While the unemployment rate has improved, making it more likely for you to get an interview, a credit check could still make or break your job application. Many employers perform credit checks on potential employees to measure financial responsibility. Having bad credit scores could be interpreted as a sign of recklessness and poor judgment, keeping you from getting the job youve always wanted. Of course, good credit scores may help you stand out from other qualified applicants. So what will a company see on your credit report?
If youve ever been curious about what your credit history looks like, consider signing up for The Power of 3 from FreeScore. Youll receive access to your three credit scores and reports from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Be sure and check these reports for accuracy throughout your job hunt, bearing in mind that your credit profile could change at any time. After all, it would be a shame for you to miss out on a great job opportunity just because of an error on your report. Youll also receive 24/7 credit monitoring and automatic alerts that notify you of any suspicious activity on your accounts.
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The most recent numbers available (as of Oct. 2011) show that Americans’ total debt on revolving credit accounts (think: credit cards) topped $792 billion, according to the Federal Reserve. If you’re carrying even some credit card debt, you know that it’s much easier to create debt than it is to get rid of it.
Yet getting rid of debt – the unsecured kind that costs you a bundle in interest – is an essential step toward taking control of your finances. If you’re wondering how to pay off your debt, budgeting for it is essential.
Here are five steps that can help you get started:
Step 1 – Stop making new debt.
Overusing credit cards is a slippery slope. The more debt you create, the harder it becomes to pay for it. With cash tight, it’s tempting to keep using those credit cards for whatever you want or need. But in order to get out of debt, it’s essential to stop creating new debt. Use whatever trick
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Its a new year, and things have been going exceptionally well for me. Strange, right? Not only are people across the United States panicking about high credit card statements, but interest rates on those cards are nearing record highs. 2012 is starting out as the Year of Billy Bad Score.
According to an article on CreditCards.com, credit card interest rates are hovering over 15 percent. Even though the average dipped a couple weeks ago from 15.22 to 15.19 percent, Time reports these numbers to be the highest since September 2011.
Average APRs for other cards have also reached new highs:
- Cash back and rewards 14.9 percent
- Airline 14.5 percent
- Balance transfer 13 percent
Several credit card companies offer low or zero-percent balance transfer APRs on cards to convince consumers to put all of the debt on a single card. When these people cant pay off the balance before the offer expires, theyre left with large balances and higher interest rates. These credit card companies are helping me ruin credit scores in new and inventive ways.
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Banking online has become mainstream. In fact, one 2010 survey, by Fiserv, Inc., a financial services tech company, found that 80 percent of all households with Internet access use online banking. Paying bills online is less pervasive, however, the survey found—just 40 percent of survey respondents pay bills online.
Although the survey doesn’t directly address it, it’s probably a logical assumption that the percentage of people who set up automatic bill pay is even less. Yet there are big advantages to managing your finances by paying bills automatically every month, including what the process can do to help protect your credit score.
Automatic bill pay is a great way to ensure you never forget a recurring expense that is the same every month, such as your cable bill, rent or mortgage. After the initial set-up, you don’t have to do anything ever again to ensure the bill gets paid every month. Since r
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Happy New Year! As we head into 2012, we thought it helpful to provide a list of all the best things to take advantage of, from diets and recipes to credit cards and colleges. Enjoy!
- Best Credit Card Offers: Kathy Kristoff, an award-winning financial journalist and the author of Investing 101,offers her list at CBSNews.com.1
- Best Diets for 2012: Jeannine Stein of the Los Angeles Times gives us the skinny on the best diets.
- Best New Cars for 2012: Popular Mechanics’ Michael Frank gives a sneek peak at the 12 best autos.
- Best Trips for 2012: National Geographic has a wide range of suggestions – from Thailand to Pittsburgh – that’s right, Pittsburgh!
- Best Colleges for 2012: Ryan Lytle of U.S. News lists the best of the best in colleges for 2012.
- Best Computer Antivirus: Neil J. Rubenking, Lead Analyst for Security at PC Magazine lets us know how to have a clean running PC this year.
- Best Online Banks for Savings Accounts: Doughroller explains where to stash our cash!
- B
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— Marcus Kieran @ 3:03 am — 
February 15, 2012