Answers to Your Questions About FICO® Scores
by Fair, Isaac and Company, Inc.
Answers to many common questions concerning credit scoring written by the credit scoring experts at MyFico.com®
Building Credit
by Gary Foreman
Dear Dollar Stretcher, I am a college student looking for a credit card. When I tell my parents this they say, "no, you don't need one". I feel that I am financially responsible and in control of my money. I am not looking to spend money I don't have but merely to build credit. I've read all about college kids in debt, etc. But what about the rest of us that are responsible and ready to start our lives? How do I even get a credit card? And is there any better way to build credit?
Credit Repair and Reporting Quiz
by Richard Crammer
Credit Repair Scams abound today. Every time you turn on the TV or read a newspaper it seems that someone is promising to improve your credit rating. Take this quiz to improve your awareness of credit repair scams, and don't get ripped off.
Debt Collection
by Gary Foreman
Dear Dollar Stretcher, I had an outstanding judgment against me for $1,000 to pay off an apartment lease that was broken when my ex-husband and I divorced. The total amount owed prior to the judgment was $1,700. The third-party collector who's been calling me insists that I pay that amount. The court said I owe $1,000 which has been paid in full. What can I tell the collector to make him go away?
Transfer Credit Card Balances
by Scott Bilker
My husband and I filed for bankruptcy in 1995. Since then we have established good payment records with high interest credit card companies. I'm ready to drop them and transfer my balances to a lower interest rate card(s). I've had my existing accounts for several years (or more), plus we just bought a house, so I think we deserve better interest rates. I called my accounts personally, but they don't offer better rates, only a larger line of credit.
Identity Theft--A Personal Story
by Robert Gamble
I called the credit card company, and came to find out that someone else had signed up for the card, they had my name, my social security number, my address...
Negotiating a Payoff
by Scott Bilker
I was told that I could call my older credit card banks, and "negotiate" a payoff of the account if I close the account. Is this true, and if so how will it impact my credit rating?
Canceling A Credit Card
by Gary Foreman
My credit card is the worst and I was curious as to whether I need to cancel it or not. We never use it, so is it really necessary to cancel it? What exactly happens when you close an account? Is it a strike on your credit history to cancel a credit card? Is the only benefit of canceling a card the certainty of not using it?
Establishing Credit
by Gary Foreman
My 20 year old son will soon need to buy a car but he has no credit...
Getting Better, Cheaper Credit-Right Now!
by Scott Bilker
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