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

Ask Creditnet: Will Paying a Cell Phone Bill Improve Credit Scores?

June 14th, 2016 by Joshua Heckathorn

Dear Creditnet: I just got a new cell phone and the salesperson mentioned that paying my bill on time each month will help improve my credit. Is this true? If so, will the new cell phone bill have the same type of positive effect on my credit scores as my student credit cards and student loans? - Sandra L. from CA

Ask Creditnet: Help! My Corporate Credit Card is in Collections

June 9th, 2016 by Joshua Heckathorn

Dear Creditnet: I'm currently receiving collection notices from American Express for an unpaid balance on an old corporate credit card. I left the company where I had this card in late 2011. I have combed through all my Amex bills, corporate expense reports and reimbursements, but I've been unable to find any unpaid charges on the card. In addition, because the card was in my name and I incurred all the charges, my former employer takes no responsibility for the unpaid balance even though the charges were made solely for work purposes. Will this affect my personal credit? What should I do now?

Disputing Errors On Credit Reports: How to Think Outside the Box

June 2nd, 2016 by Joshua Heckathorn
According to a report released by the Federal Trade Commission in 2013, 21 percent of American consumers have errors on their credit reports. And since the major credit reporting bureaus track the credit histories of roughly 200 million Americans, that means we can estimate some 42 million of us have errors on our credit reports. That’s a lot of errors!

Upromise by Sallie Mae World MasterCard Review

May 2nd, 2016 by Joshua Heckathorn
When Sallie Mae was first established in 1973 as the Student Loan Marketing Association, it was a government-sponsored enterprise that serviced federal student loans. However, during Bill Clinton’s administration back in 1994, it was determined that Sallie Mae should be restructured into a private company.

Ask Creditnet: Should I Ever Use a Credit Card Cash Advance?

April 22nd, 2016 by Joshua Heckathorn

Dear Creditnet: I've been tempted to use the cash advance option on my credit card more than once, but have always found the necessary cash to scrape by when it came down to it.

Can you explain how cash advances work, and should I ever apply for one if my cash situation gets especially tight? Thanks in advance. - Chris from Austin, TX

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