Tag Archives: credit

Credit Cards, Emergency Funds, Saving, Stocks/Bonds/ETFs · August 22, 2019

Yes, There Will be a Recession. Here’s How to Prepare.

It’s been more than a decade since the U.S. economy fell into a recession. That’s a long time ago.

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Credit Cards · November 14, 2018

Don’t Rely on New UltraFICO to Help You

Starting next year, there will be a new FICO credit score that you can opt into. UltraFICO will take a look at your bank accounts to see your balances and if you have a good track record of avoiding overdrafts.

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Credit Cards, Debt · October 11, 2018

Rule #1 of debt management: Honor your obligations

I am all about helping people get out of financial trouble. I am always humbled when someone lays bare their financial struggle and asks for my advice.

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Credit Cards, Debt · October 3, 2018

Protecting your financial life is now free. Don’t pass up this offer.

One of the best ways to protect yourself from identify thieves is now free of charge. Beginning in late September, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion began offering consumers the ability to place and lift credit freezes on their credit reports without…

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Credit Cards · November 8, 2017

Email Scams are Rising. Do you Know how to Protect Yourself?

I hope that after the news of the Equifax data breach, you’re being extra smart about taking steps to monitor your credit reports. You can always get one free credit report a year from each of the three credit bureaus…

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Credit Cards · August 23, 2017

FICO Scores reach record high. I am not celebrating.

Earlier this Spring we collectively hit a financial milestone. FICO, the company that computes the credit scores most used by lenders, reported that for the first time ever the average score rose to 700.

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Credit Cards, Insurance, Long Term Care, Retirement · September 22, 2016

How to Deal with a Rate Increase on Your Long-Term Care Insurance Policy

Many of you are asking me what to do when you receive a rate increase on your long-term care insurance policy. You know my advice for years has been to not buy long-term care insurance unless you can afford a…

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Credit Cards, Student Loans · September 16, 2015

3 Rules for Doling Out Allowances

Parents, we have a problem. So many of you make a mess out of allowances. You reward the wrong thing, and totally miss out on the big picture: beginning to teach your child about the value of money.

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Credit Cards · May 13, 2015

What You Need To Know About New Alternative FICO Score

For years I have pointed out how ridiculous it is that people who don’t have credit cards, but responsibly pay-as-they-go with debit cards and cash, are put at a severe disadvantage in our financial system.

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