In September 2017, America learned about the massive data breach at the credit reporting agency Equifax that affected approximately 148 million consumers – one of the largest breaches ever. Identity thieves suddenly acquired a new batch of Social Security numbers, names, addresses, phone numbers, and other personal information.
Consumers were advised to take steps immediately
Zombie debt refers to old unpaid debt, declared dead and uncollectable long ago, that rises from the grave to ingest the bank accounts of the living. Who are the mad financial scientists that create this zombie debt, and how can you thwart them when it comes for you?
The zombie masters, if you will, are
Finding a job can be a stressful and difficult task – and if you have poor credit, you may have an even harder time finding a job. A 2016 CareerBuilder study found that almost one-third of employers run credit checks on their potential hires, on the assumption that people with good credit are more likely
The Crushing Effects Of Medical Debt How pervasive is America’s medical debt problem? According to 2017 data from the credit bureau Experian, unpaid medical debt in America topped $127 billion. New data from Consumer Reports shows that almost 30% of insured Americans had unpaid medical debt turned over to collection agencies in the past two
By Eric Olsen, Executive Director, HELPS
Nonprofit Law Firm
I just got off the phone with a senior couple who have a timeshare they can’t afford and don’t use any longer. They had called a company who advertised that they help people get out of timeshares. (I hear such advertisements on the radio and television
It may be annoying to see Christmas displays in stores before Halloween, but that does not mean that early shopping for Christmas presents is a bad idea. On the contrary — there are several advantages to doing your holiday shopping before the holiday “sales” start popping up. You can save money without having to fight
To some of us, Halloween is an enjoyable time to dress up our children and/or ourselves, carve scary pumpkins, decorate our home with spooky effects, gorge on treats, and spend the next morning jogging off a candy binge. To others, it is a time to figure out how much candy they need to have on
You need cash to pay an important bill, and you haven’t got it. What do you do?
Many Americans turn to payday loans to fill this gap, even though the interest rates are staggering – an average of nearly 400% APR.
A recent survey by CNBC Make It and Morning Consult found that all generations
Do you use your credit card for most purchases? Are there times you prefer paying with your debit card? Perhaps you still use those funny green paper rectangles with numbers on them?
Cash hasn’t been forgotten, especially for smaller payments. A new study by CreditCards.com shows that 45% of consumers who have rewards credit cards
Your credit score is one of the most important variables that lenders use to assess your risk. A low credit score can disqualify you for an auto loan, or force you to pay higher interest rates – but how much will higher interest rates cost you in the long run? New data from Experian shows
Is a home purchase on your to-do list over the next two years? You’ll have plenty of competition finding your new home, according to the latest PenFed Credit Union National Mortgage Survey.
The survey found that 37% of American adults are planning to purchase a home within the next two years. Over half (52%) of
Are smart appliances and systems making you feel like you are being outwitted by your home? They shouldn’t. In many cases, it is just a matter of investing the time to read through the manual and understand the capabilities of the system.
For standard appliances like refrigerators, ovens, or TVs, if you do not educate
How did your toddler rack up thousands of dollars in charges on an unfamiliar credit card?It’s not Junior’s fault if identity thieves have stolen your child’s identity and used it for fraudulent purchases.
According to Javelin Strategy and Research, over one million children were identity theft victims in 2017, racking up over $540 million in
America’s total outstanding balance on revolving credit, primarily credit card debt, is over $1.03 trillion. How much of that $1.03 trillion balance is yours? According to recent data from ValuePenguin, you’re more likely to have a greater share of that balance if you’re in one of two groups – the poorest or the wealthiest Americans.
By Roshni Chowdhry, head of customer experience at SafetyNet
Of the 17 million Americans currently enrolled in college, 74 percent qualify as what we used to call “nontraditional” students:
One in five is 30 years or older.
About half don’t rely on their parents for money.
