Scientists Say a Flashy Credit Card Says THIS about You
A team of economists published a study after they examined how different credit cards affect the cardholder’s self-esteem.
How Your Unpaid Electric Bill Can Come Back to Haunt You
More than one in four accounts held by Credit Sesame members are currently in collections or charged off. The bills that don’t normally show up on your credit report can cause the most damage to your score.
How to Use Credit Sesame to Save on a Refinance Loan While There’s Still Time
Mortgage rates have been near historic lows for the past few years but recent Federal Reserve rate hikes have them inching back up. As of mid-April, the average 30-year mortgage rate was 4.08 percent, according to Freddie Mac. That’s up a half a percentage point from a year ago, when 30-year home loans were going […]
4 Ways Travel Credit Cards Can Save You Money
Besides offering points or miles, many travel credit cards help you save money other ways. Your card might offer benefits which can help cover transportation costs to the airport, checked bag fees, onboard expenses, or offer upgrades for your hotel stays. Travel credit cards can potentially save you hundreds every year.
How Much Does Credit Card Churning Really Affect Your Credit?
While the notion of racking up points to redeem for travel perks or a trip to say, Morocco or Thailand has obvious appeal, one should heed a bit of caution before jumping on the bandwagon. For starters, credit card issuers frown on it and may levy heavy consequences. Also, only those with really great credit can pull it off. The risks involved in credit card churning mean it’s an activity that is best suited to members of the credit elite.
What Did Dumping Debt Do To My Credit Score?
I’m all about goal-setting. In school, I earned good grades—not straight As, mind you, but a healthy mix of As and Bs. In my work as a writer, I keep tabs on how my stories perform compared to those of my peers for the sheer joy of a little friendly competition. So when it came […]
How to Get 100,000 Credit Card Points with a New Mortgage
The wildly popular 100,000-point credit card sign-up bonus that Chase offered in 2016 and later scaled back by half is back, but with a catch — a big one. To get this massive windfall of points, you have to finance a home mortgage through Chase Mortgage.
Battle of the Sexes: Why Women Have More Debt than Men
Here’s a scary fact: student loan debt is a $1.3 trillion crisis in the U.S., and it’s the second-highest debt category among consumers, only behind mortgage debt. Student loan debt is higher than credit cards and car loans put together. We wondered what student debt looks like by gender and by age. We analyzed anonymous […]
Best Gift for Mom and Dad: Show that You’ve Learned to Protect Your Finances and Credit
With Mother’s Day and Father’s Day on the horizon, you might have plans to treat mom to a decadent brunch or dad to some high-end golf clubs. If you can’t afford it, don’t. “Mother’s Day” and Father’s Day” gifts are given to mothers, spouses, children, siblings, grandparents and friends. Spending on Mother’s Day shot up […]
Why 2017 Could Be Your Last Chance to Get a Low Rate on Your Mortgage
Are you in the market for a home? Your timing is good because you can still lock in a low rate on a mortgage. But this opportunity will not last forever. The U.S. is coming out of an historically low interest rate period, and the Federal Reserve has already begun increasing rates. To help you […]
What Will the Credit Card of the Future be Like?
If you’re comfortable using your fingerprint to pay for something with your phone, get ready for the next place where businesses want you to put your fingerprint — your credit card.
Are You One of 12 Million Consumers Whose Credit Scores will Jump on July 1st?
Millions of consumers should be a lot happier with their credit scores this summer when the three credit reporting agencies start removing certain tax liens and civil judgments from credit reports — whether they are accurate or not. Some negative data will be removed from credit reports Liens and judgments that have incomplete identifying information […]
4 Potentially Painful Reasons You Should Monitor Your Credit
What You Don’t Know Could Hurt You You’re a champ at making your credit card payments on time. But checking your credit on the regular? That’s an entirely different story. It far too easy to forget to monitor your credit, but it could be dangerous to do so. You don’t want something damaging to sneak […]
10 Ways to Get Ahead of Your Bills by a Month
Wouldn’t it be nice to have some money in the bank? An emergency fund relieves stress by allowing you to handle life’s curve balls as they happen. A small savings account feels great and is the perfect motivator to grow your savings even more. Unfortunately, millions of Americans don’t have enough stashed away to get […]
Guide: How to Start a Budget When You’re In Debt
What do you think when I say the word “budget”? Do you roll your eyes? Cringe? I want to help you see your budget in a new light. A budget is freedom. It’s the path to getting what’s most important to you. Most of us wouldn’t consciously trade in a home or the opportunity to […]
