August 23, 2022 Shawn Lane Consumer Credit Expert For many people, a home is the largest purchase they’ll make over the course of their lifetime. That’s why getting the lowest possible interest rate on a mortgage is so important. To do that, you’ll need to get your credit score as high as possible. There are no quick, overnight fixes for ..read more

July 7, 2022 Shawn Lane Consumer Credit Expert Credit cards have long been one of the most controversial topics in personal finance. For every piece of rational, constructive advice you can find on the internet, you’re just as likely to find 10 examples of misguided information or fear-mongering nonsense.   Thankfully, it’s not that difficult to clear up fact from ..read more

December 23, 2020Shawn LaneConsumer Credit Expert As the 2020 Christmas shopping season begins in earnest, consumers are likely concerned about how holiday spending will affect their finances. This year has seen more economic turmoil than any year since the Great Recession of 2008 – particularly affecting those in lower income brackets – so it’s understandable if the average shopper has ..read more

March 11, 2021 Shawn Lane Consumer Credit Expert It’s easy to treat a tax refund like free money – and many people do. When a check for hundreds or even thousands of dollars show up in the mail, who wouldn’t feel like they’ve just won the lottery? But a tax refund is just that – a refund – and because ..read more

January 7, 2021Shawn LaneConsumer Credit Expert New Year’s resolutions have a bad track record. They tend to fail, not through lack of effort, but because they’re usually too broad and overly ambitious. It’s difficult to formulate a strategy for a vaguely defined goal, and it’s even more difficult to stay motivated when your goal is unrealistic. That’s why financial goals ..read more

June 10, 2021 Shawn Lane Consumer Credit Expert You’re probably aware that a high credit score is the single most important factor in securing a loan. But did you know that you have more than one credit score? FICO and VantageScore are the two main credit scoring models used by lenders. They each take a similar, but slightly different approach ..read more

November 2, 2021 Shawn Lane Consumer Credit Expert If you’re trying to actively monitor your credit, paying for a copy of your credit score can be a frustrating expense. In this situation, companies offering a free copy of your credit score probably seem like a godsend. But while these services can show you a free credit score, it might not ..read more

November 18, 2021 Shawn Lane Consumer Credit Expert When you take on any form of debt, there are limits to how much money you can borrow. For a loan, that limit is represented as the total sum offered to the borrower. For a credit card, it’s represented as the credit limit.If you want the ability to spend more money with ..read more

January 6, 2022 Shawn Lane Consumer Credit Expert   The holidays are not a time to pinch pennies. There’s nothing wrong with loosening the purse strings, giving generously, and using this time to focus on friends and family instead of money. But you at least want to make it through to the end of the year with your finances intact ..read more

February 10, 2022 Shawn Lane Consumer Credit Expert For many people, credit bureaus seem like static, unchanging entities. It would certainly be comforting to think that the organizations in charge of determining credit scores have everything under control. But these companies are anything but perfect – and that may be putting it mildly. Credit bureaus have been receiving an increasing ..read more