In The News

5/11/2009

Maybe a utility bill went unpaid after you moved and the missed payment went into collections. Or perhaps there are unpaid library fines or parking tickets in collections that are hanging onto your credit history and affecting your FICO credit score, which is widely used...

05/11/2009

While picking up a new shirt at J.Crew a few months ago, I asked about opening one of those store credit cards -- you know, the ones that give you a discount on the first purchase...

4/01/2009

Expect that there will be some problems. Statistics show that approximately 70 percent of all reports contain at least one error. These mistakes can sometimes cause you to be turned down for a loan or to be charged the highest interest rate on a credit card...

05/11/2009

Nobody's perfect. When it comes to our financial lives, we've all done things we later regretted -- whether it's getting slapped with a $3 fee for using an out-of-network ATM or going on a Las Vegas bender and losing the house on an overly aggressive poker bet...

11/29/2009

FICO Reveals How Common Credit Mistakes Affect Scores...

01/10/09

Dear Debt Adviser, I have been through credit repair agencies, read tons of information on how to raise your credit score ... you name it. I just need to know how I can actually get my paid items off my credit report...

05/11/2009

At the peak of the real-estate bubble, mortgage professionals joked that you needed only to be able to fog a mirror to get a loan. These days, even borrowers...

10/27/2009

After the sudden drop in the Dow this time last year, many investors were left to wonder what else could happen to deflate their savings and investment portfolios. We came up with a list of some of the scariest -- and potentially most costly -- financial mistakes you could make. Take steps now to ensure that you don't lose money by making some of these big, bad choices...

5/11/2009

If only cars could talk. It would make the buying experience a lot easier, wouldn't it? Because verbalized or not, every used car has a story to tell. And to avoid...

12/09/2009

Negotiating for a car can be a nerve-wracking and difficult process. But even once you’ve agreed on that golden price, you’re not home free. If you’re buying a new car, there are plenty of options a dealer will still try to persuade you to tack on. While some of these might make sense for you, others aren’t worth the money...

12/29/2009

The less you talk, the better a deal you'll get. "Dealers kind of prey on the fact that you're going to be excited," says James Bell, executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book, an Irvine, Calif.-based vehicle valuation company. "Getting a new car is fun, and it's exciting, and you can't wait to drive home and show...