Category: Personal Credit

What is Revolving Utilization

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

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

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?

“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 Unexpectedly

Why Your Credit Score Might Drop Unexpectedly

When you’re monitoring your credit scores over a longer period of time, you’re likely to run into a puzzling situation. 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 credit products, a credit score drop can be downright scary.  Here's why and how credit scores can drop, and what you may be able to… Read More
Can I Raise My Credit Score 100 Points Overnight?

Can I Raise My Credit Score 100 Points Overnight?

When you're a business owner in a cash crunch -- maybe you need some extra capital to make payroll this month, or open a new location -- the last thing you want to hear is that your credit score needs a lot of work before you can qualify for a business loan. You may be tempted when you see ads of promise of quick fixes like credit repair companies. Can you actually raise your personal credit scores 100 points overnight?… Read More