If you’re planning to buy a home in the near future, you should know your FICO credit score. In fact, your credit score is one of the three most important factors considered by mortgage lenders (along with your debt and income levels). If your score is high, you’ll have a much better chance of getting [...]

Go online and start researching the topic of credit scores, and you will quickly be overwhelmed with information and analysis. But in truth, there are only a few important concepts that you, as a first-time home buyer, should know about credit scores.
Here are five of the most important things to keep in mind when you [...]

It is particularly despicable when companies prey on people who are in financial distress. Unfortunately, there is no shortage of such companies. Just take a look at the mortgage industry and the current economic recession we are in. With so many people facing foreclosure on their homes, there has been a huge rise in foreclosure [...]

It’s safe to say that almost everyone in America has seen or heard a commercial for free credit reports. Watch an hour of national television anytime during the day, and you’re virtually guaranteed to see a commercial about credit reports.
But did you know that most of the offers for the so-called free reports are actually [...]

What types of information make up my credit score, and how will it affect me when I try to buy a home?
This is a frequently asked question among people buying a home (especially first-time buyers), so it’s worth a thorough examination in this article. In fact, the first half of this question pertains to consumers [...]

Have you damaged your credit score by falling behind on your bill payments? If so, you are not alone. Bad credit plagues millions of Americans, and it can prevent you from getting approved for a mortgage loan. Fortunately, there are plenty of things you can do to rebuild your credit before buying a home. Here [...]

Yesterday, I received the following question from a confused consumer through my Credit Help Q&A blog:
“I see a lot of offers for free credit report online, and even on TV commercials. But whenever I visit the actual website and read the information there, it seems like I have to sign up for something and pay [...]

For most people, it’s hard to keep up with the rapid changes that are taking place in our economy right now. I keep the news on while I’m working, because it’s my job to stay informed — and I still have trouble following all of the developments.
But there’s one thing I do know about this [...]

You would be amazed at how much some people obsess over their credit scores. I’ve seen Internet forums where people share their experiences regarding their scores, what their score was the last time they checked, etc. It’s a hobby for these people, like stamp collecting.
I am not one of those people. But I do realize [...]