How Federal Reserve Interest Rates Affect Your Credit
The Federal Reserve raised interest rates in March to their highest level in a decade, and more increases are on the way. Higher interest rates will affect consumers in many ways — including car and home loans, though most borrowers who have those loans
A Secret Your Credit Card Company is Unlikely to Tell You (Unless You Ask)
Being at the bottom of a pile of credit card debt can be overwhelming. Making just the minimum monthly payment can be difficult, putting the long-term goal of paying off the credit card completely almost too far to see. Chances are your credit card
Are The New Credit Card Chips Working to Prevent Fraud?
Those annoying, beeping and longer stays at the checkout counter when inserting a chip credit card into a clunky machine that may or may not work are paying off in one big way — less fraud. Chip cards, also known as “EMV” cards for
AI and Other Tech That Could Change How You Deal With Credit
Technology for using a credit card is changing fast: A wearable credit card is being developed by Barclaycard. Mastercard has a card with a sensor for a fingerprint to authorize payment instead of a signature. A major maker of chip credit cards is adding
Are Zero Interest Balance Transfer Credit Cards Going Away?
If you’ve ever considered moving credit card debt from a high-interest card to a balance transfer credit card that doesn’t charge interest for a year or more, you’re not alone. Transferring a balance to a credit card that doesn’t charge interest for six to
How Co-Signing on a Student Loan Affects Your Credit
Graduating from college with student loan debt obviously isn’t any fun for the graduates. It can also be a headache for their parents. Parents co-signing a student loan for their children can make it easier for the loan to be approved and can reduce
How to Get a Credit Card as a U.S. Immigrant
Running a small business or just being an everyday consumer can be difficult without having a credit card. It can help pay for things before you have the money in hand, such as business owners who need to buy supplies before being paid for
Should You Pay Your Tax Bill With a Credit Card?
About 80 percent of U.S. taxpayers get a tax refund from the federal government each year. In 2015 the IRS sent an average refund check of $3,120 to almost 40 million taxpayers, the IRS reported. For the unlucky 20 percent who owe money to
What Happens to Your Credit Score When You Cancel a Credit Card?
A wallet or purse that’s overcrowded with too many credit cards can be enough to convince you that it’s time to leave a few cards that are rarely used home. If you’re not using a card at all, you may be thinking of canceling
Best Practices for Using Credit Cards While Traveling Abroad
If you’re old enough to remember using travelers checks on vacation, you’ve probably written a check at the grocery store. Both can seem old-fashioned. Both can still be used today, with travelers checks getting an electronic update that can make them work like a