When you hear talks about credit score, they are usually speaking about your FICO Score, even though there are other scores like the FAKO score or Vantage Score. The former is used to describe any credit score that is not a FICO score. The latter is a brand of credit score that was launched by the three major credit bureaus – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion in March … [Read more...]
Money Monday: For Financial Sanity It Pays To Test Drive Your Payments
It's heartbreaking to watch families lose their homes. The recession and jobs crisis shattered the "American Dream" for many. And let's not forget about the unscrupulous mortgage brokers who duped many unsuspecting home buyers. But many families simply bought more home than they could reasonably afford. It's easy to understand why. We all overestimate how much money we … [Read more...]
Money Monday: Why Parking Tickets And Library Fines Could Decimate Your Credit Score
So you racked up another parking ticket. No big deal. We all get them, but you better pay up. It seems cities are getting down right serious about collecting their money. With municipal budgets suffocating in red ink, cities are turning to collection agencies to recoup money from unpaid traffic and parking tickets. New York City, for instance, has nearly $700 million in … [Read more...]