Proven strategies and myth-busting articles to help you master your credit score
Learn why budgeting is essential for financial health and credit building. Discover practical strategies to start tracking your money today, even if you've been avoiding it.
October 27, 2025
Discover the truth behind common credit myths that could be hurting your score. Learn what works for FICO scoring, credit utilization, and dispute tactics.
October 25, 2025
Why obsessing over the 30% credit utilization rule is unnecessary for most people and can sometimes be harmful. Learn when utilization matters, how the rule can backfire, and what you should focus on instead for better credit health.
October 25, 2025
What does 'Fair' or 'Very Good' approval odds mean on Credit Karma? Learn why these predictions are often wrong and what really determines if you'll get approved for a credit card.
October 25, 2025
Understanding the limitations and privacy concerns of Experian Boost and why the score increase may not help with lending decisions. Learn the real impact on FICO scores and whether it's worth sharing your banking data.
October 25, 2025
Why goodwill letters can be effective for removing late payments when done correctly, despite common misconceptions. Learn the goodwill saturation technique, real success stories, and proven strategies that get late payments removed from credit reports.
October 25, 2025
Why making multiple credit card payments per month doesn't improve your FICO score and the "paid as agreed" standard. Learn how payment history really works and why timing doesn't matter for credit building.
October 25, 2025
No, paying interest doesn't build credit faster. Learn why paying off loans slowly costs you money without improving your credit score, and what works.
October 25, 2025
No changes on your credit report but score dropped? Discover hidden factors like statement timing, account age changes, and hard inquiry aging that silently affect your FICO score.
October 25, 2025
The straightforward approach to building credit from scratch or improving what's there - no monthly fees, no data mining, just results
October 25, 2025
Debunking the myths about closing credit cards and their impact on credit history and scores. Learn how closed accounts affect FICO scoring, credit age calculations, and when it's okay to close cards.
July 14, 2025
Understanding why FICO doesn't directly factor credit limits and how utilization is what really matters. Learn the real relationship between credit limits, utilization ratios, and credit score improvement strategies.
July 14, 2025
Why credit mix is simpler than you think and more accounts don't necessarily improve your score. Learn the real impact of credit mix on FICO scores and why quality matters more than quantity for credit building.
July 14, 2025
Why the 'dispute everything' strategy is misleading and can harm your credit, plus better alternatives for accurate negative items. Learn proper dispute tactics, goodwill letters, and pay-for-delete strategies that work.
July 14, 2025
Why disputing everything on your credit report is misguided and what effective strategies work for legitimate negative items. Learn proper dispute tactics, goodwill letters, and pay-for-delete negotiations that get real results.
July 14, 2025
Understanding the truth about how hard inquiries impact FICO scores over time and the 365-day rule. Learn why inquiry points return all at once after 365 days, not gradually over time.
July 14, 2025
Why the common belief about hard inquiries only costing a few points is wrong, especially for new credit files. Learn how inquiries can cost 21+ points for thin files, inquiry binning effects, and why the credit industry downplays the real impact.
July 14, 2025
Why the advice to never close your oldest credit card is more complicated than it seems and what really happens to your credit age. Learn how FICO calculates credit history length and when closing old cards makes sense.
July 14, 2025
Understanding why you have multiple credit scores and how they differ from what credit monitoring services show you. Learn about FICO vs VantageScore differences, which scores lenders use, and why Credit Karma scores don't match what lenders see.
July 14, 2025
Understanding why your credit profile matters more than your credit score for loan and credit card approvals. Learn how lenders evaluate creditworthiness beyond just numbers and what factors determine approval decisions.
July 14, 2025
Lock down your credit in 15 minutes with this step-by-step guide for TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian - completely free and doesn't hurt your score
July 14, 2025
Why Credit Karma's VantageScore isn't what lenders use and how their approval odds can lead you astray
July 4, 2025
Understanding the difference between building and rebuilding credit and why opening new accounts isn't always the best strategy for damaged credit profiles
July 4, 2025
Dispute inaccurate information
Close accounts properly