Category: Personal Credit

What Business Cards Report to Credit Bureaus?

For business owners who plan to get small business loans, the best business credit cards are ones that report to the major business credit bureaus — this can help build business credit. However, not all small business credit cards report to these bureaus. In this article, we’ll explore why your business credit report matters, how it can affect your personal credit, and the business cards that report to one or more business credit bureaus. Do Business Credit Cards Report to… Read More

What is Revolving Utilization

Revolving utilization is an important factor that can impact your credit scores. It’s often the main reason your credit scores change from month to month. But utilization can be confusing, so let’s break it down here and help you use it to your advantage.  If you’ve seen the FICO score formula, debt is one of the top factors that affects credit scores (second after payment history) and utilization is a major part of that calculation.  What is a Good Revolving… Read More

How to Remove Hard Inquiries From Credit Reports

Your credit reports are filled with data about your credit obligations and how you manage them. What you might not realize is that your reports contain other important details as well, like records of when others access your credit information. These records are known in the credit world as inquiries and here’s how to remove hard inquiries from credit reports. Some inquiries, called hard inquiries, have the potential to trigger a drop in your credit score. Read on for a… Read More

138+ Places You Can Get Your Credit Scores for Free

If you have never tried to check your credit scores, you can’t use the excuse that you don’t want to pay to see them. There are more than 130 websites, banks, and credit unions where you can get your credit score for free. Some offer them to the general public, while others show them only to customers. With that many options, there’s no reason not to know where your credit stands. Before You Check Your Credit Scores… Keep in mind… Read More

Why Are My Credit Scores Different?

“Why are my credit scores different?” is a common question because it’s a common occurrence. You check your credit scores with one source, but then a lender says you have a different score. Or you get your credit scores from two different websites and the numbers aren’t the same. It can be confusing, so let us explain what’s going on.  There are four main reasons why your scores may be different, and we’ll explore them in more detail here: Bureau:… Read More

Why Your Credit Score Might Drop for “No Reason”

Credit scores go up, and credit scores go down. If you monitor your credit scores over a longer period of time, you’re likely to run into a puzzling situation at some point. Nothing much changed in how you handle your accounts, but your credit score changed for no reason.  If this happens while you’re in the process of applying for credit cards, small business loans or other types of credit, a credit score drop can be downright scary. Here's why… Read More