Self-Help Articles

How to Deal With These 6 Hidden Charges

Ugh, hidden fees! They crop up everywhere and are seemingly unavoidable. Some of these charges are so sneaky that you might not have noticed them. Or they’re so small that you only realize they exist after they’ve added up over time. Let’s investigate some of the...

How to Keep Wedding Costs Down

It’s your big day: your wedding. It’s the symbolic “first day of the rest of your lives” as a married couple. Celebrate the way you want, but don’t start your union in debt. You’ve already established a budget. And you’ve set up a cool spreadsheet to...

10 Signs of Out-of-Control Credit Card Debt

Chances are, your reasons for getting a credit card were solid. Maybe you wanted to improve your credit score. Possibly you were looking for a financial safety net until you were able to build your emergency fund. But somewhere along the way, you began using...

Small Things That Hurt Your Credit Score

FICO is the most common scoring system that lenders use to determine your creditworthiness. This score takes data from your credit report and compiles five main factors to figure out your credit score: whether you consistently pay bills on time, how much debt you carry,...

Avoid Paying for THIS with Plastic

When used properly, a credit card can be an integral part of your financial arsenal. The big caveat here is the word properly. Credit cards used improperly or recklessly can spell certain financial ruin. There are numerous ways to fall victim to this. One is...

4 Ways to Consolidate Credit Card Debt

Credit card debt consolidation is the process of combining multiple credit card balances into a single monthly payment. Consolidating your credit card debt can make payments easier and sometimes even cheaper. If you can score a lower interest rate, you’ll be able to reduce interest...

4 Tips for Savvy Credit Card Use

Your credit cards are an important part of your financial portfolio. When you use them wisely, they offer a plethora of benefits. You don’t need to carry around a big wad of cash, and if you use reward-based cards, you can earn some great perks....

Do I Need Credit Counseling?

Let’s face it: Debt has a way of creeping up. Small charges that add up over time or unexpected expenses can often lead to a mound of debt. This is particularly true during times of reduced income or unexpected job loss. Before we know it,...

A Thin Credit File: What It Is and What You Can Do About It

When Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor, said, “You can never be too rich or too thin,” she was obviously not talking about credit files. In fact, a thin credit file is not at all attractive, especially to potential creditors. But how can you know if...

Reestablish Your Emergency Fund in 4 Steps

Was it an emergency appendectomy that landed you in the hospital? Or burst water pipes that flooded your basement? Or a fender-bender that resulted in some costly repairs? Whatever the reason, you tapped into your emergency fund to pay the bills. And now your precious...