely used measures of how much debt is manageable. These ratios are also known as debt to income ratios (DTI). Many of you are reading this and other personal finance blogs in an attempt … Read more Debt to Income Ratio: How Much Debt is Too Much?
The situation outlined in Why Debt Consolidation Doesn’t Work…Usually is pretty typical, but if you want to do a debt consolidation this doesn’t have to be your reality. You can make it work, but there are a few things you need to put in place to make it happen. Here are a few tips to help … Read more The Right Way to Do a Debt Consolidation
Want to know a secret about debt consolidation loans? They usually don’t work. There’s a lot of money to be made by promoting and arranging these loans, as well as the enormous hope that surrounds them, so you won’t hear too much about how they don’t work. Having worked in the mortgage business for many … Read more Why Debt Consolidation Doesn’t Work…Usually
Your credit report contains a great deal of information about your financial situation. And, while you might think that the information is restricted to your credit information, credit bureaus have quite a bit of other information on you as well, including your address, and sometimes a portion of your work history. On top of that, … Read more Fair Credit Reporting Act: Know Your Rights