Strong credit health begins with knowing exactly what is affecting your credit. The way to find this information is by accessing your credit reports each year. The process is free and relatively easy to complete. We’ll walk you through exactly how to request your free credit reports and what to look for once you’ve received … Continue reading How to Get Your Free Annual Credit Report →

If you’re shopping for a mortgage to purchase a house, you may notice different lenders advertising the best interest rates for their mortgages. You’ll also start to see that different loan products have different rates. What you should understand before you apply for a mortgage is that not everyone qualifies for those low interest rates. … Continue reading How Your Credit Score Affects Your Mortgage Rate →

There are a number of instances where you might be asked to co-sign a loan. For example, your son or daughter may come to you and ask if you can co-sign a loan with them to get a new car. Perhaps they just graduated from college and have no credit history of their own. But … Continue reading Does Co-Signing a Loan Affect Your Credit? →

Derogatory marks listed on your credit report can leave a lasting impact on your credit score — and not in a good way. So what exactly does that mean? As the name implies, a derogatory mark refers to any negative item on your credit report. Most stay there for at least seven years, but some … Continue reading What Is a Derogatory Mark on Your Credit Report? →

Any payment made 30 days or more after the due date is at risk of being reported to the three credit bureaus as a late payment. And having your credit report peppered with them can cause your credit score to plummet. Added to that is the fact that the payment continues to show up on … Continue reading How to Get a Late Payment Removed from Your Credit Report →