Improving your credit and debt situation in 2015 may not require drastic changes. In fact, simply developing a few good habits can go a long way toward putting you in a better place by this time next year. Here are five of them. 1. Ensure On-Time Payments We all know paying our bills on time... Read More

Earlier in December, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued a report that found 43 million American consumers have medical collections on their credit reports. Then, a report from ProPublica and National Public Radio focused on the collection practices of nonprofit hospitals. It found that some nonprofit hospitals use collection actions that go far beyond just... Read More

What is the most important thing you need to know about credit scores? Is it the fact that your payment history makes up over a third of your score, and one late payment can drop it by 25, 50, 75 points or more? Is it that high balances reported for any of your credit cards can... Read More

Rejection is never fun. You want something, ask for it, wait hopefully and then — bam — someone crushes your hopes. While getting turned down for a credit card isn’t as painful as some other types of rejection, it can leave you wondering what you did wrong and what you need to do to avoid... Read More

Depending on which study or urban myth you believe, the typical American gains two to 10 pounds during the period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. And there is no question that December is the spendiest month of the year. Credit card issuers can document it, and retailers count on it. And January? That’s when we... Read More

It’s no coincidence that with dropping temperatures, you may notice a dropping bank account. Winter is often the most expensive time of year for American consumers. Between higher utility bills and holiday expenses, you can quickly find yourself wondering where all your hard-earned money is going. The last three months of the year are expensive for... Read More