Cosigning a loan can be a loving gesture, especially since it is usually done for a family member. But if you do choose to do this, keep in mind how dangerous this is. The reality is cosigning a loan can destroy your credit. Most people don’t think about that at the time that they cosign […]
Debt and credit are strongly related. There is a very high correlation between people that are troubled with debt to also have a low credit score and other credit related challenges.
Why It’s So Hard to Eliminate Credit Card Debt
There are all kinds of strategies when it comes to eliminating credit card debt – entire books have even been written on the subject. But anyone who has tried to do it knows it’s much easier said than done. After all, that’s why so many people struggle with huge amounts of credit card debt. The […]
Creating a Debt Payment Priority When You Have Credit Problems
If you have too much debt, and are already experiencing credit problems, you will need to create a debt payment priority. That will help you determine which of several credit obligations needs to be paid first, and which you may be forced to delay if you don’t have the money to pay. And just as […]
Your Debt-to-Income Ratio and Its Effect on Your Credit
Debt-to-income ratio – commonly known as “DTI” in the lending universe – is a major lending criteria any time you apply for a loan. And even if you are not applying for a loan, it is an important measure of how well you are doing in managing your credit, and whether or not you’ve taken […]
Serial Debt Consolidation: The Road to Financial Ruin
People often try to deal with mounting debt and credit problems by doing a debt consolidation. In theory, it’s a sound idea. But in reality, one debt consolidation leads to another, and then to another. It’s called serial debt consolidation, and it’s more often the road to financial ruin then to credit salvation. How does […]
7 Ways to Negotiate With Creditors
Negotiating with creditors with whom you still enjoy a good standing is an important skill – and very different from negotiating with debt collectors. The idea is to avoid your credit problems reaching the point where debt collectors and credit repair are even part of your life. So how can you negotiate with creditors in […]
5 Ways to Reduce Your Debt and Improve Your Credit Score
Here are five tips and tricks that many people overlook when they try to improve their credit score. It may be difficult to do the heavy lifting – but you may not have to. These are relatively easy and painless and could give your score a significant boost.
7 Ways to Deal With Large Medical Bills
Large medical bills are a different kind of debt. This is partially because they don’t come from traditional lenders, and because you can be swapped with a very large amount of debt in a short period of time. In addition, the storm can come without warning – one day you don’t owe anyone a dime, […]
Debt Negotiation, Debt Settlement or Bankruptcy – Which is Best to Fix Your Credit?
So many people wrestle with debt and credit problems, even years after the Great Recession. Maybe you’re one of them. If so, there are several different ways to try to fix your credit and get out of debt. In fact, there might be a dozen or more ways to do this. Still, most people focus […]
Can Debt Settlement Fix Your Debt and Credit Problems?
Debt settlement is one of several things that may help you fix your debt problems. It may not work in all cases, and it could very easily make your credit problems much worse. But if you want to avoid bankruptcy, it’s a strategy that is certainly worth consideration. What is Debt Settlement? Debt settlement is […]