Credit Scores

What Happens to Your Credit if You Return a Leased Car & Pay the Difference?
What Happens to Your Credit if You Return a Leased Car & Pay the Difference?

When you lease a car, you'll receive a contract that outlines any fees associated with turning the vehicle in early. As long as your scheduled payments have been made on time, and you pay the remaining balance, including all fees, you can return the car and suffer no negative ...

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More in Credit Scores

Can Buying a New Vehicle Drop Your Credit Score?
Can Buying a New Vehicle Drop Your Credit Score?

Buying a new car is an exciting experience, but the new car smell doesn't always make up for the money you're shelling out. Plus, if you're considering for applying for another loan, such as a ...Read More

How Do Mortgages Affect Your Credit Score?
How Do Mortgages Affect Your Credit Score?

Your credit score is your ticket to a low interest rate on loans and special perks on credit cards. Getting a mortgage will usually have a negative impact right after you take out the loan, but it ...Read More

How Does Prequalifying for an Auto Loan Work?
How Does Prequalifying for an Auto Loan Work?

When considering getting some new wheels, some shoppers are fly-by-the-seat-of-their-pants consumers. Maybe the car died and they’re on the hunt. Savvy car shoppers, on the other hand, tend to ...Read More

How Does Unsecured Debt vs. Secured Debt Affect Credit Ratings?
How Does Unsecured Debt vs. Secured Debt Affect Credit Ratings?

A credit score is fluid, and a change in the information in your credit report can create a change in your credit score, either up or down. A FICO score looks at your payment history, the length of ...Read More

What Is the Credit Score Needed for a True Earnings Credit Card?
What Is the Credit Score Needed for a True Earnings Credit Card?

Being a member of Costco, a warehouse club selling a large assortment of discounted products, is the first condition that qualifies you for the American Express True Earnings credit card. The second ...Read More

What Are the Credit Score Brackets That Banks Look At?
What Are the Credit Score Brackets That Banks Look At?

While a FICO score, one of the main measures of creditworthiness, ranges from 300 to 850, banks and lenders often break this range of scores down into brackets. Each bracket represents a different ...Read More

Which Is Worse for Your Credit, Unsecured Debt or Revolving Credit?
Which Is Worse for Your Credit, Unsecured Debt or Revolving Credit?

Carrying too much debt of any kind isn’t good for your credit score, especially if you don’t make your payments on time. When you overextend yourself, lenders and creditors are more likely to ...Read More

Will Deferment and Forbearance Ruin My Credit?
Will Deferment and Forbearance Ruin My Credit?

If you are unable to make your student loan payments, you may qualify to postpone those payments through either deferment or forbearance. Deferment primarily applies to federal student loans and is ...Read More

What Causes Someone to Be Denied a Loan?
What Causes Someone to Be Denied a Loan?

Along with a forced change of plans, it’s a blow to the ego when a lender denies your loan request. The amount of money available for lending may be the reason, as available funds fluctuate with the ...Read More

If an Insurance Company Pays Off Car Due to Accident, Will My Credit Score Decrease or Increase?
If an Insurance Company Pays Off Car Due to Accident, Will My Credit Score Decrease or Increase?

Auto owners with comprehensive insurance are covered when an accident occurs. Totaled vehicles are paid off when you owe less than the car is worth. It is difficult to gauge the total effect of early ...Read More

Types of Credit Monitoring Alerts
Types of Credit Monitoring Alerts

Your credit report contains personal information such as your name, address, debt and payment history, and bankruptcy records. It is used by lenders to determine your creditworthiness and is also a ...Read More

Do Savings Affect a Credit Score?
Do Savings Affect a Credit Score?

Credit scores often get viewed as a stand-in for a person's entire financial life, when in fact they reflect only one element of that life -- how a person manages credit. Important elements of ...Read More

Does Cosigning a Child's Student Loan Impact Credit Scores?
Does Cosigning a Child's Student Loan Impact Credit Scores?

Even if you never have to make a payment on the loan, cosigning a child's student loan will impact your credit score. Depending on your credit history, the student loan and your upcoming financial ...Read More

Does Marriage Affect Your Credit Score?
Does Marriage Affect Your Credit Score?

Your credit score is your ticket to borrowing money -- whether it's a mortgage or a charge card, most lenders pull your score before giving you credit. To get the best rates, you need a good score. ...Read More