Author: Aaron Crowe
Aaron Crowe is a journalist who specializes in personal finance. He has written for AOL Real Estate, HSH.com, US News & World Report, Wisebread, LearnVest, AOL Daily Finance, AARP, Wells Fargo, Allstate, the USC Marshall School of Business, and Credit.com, as well as other insurance, credit and investment websites. Check out his website at
AaronCrowe.net.
A debt settlement offer to pay off a credit card with less money than what you owe can seem like a gift. Settling a $6,000 credit card bill for $4,000, for example, leaves you with $2,000 in debt that you don’t have to pay. Instead of being in …
Losing something can put you in a panic. If it’s a credit card, losing it can be especially troublesome. A thief who steals it or someone finds it could ring up charges on your credit card, which you may have to pay some of if you don’t report …
Getting loans, credit cards and other types of credit can be difficult for borrowers without a good credit history. Trying to get approved for credit can be a sort of Catch-22: Creditors want proof that you’ve handled a credit card well before, but without a credit card already …
If you don’t have any cash on you, walking by an ATM without enough money in your bank account to cover a withdrawal can be frustrating Many credit cards, however, can be used to withdraw cash from an ATM, whether it’s your bank or not. Just like that, …
Sometimes it’s the little things in life that can make all the difference. A small ding to your credit score can drop it just enough from being in the excellent credit score range to the good score range. That can be enough to cause lenders to charge you …
Paying your bills on time, not maxing out your credit cards, and having a good track record of managing debt responsibly are some basic and obvious things that affect a credit score. Some other financial transactions, however, don’t hurt it at all. You may even be surprised by …
Not picking up the check at dinner, having bad breath or being late may be excusable on a first date, but one thing isn’t — having too much credit card debt, according to a survey. The average amount of credit card debt that’s considered unacceptable is $11,525, with …
Do you have a low credit score? You may be in for a little luck if you want to buy a home. It’s easier to buy a house now than it was a decade ago. More homebuyers are qualifying for a mortgage with a low credit score than …
From your PayPal login to access to your Amazon and Airbnb accounts and basic financial details tied to your credit cards — among dozens of other logins — your entire online identity is worth about the price of a new iPhone X. It’s pretty cheap for a thief …
Having your credit card declined by a cashier can be a bit embarrassing and a hassle, especially if it’s not your fault or credit card fraud is suspected. If a sale was blocked by your credit card company because it suspected fraud when you tried to charge a …
