Advice & Expertise Blog

Articles tagged #CreditScore

1. 

   Pay Bills with a Credit Card to Help Build Credit

   Amanda Peterson October 23, 2024  •  3 Minute Read

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   Paying bills with a credit card can be an easy way to boost your credit score. Learn how making timely payments and managing your balance can help build a strong credit profile while earning rewards. CreditSoup breaks down the details in this article.

2. 

   Stuck in the 500s? 5 Ways to Boost Your Credit Score

   Amanda Peterson March 15, 2024  •  2 Minute Read

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   A credit score in the 500s can feel limiting. With some focused effort, you can climb out of the 500s and into a more favorable credit zone. CreditSoup has 5 key strategies to get you started.

3. 

   8 Financial Resolutions for a Prosperous Year

   Amanda Peterson January 9, 2024  •  2 Minute Read

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   New Year’s resolutions are a popular way to set fresh goals, especially when it comes to improving your financial health. CreditSoup offers 8 financial resolutions for a prosperous new year!

4. 

   Watch Your Credit Score

   Amanda Peterson December 29, 2023  •  2 Minute Read

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   It's Frugal Friday and as the holiday shopping frenzy winds down, it's crucial to be mindful of the potential impact on your credit score. Holiday spending and how you repay it, can have a big impact on your credit score.

5. 

   The Shopping Effect on Your Credit Score

   Amanda Peterson December 28, 2023  •  2 Minute Read

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   Approaching holiday expenses with a thoughtful strategy, you can enjoy the festivities without compromising your credit score. CreditSoup has 4 tips to save your credit score.

6. 

   The Power of Documenting Your Expenses

   Amanda Peterson December 21, 2023  •  2 Minute Read

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   Keep a detailed record of your expenses to stay within your budget, allowing you to enjoy your destination holiday without the lingering worry of potential credit score impacts. CreditSoup breaks it down.

7. 

   10 Reasons To Apply For A New Credit Card

   CreditSoup Staff July 12, 2023  •  3 Minute Read

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   Credit card benefits and rewards for new applicants are constantly changing to stay competitive with other credit card companies, here are 10 reasons why you should consider applying for a new credit card.

8. 

   How Do Credit Scores Vary by Age and Region?

   Holly Johnson June 12, 2023  •  4 Minute Read

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   Most people don’t realize how important their credit score is until it’s time to purchase a home, finance a car, or borrow money for any other reason. It’s always smart to know your current credit score, as well as the steps you can take to improve it.

9. 

   Beginners Guide to Your Credit Score

   Amanda Peterson May 24, 2023  •  2 Minute Read

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   What exactly is a Credit Score? CreditSoup breaks it down here. A credit score is a prediction of your credit behavior, such as how likely you are to pay a loan back on time, based on information from your credit reports.

10. 

    4 Strategic Ways To Improve Your Credit Score

    CreditSoup Staff May 8, 2023  •  4 Minute Read

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    Paying off your debt will improve your credit, but understanding how to pay off your debt could help increase your credit score exponentially. Learn more about how to strategically manage your credit score and may the most of your payments.

11. 

    How to Get a Car Loan with Bad Credit

    Kat Tretina April 27, 2023  •  3 Minute Read

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    If you’re new to credit or are trying to rebuild, getting an auto loan can be difficult. Even though auto loans are secured by the car itself, many auto lenders are uneasy about lending to someone with a poor track record.

12. 

    The Factors Separating Good Credit From Great Credit

    CreditSoup Staff April 12, 2023  •  4 Minute Read

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    If you are reading this and care about your financial health, odds are you check your credit score regularly. But do you know what goes into determining that mysterious number?

13. 

    Check Your Credit Report

    Amanda Peterson March 15, 2023  •  4 Minute Read

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    Spending wisely heavily revolves around your credit report. Why, you may ask? When you have a poor report - or a poor credit score for that matter - it makes it really hard to buy anything of importance, such as a car or even a house.

14. 

    Job Hunting Hack: Clean Up Your Social & Financial Profiles

    Kat Tretina March 7, 2023  •  4 Minute Read

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    If you’re in the hunt for a job, you likely have polished your resume, bought an interview suit, and spend huge chunks of your day scouring job boards. However, if you haven’t taken the time to check out your web presence & monitor your credit report, you could cost yourself that coveted job.

15. 

    5 Simple Ways to Boost Your Credit Score

    Kirsten Thuringer December 29, 2022  •  3 Minute Read

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    Let’s face it: Credit scores are a confusing concept. Most people don’t know much about their credit score aside from the fact it’s a three-digit number that controls nearly every financial aspect of their lives.

16. 

    7 Ways Your Credit Score Affects Your Life

    Kat Tretina December 28, 2022  •  3 Minute Read

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    After your Social Security number, the most important number in your life is your credit score. You probably know that lenders look at your credit when deciding whether or not to issue you a credit card or loan, but your credit score plays a much more significant role in your life.

17. 

