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How to Close Credit Cards for Deceased Relatives

When a loved one passes away, the last thing on your mind is their credit card bills. However, in order to protect the deceased's estate from additional charges, fees, or even identity theft, it's important to remember that your loved one's credit cards will remain open and active until you take the following three steps.

Free FICO Scores Coming Soon!

[caption id="attachment_1562" align="alignleft" width="255" caption=" "]Photo by dbking[/caption]

There's a lot of free credit scores floating around the Internet, but as I've written about in previous posts, none of them are actually credit scores that matter. Often advertised by the credit bureaus themselves, these scores may give you a rough estimate of where your true FICO scores stand, but that's about the only purpose they should serve.

If you ever want to know your real FICO credit scores, the ones the vast majority of lenders rely upon when assessing your credit risk, the best option has always been to purchase them directly from myFico.com. And while this is still the case, many consumers will now have a way to get a peek at their FICO scores for FREE.

Don't get too excited though—it's not as great as it sounds. Here's how things have changed.

How to Dispute Errors on Credit Reports

One of the most common questions we receive from readers is "what's the best way to dispute errors on my credit report"? Contrary to popular belief, disputing online through the credit bureaus' websites isn't the best way to get results or document your efforts. It may be the the fastest, but it's certainly not the most effective route to take. If you want to make sure your dispute is not only taken seriously, but also well documented, follow these 3 easy steps the next time inaccurate information pops up on your credit reports:

Minimum Purchase Requirements Stink

[caption id="attachment_1524" align="alignleft" width="300" caption=" "]Photo by Andy Newson[/caption]

Ever stopped by a convenience store to quickly buy a drink with your credit card only to have the cashier point to a tiny sign taped to the wall that says "Sorry—The Minimum Credit Card Purchase is $5"? How inconvenient is that?

I understand all the costs small business owners must endure to accept credit cards, but as a consumer, I think minimum purchase requirements really stink. Credit cards are all about convenience, and businesses that choose to accept them in an effort to conveniently grow their revenues shouldn't be allowed to inconvenience customers by placing restrictions on when they can or can't use credit cards.

Ask Creditnet: Dealing with Closed Credit Card Accounts

 

 

Dear Creditnet: I recently lost my job and won't be able to make next month's credit card payment. So I called the credit card company to discuss my options. Less than a week later, they closed my account without even notifying me. I was told by a customer service agent that it didn't matter whether I closed the account or they did because it affects my credit the same. Is this true? Also, is there a way to get this off my credit report now? Or should I just wait for it to go to collections and then negeotiate a "pay for delete"?

Credit vs. Debit: Protecting Yourself from Fraud

‘Credit or Debit?’ You’re used to hearing this question when checking out at the grocery store, but have you ever stopped to think about what your choice means in terms of your financial security?

Should We Get A Free Credit Score Each Year Too?

We can already get our "free" credit reports through annualcreditreport.com—one from Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax each year. Now, a lot of people think consumers should be entitled to a free credit score too? Not a fake one that lenders wouldn't ever use to asses our risk, but a real credit score that matters. You know, one that lenders will actually consider when determining how much credit to offer, at what rate, and under what terms and conditions.

How Closed Credit Cards Affect Your Credit Score

creditcards Dear Creditnet: I haven't used my credit card in a long time, and I think they may have closed it on me. The expiration date on my card passed a few months ago, and they didn't send me a new one. It had a pretty large credit line. Was my credit score dinged? Answer: You never received a replacement credit card in the mail, but that doesn't necessarily mean your account was closed. The bank may have made an error and failed to send a new card, or perhaps the card was lost in the mail? You need to do some legwork first to determine the true status of your account.

"Damage Points" Chart Better Than Nothing

[caption id="attachment_1056" align="alignleft" width="183" caption=" "]Random NumbersPhoto by Irargerich[/caption] Liz Pulliam Weston, the popular personal-finance columnist, recently released an article on MSN Money entitled "5 ways to kill your credit scores". I actually follow most of Ms. Weston's RSS feeds, but for some reason I skipped over this one during my daily dive through credit-related news. I'm not sure why I skipped it. It must have been the name—it didn't really spark my interest. For whatever reason, I just assumed it was another one of those articles preaching the same old advice about credit scores. You know how they go, right? Pay your bills on time, keep your credit utilization ratio low, and avoid bankruptcy, or else you can kiss your good credit score goodbye.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The panic-stricken days of Thanksgiving 2008 may be nothing more than a distant memory, but the fact is the economy still stinks. Unemployment has surpassed the 10 percent mark, credit markets have continued to tighten, and times are just plain rough for a lot of American families. It can be downright depressing at times.

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