Women may earn less than men but they are better managers of credit. According to a new report from Experian, women earn 23 percent less than men, but men have 4.3 percent more debt than women. Women also have a slightly … Continue reading
Running a search for "how to check my credit score for free" may lead you to a lot of websites that are actually just companies trying to sell their services. There are ways to check your credit score for free, … Continue reading
Credit reporting agencies TransUnion and Equifax have confirmed that hackers have gained unauthorized access to users' personal information, including some of the leading political and entertainment figures in America. The hackers obtained the Social Security numbers, credit scores and birthdates … Continue reading
The VantageScore credit scoring model has undergone some improvements, giving lenders a reported 25 percent improvement on the ability to make predictions on consumers. The new VantageScore 3.0 model also has the ability to formulate a score for the estimated … Continue reading
Since credit reports contain sensitive personal information, access to them is limited. The three main credit report bureaus--TransUnion, Equifax and Experian--can only provide your credit reports to people you seek to do business with. But the number of different people … Continue reading
Did you make a New Year's Resolution to get your financial house in order in 2013? A good place to start is by doing a personal checkup of your credit. And there are free options out there. Don't fall for … Continue reading
Having good credit is extremely important for any loan you may obtain, whether it be a short-term one like a credit card, or a long-term loan like those for a home or car. As we start a new year, it … Continue reading
The default rate on bank credit cards dropped to its lowest level of the post-recession era in December. According to the S&P/Experian Consumer Credit Default Indices, the default rate on bank credit cards declined to 3.53 percent, down from 3.58 percent … Continue reading
Today, the Senate Banking Committee will hold a hearing to investigate the accuracy and regulation of credit reports. The hearing is called "Making Sense of Consumer Credit Reports" and credit analysts from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and consumer data … Continue reading
A study released today by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau shows that credit reports are dominated by a consumer's credit card history. The report also showed that debt collection items generate the highest rate of disputes. The CFPB analyzed 2011 information … Continue reading
Credit reporting agencies know much more about you than your number of credit cards or how much you owe on your mortgage. You may be surprised at the personal information collected by credit agencies and how many agencies are tracking … Continue reading
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau continues to bring transparency and accountability to consumer reporting agencies. Today, the CFPB warned specialty credit reporting agencies that they may be violating federal law by not providing consumers with easy access to credit reports. … Continue reading
If you are close to bankruptcy, your lenders probably already know about it. Credit reporting agencies have their own formulas that predict the likelihood of bankruptcy. The general public never sees these bankruptcy scores, but they are sold to lenders, … Continue reading
They may be three simple digits but your credit score is the probably most important number in determining your financial future. Your credit score is both a representation of your payment history and a prediction of your ability to make … Continue reading
The credit score you purchase from a credit reporting agency may be very different from the score your lender sees. Lender's scoring models place nearly one in five consumers in different credit categories, according to a new report by the Consumer … Continue reading
The August 2012 S&P/Experian Consumer Credit Default Indices showed that default rates continue to decline for most loans, including the national composite, which has now declined for eight consecutive months. Most of the loan types posted their lowest rate since the … Continue reading
Economic growth and job growth are in a painfully slow recovery, but a new study shows that consumers are taking slightly better care of their finances. Experian's third annual State of Credit Report shows the average VantageScore across the nation increased from … Continue reading
Card Swipes in Church Make Giving Easier It hasn't always been easy for administrators and lay leaders to get people to donate regularly and increase their contributions each year, no matter their faith. Over the last decade or so, entrepreneurs have seized … Continue reading
When a spouse dies, the surviving mate may be burdened with more than just grief and loneliness. Credit card debt may also haunt the partner that is left behind. The responsibility for the credit card debt of a deceased spouse … Continue reading
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau may soon make another move that could help consumers: bringing transparency and public accountability to credit reporting agencies. Beginning September 30th, the CFPB will monitor over 30 of the country's biggest credit bureaus and investigate … Continue reading