credit score: 7 Habits to build a great credit score.
- 07/09/15 02:16 PM
Keeping a great credit score is the best way to save money on your mortgage, car loan, credit cards, and other interest rates, but it takes responsible financial choices with money, credit, and debt to achieve that. As FICO scores range from 300-850, with 680 considered good and above 720 excellent, it’s important to understand these seven habits that will increase your credit score and improve your finances over time. 1. Get your financial house in order. The first step to building a great credit score is setting correct habits with the rest of your finances. Document what you spend every month, eliminate the … (2 comments)
credit score: Americans are still buried in credit card debt...but have a shovel.
- 07/09/15 02:01 PM
Recent findings from the Federal Reserve revealed that Americans are still buried in debt even after the recession and financial recovery. In fact, as a nation we now have $884.8 billion of credit card debt, not to mention our rising student loan and medical debt. And while our credit card debt totals are down approximately 5% since last year, analysts point out that’s because so many people have defaulted on large amounts of debt, not that we’re paying it off. But with the stock market booming, things looking rosy in the real estate sector, and optimistic employment numbers, people often look … (1 comments)
credit score: New study reveals that 1 in 10 American adults are "credit invisible."
- 05/22/15 09:08 AM
Every adult in the United States has a credit score, right? Not so fast, as recent studies show that a large percentage of the population actually are without a score at all, or have credit histories that are so sparse that they’re unusable. Those are the findings of a study released last week by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The CHPB reported that an astounding 26 million adult Americans, or one in ten in the population, have no credit reporting on file with Equifax, Experian, or Transunion, the big three credit reporting agencies. Almost as prevalent are the 19 million “credit invisible” … (1 comments)
credit score: Men are from Mars, but women have better credit scores.
- 05/22/15 09:06 AM
ents When it comes to men and women, which sex can claim top honors for their credit scores? A recent study by the credit bureau Experian revealed some interesting differences about men and women when it comes to managing their credit and knowledge about how scores and reporting work, and it may not be what you expected. Making lending or credit decisions based on gender is illegal in the United States, so few bother to collect data and do comprehensive studies. But Experian bucked that trend by pulling the data on credit scores, average debt, utilization ratios, mortgage amounts and mortgage delinquencies … (2 comments)
credit score: Does it matter where you live? Average credit scores by state.
- 10/04/14 08:06 AM
Does it matter where you live? Average credit scores by state. 9/22/2014 0 Comments When anticipating the differences in average credit score, there are many factors we may consider – income levels, age, and the amount of debt they hold the three big ones. But there’s another surprising factor that correlates with credit scores – where you live. In fact, the disparities between credit scores from state to state are startling. FICO reports the average credit score in the U.S. is 681 and the national average Experian Vantage score is about 750, but there’s a huge differential between states – … (1 comments)
credit score: FICO's new Score 9 is a win-win for credit accuracy, consumers.
- 09/20/14 07:11 AM
This week, the credit reporting giant FICO reported they’re rolling out an update to their scoring model, FICO Score 9. Once implemented, it will provide a more accurate and fair way to gauge consumer collections for credit scoring. The highlight of FICO Score 9 is that it will differentiate medical collections from other consumer credit accounts in collections. Up until now, those two types of accounts were lumped in together once they hit collections – hurting credit scores the same way. But with a reported 46 million Americans without health insurance and up to two thirds of bankruptcies caused by unpaid medical bills … (1 comments)
credit score: Does the average person really understand credit?
- 07/11/14 11:16 PM
Does the average person really understand credit? I came across this info graphic today and wanted to share it with you. It illustrates the need for education and a better understanding of credit and credit scoring. Blue Water Credit is happy to help! In a random survey of 1,000 Americans: 20% of respondents admitted their knowledge of credit score was poor. 71% failed to answer a question about how companies and service providers use credit score. Only 59% of Americans consider themselves to be highly knowledgeable about personal finance. The majority of those polled agree there should be a ban on an employer’s right to … (4 comments)
credit score: What makes Blue Water Credit different?
- 04/29/14 02:17 PM
Your credit score is more important than ever these days, whether you’re trying to buy a home, save money on your car loans or credit cards, or just trying to clean up your finances. You have a lot of choices who to work with to help raise your credit score, but Blue Water Credit would love the chance to earn your business and your trust. We’re a national credit restoration company that works with clients and creditors to improve credit profiles by challenging questionable, inaccurate, outdated, misleading and or unverifiable data on consumer credit reports. Here’s why Blue Water Credit is different … (0 comments)
We all try to keep on top of our bills, but every once and a while there’s a bump in the road and we might miss a payment. Unfortunately, a 30-day late payment will report on your credit report and lower your score. How much will your FICO drop? There are a lot of factors that go into it, which we’ll go over here.
First off, if you realize you’re late on a payment call your bank or lender immediately. It may not be too late to salvage the situation and keep the late reporting off of your … (0 comments)
credit score: How many credit reporting agencies are there? Hint: It's not 3!
- 03/27/14 01:22 AM
If we asked most Americans how many credit bureaus there were, their answer would almost always be, “three.” A good number of people could probably even name them as Experian, Equifax, and Transunion, and feel proud of their knowledge of the credit industry. But very few people realize that there are actually a multitude of credit bureaus reporting your every mortgage, credit card, and occasional late payment, more than 35+ lesser-known ones at last count. Why are there so many? Some of them replicate the scoring models and functionality of the big three, while others serve specific esoteric niches in the financial … (2 comments)
credit score: Ask the experts: The top 5 questions about credit score.
