Joshua Heckathorn

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Joshua Heckathorn

Joshua Heckathorn is a credit expert and has been featured on CNNMoney, FOX Business, Yahoo Finance, The Street, and many other national publications during the past twenty years.  He received a Bachelor of Science in Management (Finance) from Brigham Young University's Marriott School of Business and earned his MBA from Seattle University.

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Recent Blogs

Citi Simplicity Credit Card Review

Citibank finally "got the memo"—credit card users hate fees! In response, they've given us the Citi Simplicity Card, which is definitely the best credit card on the market right now for those that have a severe aversion to fees, want a 0% interest credit card, and like to keep their finances simple. Here are my top 4 things to love about the new Citi Simplicity Card:

IRS Offers New Penalty Relief for Unemployed & Self-Employed

Uncle Sam is usually a pretty unforgiving guy, but if you were unemployed in 2011 he might be willing to cut you some slack on your taxes this year. While Uncle Sam will of course want the full amount of taxes you owe at some point in time, you may be eligible to receive extra time to pay your 2011 tax bill without incurring additional failure-to-pay penalties (.5% to 1% of your unpaid taxes for each month up to 25 percent of your unpaid taxes). That could save you as much as $500 per month!

American Express Prepaid Debit Card Now Allows Direct Deposit

The American Express Prepaid Card hit the market in 2011 and garnered a great deal of attention since it had a very low fee structure compared to competing prepaid debit cards. Unfortunately, the card offer was quickly criticized by a lot of consumers as well because it lacked a key component— the ability to direct deposit paychecks onto the card. For consumers without bank accounts who might have been interested in the American Express Prepaid Card because of its low fee structure, the inability to set up direct deposit from their employers was often a total deal killer. Amex's $200 limit on ATM cash withdrawals wan't that appealing to potential cardholders either.

Ask Creditnet: Pay Off Credit Cards vs. Installment Loan

Dear Creditnet: Will it be better for my credit scores if I pay down my credit card debt (I have about $8000 in balances) or pay off an installment loan of $10,000? I am looking to buy a home in the next year and I need to improve my credit score about 50 points. - Pete from GA

To Sign or Not to Sign? Does the "See ID" Practice Really Work?

ID There's a lot of confusion among consumers about whether writing ‘See ID” on the back of a credit card is a smart move. I can certainly understand why, since there's a great deal of conflicting information available on the web. While it’s tough to prove this practice will actually prevent identity theft, I personally find it hard to believe it hurts. However, as far as Visa and Mastercard are concerned, a credit card is technically not valid unless it's signed. Merchants are even instructed to not accept credit cards without signatures.

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