    Check Your Credit Score

    Amanda Peterson October 19, 2022  •  1 Minute Read

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    Wise Spend Wednesday tip of the week would be to keep your spending in check by checking your credit score!

18. 

    Using A Credit Card To Improve Your Credit Score

    CreditSoup Staff October 14, 2022  •  3 Minute Read

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    Credit cards can be a create way to establish a credit if you don’t have any or to improve your existing credit score over time. Learn more about how credit cards can positively affect your credit.

19. 

    How Does Your Credit Score Measure Up?

    Kat Tretina August 15, 2022  •  3 Minute Read

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    You’ve probably heard from your parents and teachers that a good credit score is important. But what is good credit for your age and how do you get there? Find out what the average credit score is for each age group and what you can do to improve your score.

20. 

    Getting a Perfect Score: Is an 850 FICO Even Possible?

    Kat Tretina August 5, 2022  •  5 Minute Read

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    Your FICO score is determined by completing a complex calculation of your entire credit history, broken down into an easy-to-understand three-digit number. The higher your FICO score, the more creditworthy you are.

21. 

    6 Ways to Build Your Credit History

    Kat Tretina May 26, 2022  •  5 Minute Read

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    When I graduated from college, apartment shopping was a nightmare. I had a good job, a decent entry-level salary and I was only looking for a small studio, yet I couldn’t get approved on my own. Because I had been starkly anti-debt and never had a credit card or car loan, I had something worse than a low credit score - I had no credit at all.

22. 

    How to Establish (or Reestablish) Good Credit

    CreditSoup Staff October 8, 2021  •  8 Minute Read

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    If you don't have a credit score or credit history, there are a variety of ways that you can build one. Some of these options may or may not be open to you depending on your age and income, but one or more of the options should be available to you. Additionally, so long as you're careful about it, there's no reason you shouldn't be able to use several of these methods to build a solid credit score.

23. 

    Credit Score Myths You Can Ignore

    Holly Johnson August 5, 2021  •  5 Minute Read

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    To help you cut through the nonsense and find out the steps you can take to help your credit score in the long run, we decided to break down the top credit myths you hear today. Feel free to ignore these myths from this day forward.

24. 

    How to Increase Your Credit Score in 5 Easy Steps

    Chelsea Denning May 28, 2021  •  2 Minute Read

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    You may be wondering, does my credit score really matter that much? Should I be making proactive steps to improve my score or just assume it will get better with time? We’re here to tell you that your credit score is important, and we are going to break down what you can do to improve that critical number.

25. 

    A Reliable Way to Build Credit Without A Credit Card

    CreditSoup Staff August 1, 2019  •  3 Minute Read

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    If you are one of the millions of Americans with less than great credit, you probably have been denied for a loan or credit card, paid higher interest rates if you received credit, or had trouble renting an apartment or home because of your low credit score. With a Credit Strong account, consumers can build credit by setting aside savings.

26. 

    What Credit Score You Need to Qualify for the Most Popular Credit Cards

    Kat Tretina July 24, 2019  •  4 Minute Read

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    To qualify for a strong rewards credit card, you’ll likely need a high credit score. More basic cards have lower requirements, so it’s easier to get approved for a card.

27. 

    5 Ways Credit Cards Can Impact Your FICO scores

    Kat Tretina June 10, 2019  •  3 Minute Read

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    Credit cards play a big role in establishing your credit score. If used wisely, credit cards can positively impact your credit. But, at the same time, credit card mistakes can be costly in the form of a damaged credit report.

28. 

    What is a Credit Score?

    Kirsten Thuringer May 17, 2019  •  4 Minute Read

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    If aliens judged us by our commercials, they’d probably assume everyone were interested in pharmaceuticals, luxury cars, and credit scores. Many advertisements urge viewers to know their credit rating by heart.

29. 

    Will a New Rewards Credit Card Harm My Credit Score?

    Holly Johnson December 31, 2018  •  4 Minute Read

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    It’s smart to wonder how getting a new credit card will affect your credit score. After all, your credit score can impact the interest rate you’ll pay on credit cards and other loans. Learn more about your credit score and if a new rewards credit card would harm it.

30. 

    Using Your First Credit Card To Improve Your Credit

    CreditSoup Staff December 19, 2018  •  3 Minute Read

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    It’s important that you have the right information before applying for your first credit card. Building good credit from the beginning is much easier than recovering from negative marks on your credit score. Follow these tips to build good credit with your first credit card.

31. 

    How to Boost Your Credit Limit

    Kat Tretina December 3, 2018  •  3 Minute Read

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    When you get your first credit card, your credit limit is typically very low. It could be as small as a few hundreds dollars. While getting a credit card is a great step in building your credit, having such a small credit limit can be frustrating.

32. 

    New FICO Scoring Model Could Be Coming: What This Means

    Holly Johnson November 26, 2018  •  4 Minute Read

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    If you believe this new scoring model could benefit you, it’s important to understand how your banking data could play a role. FICO has mentioned how your checking, savings, and money market history can be used to boost your credit score in some cases, but what does that mean?

