Archive for the ‘Credit Report’ category

How to Read Credit Reports

September 22nd, 2009

Your personal credit report will provide you with the most up to date information on your overall credit history, status and score. The amount of information shown can make things quite confusing if you have never read a credit report before. Although the information presented may vary depending on which bureau you receive your report from, all credit reports have the same basic structure.

So, how do you read a credit report? Here we’ll discuss how to read a credit report and fully understand the information presented.

» Read more: How to Read Credit Reports

5 Steps to a Better Credit Score

September 10th, 2009

credit-cardsYour credit score is one of the most important tools in your personal finance arsenal. Credit scores are often used to determine not only your eligibility for financing but also the interest rate that you will be charged on said financing. A decent increase in your credit score has the potential to save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars in interest payments over your lifetime.

Ironically, this powerful tool is often misunderstood by the consumer. This mostly stems from the fact that the formulas used to calculate your credit score are not completely disclosed by the credit bureaus. Fortunately, you can take matters into your own hands.  After the break, I’ll show you 5 simple things that will get your credit score moving in the right direction.
» Read more: 5 Steps to a Better Credit Score