Featured Articles about Credit by Creditnet.com

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How to Deal with New Annual Fees

You're a responsible credit card user. You live within your means and always pay your balances in full. It's likely you even have several credit cards in your wallet, although the majority of your monthly expenses are charged to the one that helps you bank the most rewards. As for the other cards, you keep them active to help boost your credit score and serve as backup in case of emergency. What's wrong with that? Well, in the past you had little to worry about....Full Article

Featured articles written by Creditnet staff to inform, educate, and empower you in the world of credit

Credit 101

• How to Deal with New Annual Fees
  February 19, 2010
  You're a responsible credit card user. You live within your means and always pay your balances in full. It's likely you even have several credit cards in your...


• ABCs of Credit: What is Credit?
  May 4, 2009
  Nothing down, 24 monthly payments! Low, low 2.9% APR! We may not hear those words as much as we did in the past; however, we still live in world...


• How to Cancel Credit Cards the Right Way
  September 4, 2008
  If your goal is to improve your credit score, closing credit card accounts is not going to help. However, there are various legitimate reasons for closing credit lines. ...


• The Payment Allocation Provision - A Credit Card Company's Best Friend
  August 19, 2008
  It makes logical sense that consumers should have the power to choose how their payments apply to credit card debt. Of course, some must go towards paying interest charges...


• How to Choose and Use a Balance Transfer Credit Card
  July 17, 2008
  Advertisements promoting zero-percent balance transfer offers can look quite appealing when high-interest credit card debt is keeping you up at night. What could be better than transferring your debt...


• Beware of Credit Card Currency Conversion Fees!
  June 2, 2008
  As credit card issuers continue to look for additional ways to boost fee revenue in the midst of the credit crisis, consumers traveling overseas should pay special attention to foreign...

Credit in the News

• Credit CARD Act of 2009: 5 Must-Know Nuggets
  September 30, 2009
  Signed into law by President Obama on May 22nd, the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure (CARD) Act of 2009 marks a significant turning point for America's credit card industry....


• Reduced Credit Card Limits Hurt Consumer Credit Scores
  July 6, 2008
  We spend a great deal of time in the credit industry educating consumers about credit utilization and explaining why it's important to understand the term. As banks and...


• Experian Implements New Credit Scoring Model: Authorized User Accounts Dropped
  June 27, 2008
  The Fair Isaac Corporation announced a major change in 2007 to their credit scoring formula, which ignited quite a bit of controversy and anticipation throughout the industry over...


• The Fed Cracks Down on Credit Card Companies - Too Little Too Late?
  May 19, 2008
  In early May the Fed issued several new proposals designed to protect consumers by restricting various credit card billing practices and requiring more clarity in disclosure of costs. The...

College Credit

• Under 21? 3 Reasons to Get a Credit Card Today
  October 22, 2009
  I got my first credit card when I was a 19-year-old student, but I wasn't new to credit. In fact, I had already established a solid credit...


• Top 5 Ways to Manage Student Loans
  February 25, 2009
  College graduation should be one of the most exciting times in your life. You've worked hard to get your degree and prepare yourself for a successful and fulfilling career....


• Your Credit GPA: 3 Must-Know Credit Concepts for Students
  October 17, 2008
  Isn't it about time you gained some Credit¢ents? Perhaps you've never had to worry about credit before, but now you're off on your own and it seems like you're...


• Five Credit Card Tips for College-Bound Millennials
  August 1, 2008
  It's that time of year again. A summer full of partying, baking in the sun, and maybe even a job (heaven forbid) is coming to a close for hundreds...

Credit Repair & Debt

• How to Pay Off Debt: Determining Your Best Course of Action
  August 19, 2009
  Personal finance experts love to argue about which debt you should pay off first. Browse the Internet for just a few minutes, and you'll find volumes of painfully long...


• Top 5 Ways to Spring Clean Your Credit
  April 9, 2009
  Spring is meant to be a time of renewal and rejuvenation. For many people, this might include cleaning out the old attic or scrubbing the entire house from floor...


• 2009 - The Year to Get Rid of Debt
  January 5, 2009
  Consumers have truly witnessed an ironic turn of events in the credit card world. For decades credit issuers have ferociously competed to be the first card in...


• Don't Become a Foreclosure Statistic
  November 3, 2008
  Home foreclosures rose to the highest level on record in the third quarter of 2008, according to RealtyTrac, a leading online real estate marketplace and publisher of...

Credit Scores & Credit Reports

• 5 Ways to Protect Your Credit Score in 2010
  January 13, 2010
  The financial crisis of 2007-2009 changed the world of consumer credit forever. So what will 2010 bring to the credit industry? To sum it up it one word—reform....


• Credit for Paying the Bills
  September 7, 2009
  I find it hard to believe there are still millions of Americans that don't exist within our nation's credit-scoring system. Since credit has played an integral role in my...


• Why Credit Still Counts
  June 5, 2009
  It's easy to despise the credit issuers. Who else should we blame for the ugly state in which our credit card industry exists today? Should we blame consumers for...


• What Makes Up Your FICO Score?
  January 19, 2009
  Perhaps the most common question about credit is, "What makes up my FICO Score?" That may not surprise you since you're reading this article to answer that very question....


• How to Start Building Credit from Scratch
  November 30, 2008
  It really is a classic Catch-22 - You've got to have credit to get credit. So, if you have no credit history at all, how should you go about...


• Top 10 Things You Can Do Today to Improve Your Credit
  May 26, 2008
  The most difficult part about beginning a new exercise routine is often getting your butt off the couch to go to the gym. Yes, those endless reruns of...

Identity Theft

• How Does Identity Theft Protection Work?
  May 20, 2009
  As identity theft numbers reach record levels, more people are turning to identity protection services to help safeguard their financial reputation. You've heard the commercials on the airways,...


• Identity Thieves Prey on Job Seekers
  March 18, 2009
  Are you out of work and looking for a job? Unfortunately, there may be some people out there who wish to prey on your bad fortune. Identity thieves in particular...


• Freeze Your Credit Reports to Prevent Identity Theft
  February 6, 2009
  While millions of consumers continue to fall victim to identity theft each year, many are starting to fight back with new tools— credit alerts and credit freezes. Sounds effective, right?...


• Credit Card Fraud: How It Happens and What to Do About It
  December 15, 2008
  It may start off practically unnoticeable, with a few charges here and there. Over time, though, your credit card statements begin to reflect purchases in places you're quite sure you've...


• Checking Your Credit Report for Signs of Identity Theft
  November 14, 2008
  Most of us have seen the clever Citibank commercials that portray identity theft victims boasting about illegal purchases with dubbed voices that are clearly not their own....


• What To Do When Someone Steals Your Identity
  October 9, 2008
  Think you're having a bad day? Stuck in traffic, late for work, your kid is flunking math, the kitchen is a mess after dropping an egg? Well, you can relax...


• Beware of High-Tech Identity Theft Tactics
  September 21, 2008
  For the eighth year in a row, identity theft led the way in 2007 as "the number one consumer complaint category". The Federal Trade Commission's list...

Money Management

• Online Holiday Shopping: 5 Tips for Bargain Hunters
  November 23, 2009
  Black Friday ignites a sense of unbridled excitement in many holiday shopaholics. For the rest of us, it's cause for nothing more than another good reason to stay close...


• Online Savings Accounts: Top 3 Questions to Ask When Weighing Your Options
  July 17, 2009
  A soaring personal savings rate among American consumers confirms that the era of conspicuous consumption is out and frugality is in. So, where's the best place to stash your...

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