February 7, 2019 Shawn Lane Consumer Credit Expert Your credit scores are an important component of your financial wellbeing. Without solid credit scores, life can be a lot more difficult (not to mention more expensive) than it needs to be. The good news is that if you learn what influences your credit scores, you’ll be better equipped to improve them. …
Credit Repair: Hire a Pro or Do-It-Yourself?
December 6, 2018 Shawn Lane Consumer Credit Expert Recovering from credit problems is often a long, uphill battle. There are certainly steps you can take to potentially speed up the process, but it’s important to begin any credit repair journey with the proper expectations. Your credit problems most likely didn’t happen overnight. It’s probably going to take some time to …
Signs You Could Need Professional Credit Repair Help
November 9, 2018 Shawn Lane Consumer Credit Expert Bad credit is not only embarrassing and frustrating, it can also close a lot of doors. With bad credit you could have a difficult time qualifying for loans, landing a job, securing affordable insurance coverage, or even providing a place to live for yourself and your family. In addition to all of …
Free Credit Freezes: Do You Need Them?
October 18, 2018 Shawn Lane Consumer Credit Expert There is no surefire way to keep your personal information safe and protected. The Equifax Data Breach of 2017 alone exposed the sensitive, personal information of some 143 million consumers in the US. The Under Armour data breach, which occurred in the spring of 2018, exposed another 150 million consumer records as …
The Cost of Poor Credit
August 14, 2018 Shawn Lane Consumer Credit Expert You work hard to earn an income. Wasting that money is the last thing you want to do. If you have bad credit, however, wasting money is inevitable. Bad credit is incredibly expensive and the cost of bad credit is compounded the longer your credit remains in poor shape. Believe it or …
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and How It Protects You
September 27, 2018 Shawn Lane Consumer Credit Expert No one likes to pick up the phone or open the mailbox only to discover a debt collector on the other side. Sure, debt collectors are allowed to contact you regarding legitimate, unpaid debts, but they also have strict rules they must follow when doing so. Among these rules is the Fair …
Is There a Grace Period Before a Late Payment Will Hurt Your Credit Scores?
September 18, 2018 Shawn Lane Consumer Credit Expert You are working hard to clean up your credit and dig your way out of the hole when, all of a sudden, you are faced with an unexpected financial setback. Sound familiar? If so, you may find yourself asking the question “How late can my payments actually be before they hurt my …
Which Debt Should I Pay Off First?
August 28, 2018 Shawn Lane Consumer Credit Expert So you have come into some money (or perhaps freed up a bit of room in your budget) and you are ready to start paying down your debts. Now you just need to choose where to start. Which debts should you pay off first and which ones can wait for later? The …
How to Rebuild Your Credit After a Bankruptcy
July 11, 2018 Shawn Lane Consumer Credit Expert Bankruptcy has its pros and cons. Chances are that you considered the facts, weighed your options, and did not choose to file bankruptcy lightly. Although bankruptcy can certainly hurt your credit, filing for bankruptcy does not mean that you have to be stuck with horrible credit forever. There are steps that you …
How Co-Signing Impacts Your Credit
July 25, 2018 Shawn Lane Consumer Credit Expert Most credit questions asked of me can be answered exactly the same. “It depends…” Question: How will an inquiry impact my credit? Answer: “It depends” Question: How will opening a new credit card impact my credit? Answer: “It depends” Asking how co-signing impacts your credit is no exception. The effect which co-signing …