Credit & Debt

Smart Quiz! If You Think Your Identity Has Been Stolen, The First Call You Should Make Is To… Answer: The FTC Identity theft totally sucks, period. If your identity has been stolen, the Federal Trade Commission says you should call them at 1-877-438-4338 or use their website at IdentityTheft.gov to file an official report. Read on for additional steps to limit the...

Will a Mortgage Refinance Pay Off? When a mortgage is refinanced, the lender issues a new loan with different terms to pay off the existing loan. There are a variety of reasons borrowers refinance, from lowering their interest rate to freeing up extra cash for a home renovation.Refinancing isn’t a choice to be made lightly, since doing so can affect...

(FinancialHealth.net) - When Charities Call, Things Are Not Always What They Seem The phone rings and you’re hoping it will be someone you've been longing to talk to. Instead, it’s a stranger asking you to donate your hard earned money to charity. Depending on your financial situation, your first reaction may be to give and then use the donation as...

Smart Quiz: When Should You Cancel an Unused Credit Card?You Should Never You Should Always If It Has a Fee If High Interest RateAnswer: If It Has a Fee Between paying down debt and boosting your credit score, balancing finances can be challenging. The ultimate goal is to have enough buying power to make big purchases at a stellar...

Smart Quiz! The Only Time It’s OK To Give Out Personal Financial Information Over The Phone Is When… Answer: You Called First Sophisticated scam artists are calling people from what appears to be their bank’s Caller ID and will seem to have your personal banking information, including digits of your account number, home address, employment information, mother's maiden name, and even items...

Smart Quiz: ONE Payment Method Offers The Most Protection From Fraud and Theft a. Gift Cards b. Credit Cards c. Debit cards d. Pre-paid Cards Answer: Credit Cards There is nothing quite as gutting as swiping your debit card to make a purchase, only to find it’s been declined. When your debit card has been compromised, all of your accessible cash is at risk and...

Smart Quiz: Which of the Following Does Not Impact Your Credit ScoreMortgage Car Loans Income Student LoansAnswer: Income Of all the times people might worry about their income, they shouldn’t when they are looking at their credit score or report. Income history doesn’t show up or factor into your credit report or score. Credit reports are just indicators of past...

Borrowers Looking for Flexible Lending Will Love This Loan A peer-to-peer loan allows for lending without a bank. The loans are funded by individual investors looking for creative ways to profit off of interest rates. These loans happen online and are often facilitated by an organization that charges a small fee to make a little money themselves.There are good reasons...

Smart Quiz: One of the Most Common Frauds Against Debit and Credit Cards is...Skimming BIN attack Card not present Identity TheftAnswer: Card not present You’ve probably heard at least one horror story about someone trying to use their debit card and finding it declined for insufficient funds; or someone who has received a dreaded call from the bank to...

Smart Quiz: What is the Leading Cause of Bankruptcy in the US? a. Medical Debt b. Fraud and Scams c. Home Foreclosure d. Outliving savings Answer: Medical Debt Bankruptcy filings are usually thought to be caused by irresponsible spending habits and poor life choices. In many cases they are, but in reality, the #1 reason people file for bankruptcy in the United States is medical...