33. 

    Improving Your Credit While you’re Still In Debt

    CreditSoup Staff November 8, 2018  •  4 Minute Read

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    Just because you can pay off your debt in large increments or all at onece doesn’t mean you can’t improve your credit score. Follow these simple step to improve your credit while your still in debt.

34. 

    How to Get 800 Credit Score in Your 20’s

    Kat Tretina September 25, 2018  •  3 Minute Read

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    If you want to achieve financial success at a young age, one of the best places to start is with your credit score. Your credit affects everything from the interest rate you get on a loan to whether or not you’ll land your dream job. Taking the time now to boost your score and reach 800 or higher will help you achieve your financial goals.

35. 

    What is a Good Credit Score?

    Holly Johnson September 20, 2018  •  5 Minute Read

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    Like it or not, your credit score may play a bigger role in your life — and your lifestyle — than you think. It all starts with knowing what a good credit score is and the steps you can take to achieve this milestone. Keep reading to learn more about credit score ranges and how to improve your score over the long haul.

36. 

    FICO vs. VantageScore: What’s the Difference?

    Holly Johnson September 6, 2018  •  4 Minute Read

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    Your credit score is an important measure of your overall credit health that can help — or stand in the way of — myriad financial goals. Although it isn't necessarily easy to understand, there are similarities to both your FICO score and VantageScore. Learn more now about each of these factors and what you can do to help improve your scores.

37. 

    How to Get an Apartment With Bad Credit

    Kat Tretina August 14, 2018  •  3 Minute Read

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    Most landlords have strict credit and income requirements. If you fall short of their guidelines, they won’t approve you for a lease. However, there are ways to secure a home. Check out these 6 strategies to get around credit requirements.

38. 

    Understanding Alternative Credit Scoring

    Ashley Dull August 8, 2018  •  5 Minute Read

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    In an effort to reach the millions of consumers without a credit score, alternative credit scoring models are being developed that incorporate non-traditional data into their algorithms. While many of these models are operated by smaller companies, major scoring agencies, FICO and VantageScore, are also working on ways to expand access to alternative scoring models.

39. 

    How to Raise Your Credit Score When You Can’t Get a Credit Card

    Holly Johnson June 29, 2018  •  4 Minute Read

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    You may not be approved for a new credit card if your credit profile is thin or you have negative marks on your credit report, after all. Still, you’ll want to take steps to improve your credit whether you can get a new credit card or not. Here are four strategies that can make the biggest impact in the shortest amount of time.

40. 

    Myth Busted: No, Opening New Credit Cards Won’t Bomb Your Credit Score

    Holly Johnson August 8, 2017  •  5 Minute Read

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    Credit card signup bonuses are often considered the holy grail of affordable travel. Sign up for a new rewards credit card or travel credit card, hit a minimum spending requirement, and earn a bonus big enough to pay for several hotel nights or a free round-trip flight. If you’re into cash-back instead, you can also parlay your rewards into several hundred dollars in statement credits instead.

41. 

    How Your Credit Score May Affect Your Job Search

    Kat Tretina June 21, 2017  •  3 Minute Read

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    If you’re interviewing for a new job, you know the importance of a polished resume, personalized cover letter, professional interview attire, and preparedness. One of the most overlooked factors that can affect your chances of getting a job is your credit.

42. 

    Making Sense Of Your Credit Score

    CreditSoup Staff June 1, 2017  •  1 Minute Read

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    Several factors influence a credit score and how the score is determined. The higher the credit score the better chance the consumer will have to be approved for lower interest loans and prime credit cards. Along with approval odds, your credit score may have a factor in whether you are hired for your dream job or utility rates for cable, internet, etc. In this infographic, you’ll find a rundown of the different aspects that make up your credit score and how you can improve your score. Read on

43. 

    Credit Score Vs. Credit Report, What’s The Difference?

    Jason Steele May 2, 2017  •  3 Minute Read

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    Credit can be very confusing. Americans can be granted or denied a loan and have very little understanding why. In addition, you have to make a special request to view your own credit report, and it can be dozens of pages long and almost appear to be written in a different language.

44. 

    3 Ways to Help Improve your Credit Score

    Kirsten Thuringer August 25, 2016  •  1 Minute Read

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    Your Credit Score is very important and having a low score can affect you in more ways than one. Whether you’re buying a home or applying for a credit card, having a low credit score can impact your Annual Percentage Rate (APR), as well as determine if you are able to get a loan or approved for the credit card.

45. 

    Want to improve your credit score?

    Scott Delzer January 18, 2011  •  1 Minute Read

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    Learn what to do with old accounts and how open credit accounts impact your credit report. Find tips on how to manage old credit card accounts that could improve your credit score.

46. 

    Credit repair options for bad credit to boost your credit score.

    Scott Delzer January 4, 2011  •  1 Minute Read

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    Tips to improve the credit score that will help you save money the next time you apply for a credit card, auto loan, mortgage loan or even health insurance.

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