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Can Holiday Spending Hurt Your Credit Score?

January 6, 2022 Shawn Lane Consumer Credit Expert   The holidays are not a time to pinch pennies. There’s nothing wrong with loosening the purse strings, giving generously, and using this time to focus on friends and family instead of money. But you at least want to make it through to the end of the year with your finances intact, …

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How Holiday Shopping Can Affect Your Credit

December 23, 2020Shawn LaneConsumer Credit Expert As the 2020 Christmas shopping season begins in earnest, consumers are likely concerned about how holiday spending will affect their finances. This year has seen more economic turmoil than any year since the Great Recession of 2008 – particularly affecting those in lower income brackets – so it’s understandable if the average shopper has …

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What is Debt Consolidation?

July 9, 2020Shawn LaneConsumer Credit Expert Dealing with multiple sources of debt is like juggling chainsaws. If you’re really good at it, you might be able to avoid getting hurt. If you’re really bad at it, you probably won’t get very far without incident. Either way, you’re one mistake away from disaster.So why not combine your debts into one, easily-manageable …

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Best Alternative to Payday Loans

June 11, 2020Shawn LaneConsumer Credit Expert Payday loans get a lot of flack – and rightfully so. They have outrageous interest rates and often use predatory practices to lure in financially vulnerable borrowers.  But if you think avoiding payday loans is easy, you’ve probably never been in a situation where you need money immediately. When you live paycheck to paycheck, …