Get smart with your money
At some point, you’ll buy your last car and refinance your last mortgage. Surely then you can stop worrying about your credit scores.
Well, not really, although there are situations when credit scores shouldn’t be anyone’s main concern.
In my latest for the Associated Press, why credit scores still matter, even when you don’t plan to borrow money.
Today’s top story: Should you pay off your mortgage before you retire? Also in the news: New UltraFICO score could boost credit access for consumers, a cheapskate’s guide to shopping for credit cards, and 7 year-end tax planning strategies for small business owners.
Should You Pay Off Your Mortgage Before You Retire?
Or is it better to wait?
New UltraFICO Score Could Boost Credit Access for Consumers
Big changes are coming.
A Cheapskate’s Guide to Shopping for Credit Cards
Finding a card to match your careful spending.
7 year-end tax planning strategies for small business owners
Tax season is right around the corner.
Today’s top story: 4 ways to get a sales price when there isn’t a sale. Also in the news: What to buy and skip in September, why your kid’s after-school job may mean tax homework for you, and why your credit card debt is worse than your mortgage debt.
4 Ways to Get a Sale Price When There Isn’t a Sale
It can be as simple as just asking for one.
What to Buy (and Skip) in September
Skip the televisions.
Your Kid’s After-School Job May Mean Tax Homework for You
When to file a return.
Your Credit Card Debt Is Worse Than Your Mortgage Debt
The difference between good and bad debt.
Today’s top story: Why traditional credit scores still matter. Also in the news: Staying ahead of travel scams, banks still playing with financial fire, and the benefits to maxing out your retirement contributions early in the year.
Newfangled Data Aside, Credit Scores Still Matter
Those 3 numbers still reign supreme.
Stay a Step Ahead of Travel Scams
Traveling safely.
After ’08 Meltdown, Banks Still Play With Financial Fire
And we’re the ones who get burned.
Should You Max Out Your Retirement Contributions Early in the Year?
A new study shows interesting results.
Today’s top story: 3 credit score myths you should stop believing. Also in the news: Vinyl siding costs and how to keep them down, 6 big ways credit can affect your life, and 1 in 3 parents will help their kids pay off student loans.
3 Credit Score Myths You Should Stop Believing
It’s all about the numbers.
Vinyl Siding Costs and How to Bring Savings Home
How to keep costs down.
6 Big Ways Your Credit Can Affect Your Life
From buying a home to getting a new job.
1 in 3 parents will help their kids pay off student loans
And it could impact their retirement.
Researchers and startups say all kinds of weird data can predict your creditworthiness. What kind of smartphone you have, who your friends are and how you answer survey questions may foretell how likely you are to pay back a loan.
Don’t expect this alternative data to displace the three-digit number most lenders use, however. Credit scores still matter — a lot.
Lenders use credit scores to decide whether you get loans and credit cards, plus the rates you pay. Scores are also used to determine which apartments you can rent, which cell phone plans you can get and, in most states, how much you pay for auto and homeowners insurance.
In my latest for the Associated Press, why traditional, three-digit credit scores still matter.