If you have been a victim of identity theft you are the victim of a crime. That’s a criminal matter to be handled by the police. But as a result of the identity theft, you could be left with damaged credit. How bad the damage will be will depend upon how extensively the thief used […]

It’s not at all unusual for people to close out a credit card after paying it off. But in most cases, it’s not the right thing to do. As hard as it is to believe, closing out a credit card can actually hurt your credit situation, much more so than it can help. We’ll start […]

If you have a judgment on your credit report, it will be one of the more difficult entries to change in your favor. In fact, since it is a claim decreed by a court, there’s very little opportunity to have it removed from your credit report at all. What recourse do you have when there […]

Collections on your credit report are hardly uncommon. Often they don’t even come from a regular creditor, but from someone who you’ve done business with in the past. It could be a landlord, a utility company, or a repair company. If you have an unpaid balance with them, or if they even think that you […]

Have you ever wondered why the credit score used by a lender is different from the one that you got from your free credit score provider? The truth is that it’s the most realistic outcome. That’s because lenders use one credit score, while free credit score providers issue one that’s totally different. How can it […]

There are dozens of credit monitoring services available, each offering its own unique level of service. But since credit monitoring companies are trying to operate profitably, they do cut corners. One way to do this is by providing your credit report and credit scores from just one of the three major credit bureaus. This may […]

Few people are as vulnerable to scams as people who have credit problems. After all, bad credit makes it hard to get a loan, an insurance policy, or even certain jobs. It’s only natural to want to do something – anything – that will improve both your credit report and your credit score. But the […]

Credit problems usually start small. Over time, the same problem that you have with one creditor affects your standing with others. By then you’re almost certainly experiencing credit stress, and it is having an effect on virtually all areas of your life. If this sounds familiar, then you need to eliminate credit stress as soon […]