A noobie question on credit scores! I know raising your score is partly done by reliable monthly payments on credit cards and loans - and people who are just starting out to build their scores, are often advised to get a card and begin to responsibly pay it off, to catch the notice of the reporting agencies. Would that mean that if you can pay off a large credit loan (e.g., in the realm of $2k) immediately instead of sticking to a monthly payment system, you're missing out on chances to further raise your score? Or does being able to pay off such an amount in full give you an equivalent gold star sticker? [more inside]
posted on Jul 1, 2008 - 6 answers

How do credit bureaus work in Canada and the US? [more inside]
posted on Jun 4, 2008 - 4 answers

Posting for a friend: My friend was bad about paying bills on time for a credit card over a long period of time (multiple years). It's one of the major blemishes on their credit score right now and the issuer has just decided to cancel their card. The question is, how much will the issuer canceling the credit card be on my friend's credit score, and what can they do? [more inside]
posted on Jan 22, 2008 - 4 answers

How many credit cards should I have and what should my limits be for the best possible credit score? [more inside]
posted on Nov 29, 2007 - 7 answers

Help me design the Best Possible Plan For My Credit in 2008. Ten years ago I had no cash, and terrible credit. Today I have some cash, and no credit. I want to make some good choices next year, based on a well-considered strategy. [more inside]
posted on Nov 26, 2007 - 5 answers

Why did my credit score go down? [more inside]
posted on Oct 18, 2007 - 13 answers

Despite good intentions and record levels of responsibility, a stupid credit card screw-up and other small mistake just resulted in big fees and bad credit comments. How do I get these fees back and these comments off my credit report? [more inside]
posted on Jun 11, 2007 - 7 answers

My father, grandfather, and I all have the first and last names, with only different middle names to distinguish us, no suffixes. How do I go about untangling our credit reports? [more inside]
posted on May 10, 2007 - 12 answers

I want to buy a house. I have 20 grand but bad credit and a long term boyfriend with no money and good credit. What is the best option? [more inside]
posted on Apr 6, 2007 - 25 answers

Security Deposit Dispute: Will going to court hurt my credit? [more inside]
posted on Oct 17, 2006 - 10 answers

Why is my credit score so high? [more inside]
posted on Sep 12, 2006 - 12 answers

CreditFilter: Does co-signing for my student loans affect my parents' credit? [more inside]
posted on Jul 1, 2006 - 9 answers

Since my wallet was stolen, I've been trying to get a particular inaccuracy on my credit report corrected with no luck. I have written to the company that owns my report using their own online dispute form and via snail mail. It's been 6 months and I don't know what else to do to get them to respond. [more inside]
posted on Apr 22, 2005 - 10 answers

CreditFilter: Two years ago, not really understanding the importance of good credit behavior, I let a department store card slide for 180 days, twice (I KNOW!). This impacted my credit history greatly. I had previously had 4 years of good payment on two credit cards. Over the past year, to help recover and instill good habits, I pay my credit cards in full every month (read: no personal debt) and added a paid off car loan to my reports (15K). My CC limits have slowly increased but my score has remained somewhat the same (10 pt increase).

What can I do to get out of this rut? Some collegues I know have a sizable CC debt (around 15-20K) with less income than me but have great scores and could buy a house tommorrow with no problems. What am I missing and no, credit-fixing agencies are NOT an option.
posted on Dec 12, 2004 - 11 answers

Credit Reports. I've just received mine from the big three via MyFICO.com. I've got above average scores (750+), but I see a bunch of old credit cards that may or may not affect my score. You see, I'm getting my finances in order to go home loan shopping for the first time. What's steps should I be taking to make loan officers like me?
posted on Dec 8, 2004 - 11 answers