One quarter are caring for a
Further Rewards for Good Credit You’ve worked hard to keep your credit score high. Why shouldn’t you be rewarded for your effort?
Banks agree and are looking for innovative ways to urge you to keep your credit score as high as possible. Financial institutions have always used negative reinforcement for poor credit scores – higher
Your credit score affects many aspects of your financial life. It affects your ability to qualify for loans and credit cards, and the interest rates that you’ll pay if you do qualify. It may affect your credit card limits, rental fees or deposits, utility services, and cell phone/cable bills.
Can your credit score also affect
With the school season starting again, education is job number one for students and parents alike. A proper education includes an education in personal finance, and one of the best ways to start is to learn how to protect yourself against scams.
You can and should learn fast, too, because scams can become more common
If you have a low credit score and want to buy a home, your odds of getting a loan have improved. A study by the Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO) shows that credit scores for new mortgage originations have been dropping, suggesting that lenders are slowly relaxing the tight credit policies imposed after the housing crisis.
When you graduated, you probably entered the workplace with plenty of optimism.You were ready to take the workplace by storm and earn a comfortable living – maybe even outpacing the rest of your classmates. How is that plan working out?
Find out by comparing your current salary with new data from the Bureau of Labor
According to the Federal Reserve’s G.19 Consumer Credit report, America’s outstanding revolving debt – mostly credit card debt – was closing in on $1.04 trillion as of June 2018. How will we pay all that money back? An increasing number of Americans may not be able to do so.
ValuePenguin analyst Joe Resendiz calls credit
According to Federal Reserve data, student loan debt has surpassed $1.5 trillion and comprises 11% of America’s collective household debt balance – second only to mortgage debt. More than 44 million Americans have student loan debt, with an average balance of around $33,000.
Given those statistics, you might expect student loans to be the biggest
By Stephanie Braun, Director of Auto Product Management at Esurance
Companies have collected data on their customers for decades. It allows them to offer more tailored services and products, and provide more relevant messaging. The reason data collection has gotten so much press lately is because it’s reached unprecedented levels. Already, we create 2.5 quintillion
Can you believe someone was able to borrow money online to buy basketball trading cards? Not just any card, but a Michael Jordan rookie card that could be worth six figures! While millions of people have borrowed money online to buy a house or condo, we found a social worker from New Mexico who used
Are you looking for a mortgage that features a low down payment but can’t find a suitable conventional loan because of various restrictions?The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) offers loan products with down payments of just 3.5% for borrowers with FICO credit scores as low as 580 – an attractive combination for potential homebuyers with lesser
A Stressful Experience
What’s the most stressful event you’ve had in your life? Applying for college? Going on a job interview? Hosting Thanksgiving dinner for your entire family?
According to a recent survey by Homes.com, buying a home tops all of those events as “the most stressful event in modern life.” One-third
There’s a lot of financial advice out there, from the Wall Street Journal to podcasts to your brother-in-law’s stock tips to “A penny saved is a penny earned.” The infographic above, developed in collaboration with the Common Cents Lab at Duke University, shows six simple steps to get your finances on sound footing.
By Haden Kirkpatrick, Esurance Head of Marketing Strategy and Innovation
Despite the majority of cars being parked 90 percent of the time, cars are the second biggest expense in the average American’s budget. Aside from the actual purchase of the vehicle, owners also must pay for maintenance, insurance, repairs, gas, and cleaning costs. And don’t
America’s cumulative student loan debt has topped $1.5 trillion, surpassing credit card debt as the second greatest debt burden behind mortgages. How will we pay it off? A study by the Brookings Institution suggests that approximately 40% of Americans won’t be able to pay off their loans and will end up in default by 2023.
Uh-oh. You didn’t pay your taxes by the deadline. You’re facing late payment penalties – but, believe it or not, you may be able to convince the IRS to waive those penalties.
It’s not well publicized, but the IRS does have a First Time Penalty Abatement (FTA) Policy. The FTA only applies for a single
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