Bev writes about credit scores and credit reports for NerdWallet. Her work has been featured in USA Today, the Christian Science Monitor and MSN Money. She mostly follows her own advice about not worrying about a perfect score (although she had one for at least a few minutes). In her free time, she enjoys music, fitness, murder mysteries and dark chocolate.
Credit freezes and unfreezes with the three major credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — became free for everyone Sept. 21. Fraud alerts, which always have been free, were extended from…
Choosing the best way to pay for something — credit or cash — can make a real dollar difference for you. So knowing when to do which is key. Personal…
In this series, NerdWallet interviews people who have triumphed over debt using a combination of commitment, budgeting and smart financial choices. Responses have been edited for length and clarity. Jessie…
FICO Score 9 is the latest version of the well-known credit scoring model, but it still isn’t being used as widely as its predecessor, the FICO 8. All credit scores come…
At 21, you’re a financial adult. But chances are you still don’t know what you don’t know. We asked personal finance experts and financial planners what newly minted adults need…
The highest credit score on the most widely used scales is an 850. The most-used scores at FICO, and at its competitor VantageScore, are on a 300-850 scale. FICO says about…
A good credit score generally starts around 690 on a 300-850 scale used by FICO and VantageScore, the two most common scoring systems. In practice, though, a good credit score…
Love and money can be a complicated mix, especially when someone you love wants to borrow a little credit mojo from you. You may know that co-signing is a risk,…
If you’re depressed, paying bills may be the last thing on your mind. Depression or anxiety can make it difficult to concentrate, remember details or make decisions. Fatigue from poor…
Identity theft, or identity fraud, once meant crooks were churning out fake credit cards. But as that became easier to detect, a more insidious crime has evolved: the creation of…
