Posted on July - 23 - 2010

How to Increase Your Credit Limit Without Asking

Last week I was planning a major purchase (new living room furniture) that I wanted to put on my rewards credit card in order to earn cash back. The problem? Putting the purchase on my card would place me above that 50% debt-to-available-credit ratio that negatively impacts your FICO score. I was about to call the credit card company and ask them to increase my credit limit when I received a notice in the mail that my credit card company had increased my limit — without my asking! Am I just that lucky? Not at all.

I began thinking about the steps anyone can take to get your credit card company to increase your limit without asking.

This information is especially useful since it’s harder to get companies to increase your limit at your request. Instead, they offer periodic, routine reviews of your account and then decide whether or not to increase your limit. (Be

Read more…

Posted on July - 21 - 2010

Compare credit card offers before you make your decision

It’s really the best way forward.  And if you don’t compare you’ll never know how much money you could have saved, or what bonuses and rewards you could get your hands on.  Credit cards are all about getting what you can when you learn to use them properly.  Today i’m going to look at a couple of credit cards and do a very basic comparison…

RBS Credit card

  • 0% interest on balance transfers for 15 months (2.9% fee on the transfer amount)
  • 16.9% APR
  • 0% interest on purchases for first 3 months
  • Discount reward system on shopping, wine and travel

Egg

  • 0% interest on balance tranfers until Sep 2011.  This is also 15 months, just like RBS; Egg have just tried to make it sounds longer.
  • 17.9% APR.  Not as good as RBS,
  • 0% interest on purchases until October 2010.  Again this is the same as RBS and Egg are trying desperately to make it sound much, much longer.
  • Egg Cashback store.  This is a reward system that offers cashback on online retailers.  This is great if you spend a lot of money online.

So you can see from the comparison that basically the RBS credit card is better than Egg for a variety of reasons, not least among them should be the fact that Egg are trying to fool you rather pathetically!  And that is basically how you do a very basic credit card comparison.  More next time.

Posted on July - 20 - 2010

Your Credit Score and the Financial Reform Legislation

President Obama recently signed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.  It is commonly known as the Financial Reform Legislation and is designed to help prevent economic failure.  To accomplish this it has many new regulations and restrictions on lending and credit.  Its far reaching effects go all the way down to your individual credit score.

This legislation means your credit score is now more important than ever to get a loan or financing for both you personally and for small business owners whose personal credit is used.

Among other things, lenders will be required to certify that consumers have a reasonable ability to repay a loan.  Lenders will look at your income closely, but this will also force more scrutiny on your credit score and credit report showing your prior ability to pay your obligations.

This means your credit score is now more important than ever to get a loan and especially a mortgage.  It is interesting to note that Auto lending is exempt from this legislation, but your credit score plays a big role here too.

Make sure your credit score is the best it can be, before you apply for any loan.  Also, make sure you have credit monitoring and identity theft protection.

How to get the best credit score possible.

No credit score will last forever.  It w

Read more…

Posted on July - 17 - 2010

New credit check requirements cause of concern for mortgage lenders

New credit check requirements cause of concern for mortgage lenders.

Fannie Mae recently introduced a new rule that would require lenders to run an extra credit check on potential borrowers before they closed on their mortgages. That requirement caused some consternation from consumers, and now lenders are also expressing their concern.

According to a report in the Washington Post, because Fannie Mae has been requiring a second check right before closing, many banks have suffered through logistical nightmares. Some consumers may have been unaware of the new requirement and gone out and gotten new loans. Read more…

Posted on July - 15 - 2010

National Trust cards are the way to a prettier England

There are many ways in which the National Trust maintain their lands and buildings, and a lot of it will come from memberships, entrance fees and gifts.  However there is another way that the National Trust are gaining considerable support lately, and it’s through the new credit cards…

You can get credit cards for almsot any charity, and the National Trust is no less worthy than any one of those others.  If keeping your country’s heritage and natural beauty is an important consideration in your life then the National Trust thank you dearly and recommend that you do your shopping with the National Trust credit card.

When you do your grocery shopping with the credit card, everything you spend will be calculated at the end and a total of it will be sent to the National Trust to do with as they please (hopefully to maintain the heritage of England).

So if your environment and the future of England’s heritage are at the top of your list then you need to support them with a credit card.  Your children may thank you for being so ecological  when they grow and inherit the earth.

Posted on July - 13 - 2010

FICO Reports Credit Scores At an All-Time Low

A new report issued by FICO, still the number one company that provides credit scores lenders view to assess an individual’s credit risk, shows a number of interesting facts about the current U.S. economy.

1. More Americans have poor credit than ever before.
2. There are also more Americans with excellent credit than there have been in the past.
3. The number of people with a mid-range score (650 – 699) has dropped.

43.4 Million Americans Probably Cannot Get a Loan

According to the FICO report, 43.4 million Americans have a FICO score below 599, which is considered poor. This number represents 25.5 % of all Americans. Their poor credit score will make it harder (or impossible) for these people to:

    Get a mortgage
  • Buy a car with a loan
  • Get an unsecured credit card
  • Rent an apartment
  • Sign up for a cell phone plan

Additionally, these individuals may pay higher interest rates if they can get credit, and may pay more for car, homeowners’ or renter’s insurance.

Read more…