Credit Info Center

Debt is easy to get into and can be extremely difficult to get out of. Whether you have recently managed to pull yourself out of debt or are new to the wonderful world of budgeting and financial planning, here are several ways you can prevent getting into the debt trap.

If credit repair cost has you thinking twice about the process, get ready to feel much better about it.

When you repair your credit yourself, the expense is far more manageable than you might think. Though there are costs ranging from the price of postage to paying off debt, you do not need to pay for credit repair services or some other things associated with the process. 

What if you didn’t know what credit was going to cost until you got the bill? What if errors could stay on your credit reports with no dispute process? What if debt collectors could use whatever means they wanted to collect from you? What if they could garnish as much for your wages as they saw fit? What if credit repair companies could lie to you about what they’re able to do? 

Well, you’d be in a real financial mess with your credit repair options limited, if not non-existent. This is what makes the Consumer Credit Protection Act so groundbreaking and essential.

All the hype you’ve heard about credit unions is well-earned. It’s the reason we’ve seen growth at more than three times the rate of credit activity among consumers of other lender types. And it’s the reason you need to know how credit unions work and how to join one, which is easier than you might think. 

Whether it’s better customer service you’re looking for, or better chances of getting a loan when you’re trying to repair your credit, get the facts about how a credit union could be just what you need.

Do you know how to spot a tax scam?  Take a look at how the latest tax schemes work, how to protect yourself, and what to do if you are targeted.

Whether you need it now for a medical emergency or you’d like to have it on hand just in case, CareCredit can be a helpful credit card, especially with its deferred interest options. And you don’t need excellent credit to get it, meaning it can be a good way to not only finance health-related expenses, but also a good way to repair your credit score. 

That said, it’s important to understand what’s in the fine print or it could be costly. Get the facts about how CareCredit’s deferred interest financing works, where you can use CareCredit, what you can use it for, and more. 

As much as electronic funds transfers have simplified your ability to pay bills and receive money, they lack an essential built-in benefit of paper checks — documentation. 

Thus, the importance of the Electronic Funds Transfer Act, a 1978 law that requires not only individual receipts for each transfer made, but also periodic statements and disclosures. 

Errors can be costly – not only to your bank account, but also your credit — so make sure you know your rights. 

Some free credit monitoring services won't work with a credit freeze in place. Thankfully, there are some exceptions, meaning you need not sacrifice the free credit monitoring you need – for credit repair efforts and beyond — just as much as you need your credit freeze.

Making bad credit better can depend on a couple of things a credit freeze could impede. Find out how to work around it.

Done right, rewards credit cards can be lucrative and help repair bad credit. Done wrong, not so much. Get the facts.

If you're tired of the holidays breaking your budget, do it differently this year. Here's how. Here’s how to get it right this Halloween, Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas, day after Christmas, and New Year’s.