We all know that just one missed credit card payment can negatively impact your credit scores. But what if you don’t use credit cards at all or even have a traditional bank? Millions of people in the United States have little or no credit, good or bad. This is why credit agencies are pushing to widen the criteria used to determine credit scores.
According to an article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, people with little to no credit are referred to as having thin credit files. Having little to no credit can make it hard for them to get traditional loans or even pass a background check. Even though most people with thin credit are not captured by the traditional credit net, they still make payments for telephone or Internet service, as well as utilities. Because of this, credit agencies are seeking to widen the credit net used to determine scores.
The credit bureaus assert that widening the net will allow lenders to make safer credit decisions that could affect millions of people. And because several agencies are now collecting data on job history, assets, income and even rental history, lenders can access that information as well. C
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Before you know it, the holiday season of 2011 will be over and 2012 with all its potential and opportunity will be staring you in the face. If youve never had to think about budgeting, or have never been completely satisfied with the budget you have, the beginning of a new year is a great time to make some financial changes.
Building a better budget can be empowering. Fortunately, it can also be easy.
So while everyone else around you is singing Auld Lang Syne, pop in your hits of the 80s CD (or queue it up on your iPod), and start singing along to that Howard Jones anthem of optimism that promises things can only get better.
Here are four ideas on how to budget your money better 2012:
1. Complete a Budget Worksheet - Whether you do it online or by hand, filling out a budget worksheet can really help you bring your finances into focus and clarify what your financial goals will be for the New Year. Finding a good one is as simple as typing the terms into a search engine.
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Think power and money saves you from identity theft? Think again.
An ex-Walmart cashier was recently in court, accused of working with a couple of identity thieves to buy items and load gift cards using a card with an unsuspecting person’s number attached to it. The thieves wound up spending $12,000 using Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii’s credit card.
Just because he makes laws doesn’t mean Senator Inouye is invincible to the people who break them. Anybody with a credit card can have their number stolen in a number of ways: card skimmers, faulty security online or even simply passing by your RFID-enabled card with a scanner. So how can you protect yourself?
If you are the victim of fraud, taking swift action can help you get your accounts back in good standing. FreeScore provides its members with 24/7 credit monitoring and sends them automatic alerts whenever sudden changes or suspicious charges appear on their credit files. With unlimited access to their credit scores at the three national credit bureaus (TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax), Freescore members can also check their scores for sudden fluctuations that could signal fraudulent activity. Thes
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Last year, online shoppers spent more than $1 billion on Cyber Monday, the first Monday after the Thanksgiving holiday, according to comScore, a company that measures digital media. It was the single biggest day in online sales history, and represented a 16 percent increase over Cyber Monday 2009, the company said.
Online shopping is popular for many reasons. You can find great deals online without the hassle of going to the mall or store during the busy holiday season. Plus, with more online retailers offering free shipping and gift-wrapping services, buying your holiday gifts online and having them shipped directly to the recipient is easier than mailing them yourself.
The holiday shopping season is also a busy time for criminals perpetrating identity theft. So before you whip out your credit card and go online on Nov.
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We love the holiday season, with the songs and lights and gift-giving – but what we don’t love is when credit scores start to drop because of reckless spending. We want everybody’s credit scores to be as strong as us so they can take advantage of the most generous credit card rewards of the season. With so much money to save and so many incentives to enjoy, the higher the credit scores, the happier the holidays. The halls are decked with credit card deals if you have scores like us on your side.
CNN Money recently rolled out a list of the best credit cards to shop with this holiday season.
The Chase Freedom card is offering 5 percent cash-back on purchases up to $1,500 in certain categories, including department stores, dining and charities. If you spend $500 in the first three months the card is open, you can receive $200 cash back.
The Capital One Cash Rewards card offers 1 percent cash back an all categories as well as a 50 percent anniversary bonus on cash earned on the previous year’s purchases. This ca
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— Marcus Kieran @ 4:02 pm — 
December 13, 2011