Though you try to protect your vital information when shopping online, the risk of having your credit card information compromised is higher than ever. Even with advanced security protocols, you could find yourself a victim of credit card fraud. Fortunately, recovering from this kind of situation is a straightforward process — so long as you...
Since your credit score is an indicator of your financial standing, it plays a large role in determining your eligibility for loans and favorable interest rates. If you’d like the opportunities that come with a higher credit score, here are some of the best practices for managing your money to boosting your score:
Topics: Financial Education, Credit Cards
Many consumers are tempted to limit their debt by closing one or more credit cards, as a result of the steady rise of the cost of living, and credit card interest rates. However, while there are many reasons to close a credit card, there are ultimately even more and better reasons not to do so.
Topics: Financial Education, Credit Cards
Smartphones have revolutionized how you can perform financial transactions, making it easy for you to shop, pay bills, and send money to friends from wherever you are. You can perform these transactions in a variety of ways, such as paying via web browser or app, using near-field communications (NFC) technology to tap your phone at checkout, or...
Topics: Online Banking, Credit Cards, Mobile Banking
If you’re inundated with requests by utility providers, department store credit cards, and insurance companies to “go paperless” but haven’t made the switch to digital statements yet, you’re missing out on some great benefits.
Topics: Technology, Insurance, Credit Cards
Refinancing a loan involves replacing an existing loan by paying off the debt with a new one. Ideally, the new loan has better terms or features to make the process worthwhile. This can help save you money in the long term or make your life easier in other ways.
Topics: Financial Education, Credit Cards, Personal Lending
Credit cards are a ubiquitous part of modern life. But while increasingly advanced websites and smartphone apps give you a lot of control over your credit cards and accounts, sometimes it is best to speak to a live customer service representative over the phone to get something done. The following are situations when making that call makes the...
Topics: Fraud Alerts/Scams, Credit Cards
In today’s fast-paced, online-centric world, scammers have more tools than ever to separate you from your hard-earned money. These efforts often ramp up during the holidays season. It is important to know these major warning signs for financial fraud:
Topics: Fraud Alerts/Scams, Personal Banking, Financial Education, Credit Cards
Consolidation is a common and proven debt management strategy. In short, it involves combining multiple debts into a single payment, making your overall debt easier to handle. It may even reduce total debt via lower interest rates. However, consolidation is not always as simple as it seems — if it even works for your specific situation. Here...
Topics: Personal Banking, Financial Education, Budgeting, Credit Cards
Between credit cards, student loans, car loans, and mortgages, you’re probably carrying some debt. On the surface, managing your debt can seem relatively easy — just make minimum payments. However, if you’d like to pay down your debts and increase your cash flow, you have some choices to make. Namely, which debt should you prioritize? Here’s a...
Topics: Mortgage Lending, Personal Banking, Saving Money, College, Financial Education, Credit Cards, Personal Lending, Taxes