Tips for Financing College

April 18th, 2014 by Alice Bryant

Congratulations, you’ve been admitted to college! But what now?

College is incredibly expensive, with students spending $25,000 - $50,000 a year on tuition alone. Then, there’s the cost of books, housing, food, and more. There is financial aid, but it can often be tricky to land. With the large influx of middle class students, it can be very hard to get the financial aid you need. And it doesn’t mean you have the money to pay for it by any means. But you’re still stuck with a huge bill.

Credit Monitoring vs. Security Freeze: Which Should You Do?

April 18th, 2014 by Alice Bryant

Now more than ever, it is important to protect yourself from hackers. With the recent large scale security breaches at Target and other retailers, identity theft has hit home for many consumers. And those who were affected are probably looking into all the ways to protect their credit.

Experian Unveils New Credit Insight Program

by Alice Bryant on April 18, 2014

Weekly Tip: Sign up for automatic payments.

If you haven’t already, think about signing up for automatic payments. Everything is done online today, and going paperless can be incredibly helpful. For one, you won’t have to remember about making a payment each month. By using paper, it’s very easy to get overwhelmed and forget about one bill or another. And if you do forget one, you’ll have to deal with extra fees, interest charges, and more. You can end up lowering your credit score and in a lot of debt by missing a payment due date. But by signing up for automatic payments, you won’t have to worry about simply forgetting.

Updated by Alice Bryant on Fri, 2014-04-18 09:21

Should You Use a Credit Card to Pay Your Taxes?

April 10th, 2014 by Alice Bryant

If you’ve waited until now to file your taxes, you must be feeling the pressure to finish them fast. With just days to go until the April 15th deadline, it’s time to stop procrastinating and get it done. And the first step is figuring out how to pay your taxes. There are many ways to do it, but using a credit card can be a convenient and easy way to pay them.

Weekly Tip: Limit the number of credit cards you have.

Although there is no set number of credit cards you should have at any given time, it is important to keep a limit on the number of credit cards you have open. For one, having too many credit cards can get complicated fast. With all the extra papers and monthly statements, you can easily end up making late or missed payments. Plus, you’ll be racking up a lot of debt.

Updated by Alice Bryant on Wed, 2014-04-09 13:45

How Does Divorce Affect Your Credit Score?

April 8th, 2014 by Alice Bryant

For anyone who’s gotten divorced or is currently in the process of getting one, you know how painful divorce can be. And apart from the emotional strain, you now have to think about your finances too. A common concern among divorcees is what will happen to their finances once they separate. How will divorce affect their credit? Will it be damaged?

U.S. Taking Steps to Make Credit Card Fraud Harder

by Alice Bryant on April 8, 2014

For years, the U.S. has been paying with plastic, while other countries have moved forward with electronic chip technology. But it looks like the U.S. may now be catching up. With all the recent security breaches, Americans have realized how important it is to have protective measures in place. And one of the easiest ways to do this is through technology.

Can Healthy Eating Save You Money?

April 4th, 2014 by Yael Kent

Organic food, juice cleanses, and fancy new diets are all the rage these days. But these cost a lot of money. Organic food can be double the price of normal groceries, and juice cleanses and diets can cost up to hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. As a result, many consumers think that eating healthy is too expensive for them. It sounds much cheaper to stick to the dollar menu at McDonald’s.

Weekly Tip: Notify your card issuer if your name or address changes.

If you are in the process of a big change, it’s very easy to be too caught up to even think about your credit card issuers. However, it is very important to notify them in the event of a name change or an address change.

Updated by Alice Bryant on Wed, 2014-04-02 09:21