Ask Liz Weston

Get smart with your money

Credit

Q&A: Lenders were supposed to tell you about pandemic debt relief. What if yours didn’t?

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Dear Liz: I had a problem last year and had no income so I couldn’t pay my bills for three months. I explained the situation to my creditors, but they still put the late payments on my credit reports. I called and sent letters, but it was no good: My credit score dropped to the mid-500s. How can I get the late payments taken off?

Answer: Last year, many lenders offered various kinds of hardship programs because of the pandemic. If you were approved for forbearance, the payments you missed should not have been reported as late. You could dispute the errors at the three credit bureaus (start at www.annualcreditreport.com) and ask the lenders to correct the record.

Unfortunately, lenders don’t always tell customers that forbearance or other hardship programs are available. If you weren’t given the option to enroll when you called to explain your problem, contact your lenders again, in writing, to point that out and request that the late payments be removed from your credit reports.

If a lender refuses to cooperate, consider making a complaint to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Q&A: How to help your adult kids build their own credit

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Dear Liz: My first house is paid for, and my oldest daughter and her husband are living there now. I added her name to my credit card, which is paid in full every month, but otherwise she hasn’t established any credit. I have been paying the utilities up until now, but they are going to take them over. Will changing my name and direct debit bank information to theirs on the accounts help establish her credit?

Answer: Some alternative credit-scoring systems do use utility payments to supplement the information in people’s credit reports. Experian Boost, for example, allows people to add such payments and potentially increase their Experian credit scores. Still, your daughter would be smart to continue adding traditional credit accounts to her reports.

One way to do that is with something called a “credit builder loan,” which is offered by some credit unions and at least one online lender, called Self. Essentially, the applicant borrows a certain amount, which the lender puts in a savings account or certificate of deposit. The borrower can claim the money after making a certain number of payments. The payments are reported to the three credit bureaus, contributing to her scores.

She also could apply for a credit card on her own, to supplement the one you added her to. If her credit isn’t yet good enough to qualify for an unsecured card, she could consider getting a secured card that gives her a line of credit equal to the amount she deposits with the issuing bank.

Wednesday’s need-to-know money news

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Today’s top story: Your credit history opens doors – here’s how to build it. Also in the news: what happens to your debt if your school closes for good, and exit strategies for young adults forced home during COVID-19.

Your Credit History Opens Doors — Here’s How to Build It
About 13% of Americans in a survey said that they don’t have a credit history, and some don’t know how to get started.

If Your College Closes for Good, What Happens to Your Debt?
You have two options.

Is That Nearly New Salvage-Title Car Really a Deal?
A few dealers now specialize in professionally rebuilt salvage-title vehicles. The risks remain, though.

Exit Strategies for Young Adults Forced Home During COVID-19
How to make the Great Escape.

Friday’s need-to-know money news

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Today’s top story: Can you have too much credit? Also in the news: How to safely move during a pandemic, what personal finance apps should be doing to better serve older people, and how to avoid paying a penalty if you missed the tax filing deadline.

Can You Have Too Much Credit?
Credit scoring formulas don’t punish people for having too many credit accounts, but too much debt can hurt scores.

How to Move Safely During a Pandemic
Keeping yourself and your stuff safe.

This is what personal finance apps should be doing to better serve older people
What a survey revealed about the apps.

How to Avoid Paying a Penalty If You Missed the Tax Filing Deadline
You could qualify for a first-time penalty abatement.

Thursday’s need-to-know money news

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Today’s top story: Can you have too much credit? Also in the news: 5 things to know about gold’s record breaking run, the Equal Opportunity Act and its effect on women’s finances, and negotiating with your landlord during COVID-19.

Can You Have Too Much Credit?
Credit scoring formulas don’t punish people for having too many credit accounts, but too much debt can hurt scores.

5 Things to Know About Gold’s Record-Breaking Run
As COVID-19 concerns continue to rattle markets, investors are turning to one of the world’s oldest currencies.

Women and credit: In the 1970s, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act became law— a key step in financial freedom for women
The law barred shady credit practices including lender discrimination based on race, sex, age, nationality or marital status.

Negotiate With Your Landlord During COVID-19
Be upfront and honest.

Can you have too much credit?

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People who care about their credit scores tend to obsess about some things they probably shouldn’t, such as the possibility they might have too much credit.

Let’s bust that myth right upfront: The leading credit scoring formulas, FICO and VantageScore, don’t punish people for having too many accounts. And right now, having access to credit could be a lifeline.

In my latest for the Associated Press, find out why it’s not how many cards you have, but how you use them.