- 03/05/14 02:57 PM
Why are credit scores so confusing? Credit scores may seem confusing but once you understand what it is and what parties are involved the role they play, it all becomes clear. Your credit score shows your history of using credit, including accounts you have opened and closed, credit limits, payment history amounts owed, and defaults. A credit score is tallied based on these factors and more, so your credit history determines your credit score. Your credit score is determined by an algorithm developed by the Fair Issue Corporation (hence its other name of FICO score). Three corporations, called “credit bureaus”, specialize in … (0 comments)
credit score: 10 Urban myths about credit score debunked.
- 01/30/14 04:51 PM
Did you know that if you drink Coca Cola and eat Pop Rocks at the same time, your stomach will explode? It happened to Little Mikey – you know, “Mikey likes it” from the old Life cereal commercials?
And that if you play the Beatles album “Helter Skelter” backward you’ll hear messages from the devil? (On a related note, I tried listening to Britney Spear’s latest album forward and it sounded like the devil.)
Or, how about this one…there was this family who drove down into Mexico for their family vacation and found a cute little scraggily street dog and took … (1 comments)
credit score: Is a person's credit score a major factor when dating?
- 01/14/14 11:45 AM
He’s over 5’5” tall, holds the door, is photogenic, has good hair, and doesn’t call you “Dude,” while high-fiving you - everything you always wanted in a man. She’s pretty without caking on the makeup, is way smarter than you, laughs at your bad jokes, and lies to you that she likes sports – your dream girl. The first date goes wonderfully, the conversation effortless, and before you know it you’re the last two customers at Applebee's splitting a double fudge alamode brownie. Date number two and especially number three (wink!) are even better, and you’re certain you found the love of your life … (0 comments)
credit score: What credit score gets you the best interest rate on your mortgage?
- 10/26/13 11:34 PM
What credit score do you need to get the absolute best interest rates for a mortgage? That’s the question the Zillow mortgage division set out to answer with its recent survey. To come to the conclusion, the Zillow survey factored in data from 13 million loan quotes and 225,000 purchase loan requests from September of this year. They then compared that data to a similar study they did in 2010 to evaluate trends in credit and mortgage. Their findings showed that to get the best home loan interest rate, consumers need a credit score of 740 or better (out of a possible … (0 comments)
1. You don’t need to pay to see your credit report.
Most of us have been charged to pull our credit report at some time, or go onto one of those “free” sites, only to be hit with a $15 hidden fee to see the full report. But according to the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (the FACT Act), you are eligible to receive a free copy of your credit report once each year from each of the three major credit bureaus by going to annualcreditreport.com. This will show your credit history, not your score, … (0 comments)
credit score: How does your credit score compare to the rest of the country?
- 07/17/13 09:46 PM
We love to compare ourselves to others – our salary, what car we drive, and, unfortunately, how in shape we are for summer next to everyone else on the beach. But few people know how their credit score ranks against the rest of the country. So we decided to dig up some credit score statistics by demographic from StatisticBrain.com so you can make sure to keep up with the Joneses!
Going by FICO scores, the national average is 691. Only 39% of people have obtained a copy of their credit report, while 37% of people have no clue what their … (0 comments)
America is built on its middle class, the brass ring of upward mobility we all reach for, but it seems we’re abruptly waking up from that dream. Some facets of the economy – like housing – are showing signs of life after a prolonged national recession, but it leaves us wondering what the average person’s financial situation will look like going forward. And how does our middle class compare to a generation ago? In the past, I noticed a common perception that our financial difficulties were, in large part, due to our over-indulgence. We were a nation of rabid consumers who … (2 comments)
Are you thinking about buying your first home? You’re not alone – this year it’s estimated that hundreds of thousands of people will take that big step into the American Dream and purchase their first home. That process can be at times confusing, overwhelming, and sometimes downright scary, but usually turns out to be the best (and happiest) investment you’ll ever make.
The good news is that there are ways to prepare for your first home purchase. It’s recommended you start planning and strategizing about 6-12 months before you are ready to sit in a realtor’s car and … (0 comments)
credit score: Battle of the sexes or the Amexes? Men and women's credit card habits.
- 07/16/13 11:15 PM
Men and women are different, that much we know, so divided that the most popular relationship book of all time is “Men are from Mars, Women from Venus.” But do the sexes manage their credit cards differently, too? We might have preconceived notions of how men and women use their credit cards: are women really going on shoe shopping sprees that make their cards smoke? Are men buying too many big shiny toys to stockpile in their man caves? Let’s find out. The website NextAdvisor.com did a yearlong study about the personal use of credit card debt, and the differences between … (0 comments)
credit score: Theft, freeze, and fraud; how to protect your financial identity.
- 07/16/13 10:56 PM
What's the fastest growing crime in the United States? Would you guess it has something to do with gun violence, corporate fraud, or maybe texting and driving? Nope! In fact, identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the US, so prevalent that every year about 15 million citizens have their identities stolen or used frequently, costing losses of up to $50 billion! In our information age when transactions are migrating online and even companies and the government lose your sensitive financial information to thieves. No one is immune - even celebrities like Hillary Clinton, Jay Z, and Attorney General Eric Holder have had … (0 comments)
Keeping a great credit score is the best way to save money on your mortgage, car loan, credit cards, and other interest rates, but it takes responsible financial choices with money, credit, and debt to achieve that. As FICO scores range from 300-850, with 680 considered good and above 720 excellent, it’s important to understand these seven habits that will increase your credit score and improve your finances over time. 
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