3 Ways to Lessen Your Stress From Credit Card Debt This Holiday Season
Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. EDITOR’S NOTE: The Chase Slate® credit card offer mentioned in this article is expired and is not available through CreditSesame.com Having a […]
How to Avoid the Holiday Spending Hangover
This holiday season, the average household is expected to spend $684. While that’s a decrease of $51 from last year, it’s still a hefty expense for people to absorb during the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Since eating super-cheap PB&J for every meal isn’t really an option, you need to find some strategies to avoid […]
11 Reasons Your Credit Card Might Be Declined
Have you ever stood at the cash register and tried to make a purchase, only to have the clerk hand you your card back and explain apologetically that the transaction was declined? It happens. Despite the embarrassment and inconvenience, the rejection is really meant to protect your account, and to protect the card issuer from […]
How Long Does a Judgement Stay on Your Credit Report and How to Remove a Judgment From Your Credit Report
If you’ve ever been involved in a lawsuit that went to trial then you are probably familiar with the term ‘judgment.” A judgment is a formal decision made by a court following a lawsuit. In the world of credit, it’s not uncommon for creditors or debt collectors to sue debtors for nonpayment of their debts […]
What You Don’t Know About FICO 9 (But Really Should)
In early August 2014 FICO, the company behind the FICO credit scoring system, announced their latest credit bureau risk score, FICO 9. The blogosphere lit up with coverage of the new scoring system but unfortunately most of the blog coverage of FICO 9 was simply regurgitation of FICO’s press release. There were several key points […]
The Ugly Truth About Marrying Bad Credit
If you’re thinking about marrying that special someone, now is the time to talk about money, credit and financial goals. Don’t wait until after the wedding to find out the ugly truth about marrying bad credit. [cta button=”text for button” image=”http://override-default-image-url” link=”http://override-default-link/”]Get your free monthly credit score–no credit card required![/cta] Even if you’re uncomfortable talking […]
Upgrading From a Prepaid Debit Card to a Credit Card
The Suze Orman prepaid debit card was discontinued last week, effective July 1, 2014. Consumers that fell for the sales’ pitch and bought one of the cards are likely now in need of replacement plastic. This is a great time for you to consider re-joining the mainstream world of credit cards and begin enjoying the […]
6 Ways to Earn More Cash Back Rewards
When it comes to saving money, you have to be shrewd. In addition to clipping coupons, refinancing your home loan, and holding off on buying a new car, why not make your purchases work for you by scoring cash back whenever you shop? Most credit cards have cash back programs in place, but it’s easy […]
What’s the Best Way to Get Out of Credit Card Debt?
By now it should go without saying that being in credit card debt is like plugging a siphon into your bank account. In fact, credit card debt is likely the most expensive debt you’ll ever carry with an industry average 15 percent interest rate. So, what is the best way to get out of credit card debt? Credit Sesame’s credit expert, John Ulzheimer outlines your options.
The Approved Card from Suze Orman Shuts Down
The Approved Card from Suze Orman, a prepaid debit card, will no longer work as of July 1, 2014. There was no announcement or press release. The information showed up in letters to account holders in June. Nor was any reason given for the shutdown. It may have been that the business was simply losing […]
Protect Your Credit, Don’t Take a Vacation From Your Finances
You can configure your smartphone so that it automatically backs up all your photos to the cloud. It’s possible to automate the deliveries of diapers and dog food to your doorstep. (Hello, Amazon Subscribe and Save!) And you can even put the task of paying all your monthly bills on autopilot.But when it comes to […]
Safe Travels: How to Protect Your Identity While on Vacation
You should spend time on your summer getaway riding Space Mountain, sticking your toes in the sand, or touring ancient Roman ruins — not trying to protect all your financial information because you’ve been the victim of identity theft. So how do you minimize your risk and protect your identity while on vacation? Here, seven […]
Credit Card Fine Print: What is a Schumer Box?
What is a Schumer box? A Schumer box is a table that discloses pertinent information about a credit card, including interest rates, fees, terms and conditions. It is named for Charles Schumer, the lawmaker responsible for legislation that requires all credit card terms to be presented in a standardized, easy-to-read format. The legislation was enacted […]
Are You Missing Out on the Wealth-Building Powers of a Mortgage?
All the news stories are pointing to a continued decline in homeownership, even last year during the supposed “recovery” from the recent Great Recession, when interest rates averaged 3.52 percent last May. In addition, homeownership levels have fallen to 64.8 percent in the first quarter of this year, its lowest level in 19 years, according […]
The True Cost of Minimum Monthly Payments
The allure of credit cards is that they allow us to buy things we can’t afford right now and pay for them later. We can charge what we want and pay off the balance at our leisure. But unless you take advantage of a temporary offer, you’ll pay a price for the privilege of using […]
