The number of U.S. citizens who have experienced a data breach has increased, according to Pew Research. In fact, 18% of adults have had information stolen via the Internet between 2013 and 2014. Such information could be a Social Security number, credit card or bank account data. In 2013, that number was only 11%. The total… Read More

Your credit report is basically a record of why someone would or would not want to lend you money. If you have good credit, that means you have done a lot of things to make a lender think, “Wow, if I give money to this guy, he’ll definitely pay me back when he’s supposed to.”… Read More

As many people look to buy or sell homes this spring, you may be perfectly happy in your current home. But even if you stay put, you might want to look into whether refinancing makes sense for you. Here are some reasons to refinance. 1. You Want a Lower Interest Rate This is the most… Read More

The other day I picked up my tax returns from the accountant. Between my personal and corporate returns and the documents supporting them, it was at least 75 pages — probably closer to 100. Then I shredded the entire stack. It wasn’t easy. As a CPA of more than 30 years, I’m genetically predisposed to… Read More

Returning to school is a big decision that often comes with a big price tag. Before you start school again, whether you are completing an undergraduate degree or going for graduate work, it’s a good idea to evaluate how you can best prepare to get the most out of it. 1. Consider the Investment For… Read More

Summer is nearly upon us, and you know what that means? It’s vacation time! Well, at least for most of us. In fact, a survey last year by Orbitz revealed that nearly 80% of Americans planned to take a vacation during the summer months. Unfortunately, some destinations are more popular than others and are almost guaranteed to… Read More

If you haven’t had time to catch up on the Heartbleed news, we have some info for you. Credit.com Chairman Adam Levin gave a lot of advice to consumers concerned about the impact of Heartbleed, an Internet security vulnerability that affected about two-thirds of websites. Beyond the big news surrounding Heartbleed, Adam and Credit.com’s Director of… Read More

Approximately 2.7 million consumer credit and debit cards may have been compromised by attacks on the payment systems at Michaels, a giant craft-supply retailer, and Aaron Brothers, its sister company. Michaels informed customers in January of a potential breach, shortly after the revelation that hackers stole the credit and debit card information of millions of… Read More

Bitcoin enthusiasts gathered at a trade show in New York City last week to show off their latest digital currency creations. Heading the discussion: Efforts to make sure bitcoins are accepted and available as broadly as possible. To that end, word leaked that a bitcoin-based debit card may soon make its way to the U.S…. Read More

A reader, Susan, wondered if revised laws mean that bankruptcy no longer wipes out debt, and instead requires that debts be repaid. She wrote: You have to reorganize and pay what you owe, not wipe them out. Am I correct? Just asking. Glad you asked — it can be confusing, because it depends on what… Read More