Credit Reports News & Latest Credit Reports Headlines

How Paying the Rent Can Boost Your Credit Score

11:30AM 9/28/2011

In these shaky economic times, your credit score carries more weight than ever, which means building a credit history is vital. Paying bills on time is one thing that buffs up your score, but until now, paying your rent meant nothing. Credit bureau Experian and RentReporters.com are changing that.

Making a Financial Comeback After a Setback

9:00AM 7/21/2011

By Lynnette Khalfani-Cox

Debt, Credit Reports, Credit

So you first messed up your finances in your 20s, then made matters worse in your 30s. But now you're ready to act your age, get serious about the business of fixing your credit and start writing your financial comeback story, right? Whether you went on a few too many credit card-fueled shopping...

5 More Surprising Things That Hurt Your Credit Scores

11:00AM 6/09/2011

By Lynnette Khalfani-Cox

Debt, Credit Reports, Credit

When I wrote recently about five surprising things that hurt your credit scores – things like renting a car with a debit card or financing the purchase of furniture – many people were shocked to learn that innocent, everyday actions can wind up blemishing their credit reports. In...

5 Surprising Things That Hurt Your Credit Scores

8:30AM 6/07/2011

By Lynnette Khalfani-Cox

Debt, Credit Reports, Credit

We all know that making late payments or having credit card accounts in collections can hurt your credit scores. But you might be shocked to learn that a lot of other seemingly innocent actions can also negatively impact your credit rating. Here's a list of five surprising things that can lower...

How Bad Credit Can Affect You in the Workplace

12:00PM 3/22/2011

By Martha C. White

Debt, Credit Reports, Credit

Bad credit can limit your ability to get a loan or score a low-interest rate on a credit card, but that's not all it can do. It can also rear its ugly head in the workplace, making it harder for you to do your job or even -- in a frustrating catch-22 -- keep you from getting a job that could help...

Save Your Credit Score With These Five Steps

12:00PM 3/16/2011

By Martha C. White

Credit Reports, Credit

If you're an even semi-regular WalletPop reader, you know the importance of a good credit score. Not only is it your golden ticket to getting better rates for things like mortgages and credit cards, it also may help you get lower rates for auto insurance, rent an apartment and even get a job. But...

Can Your Ex Trash Your Credit Score?

6:00AM 3/07/2011

By Martha C. White

Credit Reports, Credit, Banking

Naomi Allen, a state government employee in Ohio, thought she was doing the "right thing" when her marriage dissolved in 2007. As the more financially savvy of the couple (she'd helped her then-husband raise his credit score several years back after discovering it was too low to qualify for a...

New Credit Score Survey Shows Widespread Misinformation

11:09AM 3/01/2011

By Martha C. White

Credit Reports, Credit

Consumer advocacy group the Consumer Federation of America, along with generic credit-score provider VantageScore Solutions, released the results of new research showing that most of us don't know as much as we should about credit scores, a knowledge gap that can prove costly. According to the two...

Debt Collectors Warned After Companies Target Military Personnel

2:00PM 2/22/2011

By James O'Brien

Debt, Credit Reports, Credit, Consumer Ally, Family Money

Following a series of debt-collection violations that victimized consumers, New York's attorney general has issued a stern warning to debt collectors. In the wake of a debt collection scam that targeted military personnel, one of a rash of recent violations, state officials have issued a warning...

Top Five Credit Score Myths

10:00AM 2/14/2011

By Martha C. White

Credit Reports, Credit Cards, Personal Loans, Credit, college finance

A good credit score is one of the basic building blocks to financial stability. However, even well-informed consumers may still believe in one or two of the commonly-believed myths about those crucial three digits. "We're seeing a lot of myths out there and a lot of misperceptions consumers have...