Thursday’s need-to-know money news

Zemanta Related Posts ThumbnailToday’s top story: Why applying for a credit card can hurt your credit score. Also in the news: Things on your credit report that might scare off lenders, why couples don’t talk enough about retirement planning, and when is the right time to consider annuities.

Here’s Why Applying for a Credit Card Hurts Your Credit Score
You may want to think twice before applying.

5 Things on Your Credit Report That Might Scare a Lender
Things to watch out for.

Study: Couples Don’t Talk Enough About Retirement Plans
Huge mistake.

When to Consider Annuities If You Want to Safeguard Your Retirement
Making the right decision.

Thursday’s need-to-know money news

fraud, scam, theftToday’s top story: Habits that can help build your credit. Also in the news: Protecting your data from cyber crooks, the important steps of financial planning, and who’s digging through your credit report?

3 Smart Habits That Can Help Build Your Credit
Habits you should pick up.

Protect Your Data From Cyber Crooks
Tips on keeping your data safe.

The 7 Most Important Steps of Financial Planning
One at a time.

Who Can See My Credit Score or Credit Report?
Who’s digging through your stuff?

Most Americans Can’t Pass This Basic Social Security Quiz
Can you?

Thursday’s need-to-know money news

401K Nest EggToday’s top story: Auditing your 401(k) plan. Also in the news: When you should buy both whole and term life insurance, the tax documents you should always keep, and how a balance transfer could help your credit score.

How Good Is Your 401(k) Plan?
This basic audit will tell you.

When to Consider Both Whole and Term Life Insurance
Why purchasing both may be best.

Tax Documents You Should Always Keep
What to keep and what to shred.

A Balance Transfer Can Help Your Credit Score
Understanding your credit utilization ratio.

6 Mistakes You Make When You Check Your Credit
Of course, not checking your credit would be the biggest mistake of all.

Thursday’s need-to-know money news

Zemanta Related Posts ThumbnailToday’s top story: How your mortgage affects your credit score. Also in the news: Finding a great mortgage rate, buying vs renting for retirees, and important tax deadlines business owners need to know.

Will Paying Off Your Mortgage Hurt Your Credit?
How your mortgage effects your credit score.

6 Tricks To Getting A Great Mortgage Rate
It’s about more than comparison shopping.

Retirees, Should You Buy or Rent When Downsizing?
How to compare both options.

Business Owners, Take Note of These Tax Deadlines
There’s a bunch of them.

10 Ways to Take Charge of Your Financial Future in Your 30s and 40s
Start building your dream team.

4 hacks to boost your credit scores–fast

FICO-score-calculation-300x281Losing points from your credit scores is all too easy — and getting them back is hard. But if you know how credit scoring works, you can hack the process to rehabilitate your numbers faster. Here are four effective strategies to do just that.

(This article first appeared as “4 hacks to boost your credit score quickly” on DailyWorth.)

Pay your credit cards twice each month. Even if you pay your balances in full every month, using up too much of your available credit at any given time can hurt your scores. You can lessen the damage by making two payments each month: one just before the card’s statement closing date and another just before the due date. The first payment typically reduces the balance that’s reported to the credit bureaus, while the second assures that you don’t wind up paying interest or incurring a late fee on any remaining charges.

Dispute old, small collection accounts. The latest version of the leading credit scoring formula, the FICO 8, already ignores collection accounts where the original balance was less than $100. Not all lenders use this formula, though, so you might see an increase in your scores if you dispute that $50 parking ticket you forgot to pay or the $75 medical bill that slipped through the cracks of your insurer’s reimbursement system. The collection agencies that report these minor bills may not bother to respond to the credit bureaus’ investigation attempts, especially as the accounts approach the seven-year mark, where they’d have to be dropped from your credit reports anyway.

Get added as an authorized user on someone else’s account. Another person’s good history with their credit card could be imported into your credit bureau files to help burnish your scores. Plus, the other person doesn’t have to give you access to the account — you can be an authorized user in name only. Some card companies will allow this importing only if you’re a relative, so check in advance.

Pay off your credit cards with a personal loan. Paying down your credit card balances widens the gap between your available credit and the amount you’re using, which is great for your scores. If you can’t pay your cards off immediately, consider moving the balances to a three-year personal loan. Balances on such installment loans don’t affect your scores as strongly as balances on credit cards. Check with your local credit union first, since these member-owned financial institutions tend to offer the best rates and terms on personal loans.

For more of my DailyWorth columns, visit https://www.dailyworth.com/tags/liz-weston.

Wednesday’s need-to-know money news

Zemanta Related Posts ThumbnailToday’s top story: It’s tax day! Also in the news: Apps to teach your kids about money, personal loans vs credit cards, and why a good FICO score matters when buying a home.

Time’s Up! It’s Tax Deadline Day
No more excuses!

5 apps to teach your kids about money
Just in time for Financial Literacy Month!

The Pros & Cons Of Personal Loans vs. Credit Cards
It’s all about the interest rate.

The One Graph That Explains Why a Good FICO Score Matters for Homebuyers
The better the score, the better the terms.

Friday’s need-to-know money news

teen-creditToday’s top story: Finding the best credit card for your teenager. Also in the news: Financial date nights, what to do if you can’t pay your taxes, and keeping old credit cards on your credit history.

5 Credit Cards for Teens
How to make sure their first card is the right one.

Avoid money fights with financial date nights
Dinner, a movie, and money talk.

Can’t Pay Your Taxes? How to Get IRS Relief
Don’t ignore the problem.

Use Recurring Charges to Keep Old Credit Cards on Your Credit History
Avoid the ding of a closed account.

Tuesday’s need-to-know money news

credit-cardsToday’s top story: The pros and cons of paying your taxes with a credit card. Also in the news: Discharging private student loans, financial rules for 40 year-olds, and what FICO’s new credit score means for you.

Should You Pay Your Taxes With a Credit Card?
The pros and cons.

Can You Discharge Private Student Loans in Bankruptcy?
It won’t be easy.

40 Financial Rules For 40 Year-Olds
It’s time to get serious.

FICO Will Use a New Credit Score That Includes Your Bill Payments
What this means for your score.

Smart Ways to Trim Your Water Bill This Spring
Gardening season is nearly upon us.

Thursday’s need-to-know money news

Zemanta Related Posts ThumbnailToday’s top story: Big changes are coming to your FICO score. Also in the news: Lessons learned from selling a house, building a financial dashboard, and how much you should really set aside for retirement.

New FICO Score Factors in Utilities & How Often You Move
Changes are coming to your credit score.

Lessons Learned from Selling My First House
How to get through the selling process unscathed.

How to Build a Financial Dashboard
Putting all of your financial goals in one place.

How Much Should You Really Set Aside for Retirement?
Finding your magic number.

Tuesday’s need-to-know money news

Zemanta Related Posts ThumbnailToday’s top story: How to wreck someone else’s credit. Also in the news: How much you need to save in case of an emergency, five tax resolutions for next April 15th, and ten steps to a smarter spending plan.

4 Ways You Can Wreck Somebody Else’s Credit
Not that you should, of course.

In Case Of Emergency, You Need To Save… How Much, Exactly?
Preparing for the unexpected.

Make These 5 Tax Resolutions For Next April 15
It’s never too early to start working on next year’s taxes.

10 Steps to a Smarter Spending Plan
Spend wisely.

6 Financial Items to Include on Your Spring Cleaning List
Tidying up your financial life.