Like it or not, your credit score plays a major role in your ability to obtain financing for large purchases such as a car or home. Without good credit, you will need to pay back the loan at a higher interest rate or may not qualify for a loan at all.

This section of tips includes information about credit, using it wisely, and fixing credit reports. There are also a number of videos that cover the same material. You'll learn about credit counseling services, identity theft, and building a good credit history.

Tips, Tricks, and Answers

The following articles are available for the 'Credit' topic. Click the article''s title (shown in bold) to see the associated article.

   Avoiding Identity Theft
Identity theft is an ever-growing problem, fueled by the constant integration of information and technology. Despite its threat however, protecting yourself against identity theft is simple and just requires control.

   Boosting Your Credit Rating
No one really likes to have poor credit, but most people usually just live with what they have and take little or no action towards boosting it. Boosting your credit rating is surprisingly easy to do, if you simply follow a few guidelines.

   Building Good Credit
As you enter the world of adulthood you can start with a clean financial slate and start building your credit score. There are a few ways to do this, all of which if used in the right way can do much to bolster your score, but you need to approach these alternatives with a degree of caution so you don't make financial trouble for yourself.

   Credit Counseling Agencies
Credit counseling agencies can be a great benefit to you and your financial path, especially if you don't exactly know what to do. When considering this option however, approach it with caution and learn as much as you can so you can determine the best path for you.

   Dealing With Credit Reporting Agencies
Credit reporting agencies may just seem like another middle man, another device placed to confuse us and meddle with our financial affairs. While dealing with credit bureaus may be a pain and not a fun way to use your cell minutes, it is important to stay in touch with them especially when it concerns inconsistencies on your credit report. The way to stay on top when it comes to credit reporting agencies is to persist in correcting and controlling the information they have. When you know what's going on it's easier to fix any problems that may arise.

   Does Co-Signing Affect Your Credit?
Co-signing on a loan could be a nice gesture to help someone get on their feet after a bankruptcy or hard luck. It could, however, negatively impact your credit rating if they default.

   Getting Your Credit Report
Today more than 50% of all credit reports have errors. You are entitled to a free credit report annually, take advantage of this service to preserve your good credit rating.

   How to Re-Establish Your Credit
There are a lot of reasons why you would want to re-establish your credit. It could be that you just got out of a divorce, that you took a serious financial hit in the market, lost a job, or any number of reasons. How to re-establish your credit is going to be the same, regardless of why you need to do it.

   Maintaining Good Credit
Maintaining good credit is such an important topic that there have been entire sections of libraries written about it. That being said, there are a few hard truths that you can use to ensure that your credit stays as good as possible.

   Making Changes to Your Credit Report
Sometimes things can get on your credit report that you don't want and that aren't true. Fortunately there is a way to remedy false credit report information, but you just need to be ready for a long bureaucratic process of paperwork and red tape.

   Obtaining Free Credit Reports
Just about everyone knows that they are entitled to a copy of their credit report, but not everyone knows how to go about getting that report. The process for obtaining free credit reports is surprisingly easy, which makes it all the more confusing as to why people don't take advantage of it as they should.

   Re-establishing Credit After Bankruptcy
Credit scores change daily based on the information provided to credit bureaus. After a bankruptcy it is important to start adding positive entries to increase your credit score.

   Recognizing Credit Counseling Scams
Credit counseling is a useful credit tool that can get you well on your way to a stable financial score, however you do need to watch out for scams and fraudulent activity. If you can simply do research and use caution when investigating credit agencies then you'll be able to protect your information and your financial reputation.

   Repairing Bad Credit
Repairing bad credit is a difficult endeavor that takes perseverance and wise money management. It's not as tricky as it may seem, but you do need to know a few tips to overcome a poor credit rating.

   Understanding Your Credit Report
Credit reports can definitely be confusing and not fun to try and figure out. The division of the report is simple however and once you know what's supposed to be in the report you'll better be able to comprehend the actual report.

   Understanding Your Credit Score
A credit score is an important piece of information that is used by countless institutions to determine your "validity" as an investment risk. What exactly is your credit score though and how do you know if it's good? The basics of understanding your credit score aren't difficult and can give you a good head start to establishing stellar credit.

   Using Credit Wisely
Credit is quickly becoming a staple of mainstream society. It is a tool that can either build up your financial situation or that can devastate your finances and leave you in mounds of debt. If you can simply use your credit wisely however, credit shouldn't be a problem and you can go about your consumer life with a financial peace of mind.