Customer service representatives shouldn’t be too surprised to hear salty language if they are dealing with Ohio residents. Buckeyes were most likely to drop curse words into customer phone calls with a variety of businesses, according to data from the Marchex Institute, and Ohio was also among the least courteous states. The report was released… Read More

Most major U.S. cities battle over who has the better sports team, the best atmosphere, the superior food and so on. When it comes to personal finances, Boston has some bragging rights. Boston metro-area residents possessed the highest average credit score when compared to some the largest metro areas in the country, according to a… Read More

Interest rates for new-car loans were at a record low last quarter, according to Experian Automotive. The rates fell to 4.27%, the lowest rate seen since Experian first started publicly reporting the data in 2008. Not only did interest rates go down in the third quarter, the average credit score of a new-car loan borrower… Read More

When looking at achieving some of your financial goals, there are just some things you must do. The end of the year is a good time to evaluate how you’re doing so far and where you want to head in the future to help you reach your goals. This includes your financial life. If you… Read More

For many homeowners, the thought of refinancing can be less appealing because the clock resets each time you re-mortgage. Essentially, you could be turning back the clock 30 years each time you refinance. In some circumstances, especially if you’re a few years away from paying off the debt in full, a refinance might not make sense. You’re… Read More

Earlier this year, someone used a stolen credit card to pay for a wedding on a yacht in Miami. A recent news report outlined a scenario with similar details: stolen credit cards, wedding, Florida. A Port St. Lucie, Fla., woman was arrested last week on charges of fraud and grand theft for allegedly charging $50,000… Read More

Websites that offer short-term, high-interest loans to consumers continue to draw the attention of regulators, with New York state authorities issuing 16 subpoenas to lead generation websites recently, according to the New York Times. The relatively new practice of offering payday loans online through websites involves a thicket of complicated legal issues. Many states have… Read More

Many people believe that the decision-making process for creditors boils down to just one thing: the credit score. Who can blame them when it seems like your score is the end-all and be-all to getting approved? Here’s the thing, though: Credit scores are really nothing more than a naturally occurring byproduct of the financial lives… Read More

There are no shortcuts to excellent credit and the access it provides to useful financial services. But that didn’t stop a Canadian man who allegedly used 17 fake or stolen identities to apply for loans and credit cards in Toronto. Zeeshan Baz now faces charges of fraud, forgery and possession of property obtained by crime,… Read More

If you are among the 40% of baby boomers AARP says plan to work until they die, and if you plan to start or buy a business instead of working for someone else, your venture will likely involve some sort of financing. Unless you plan to fund this enterprise solely with savings—not recommended unless you… Read More