Bev O'Shea is a former NerdWallet authority on consumer credit, scams and identity theft. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Auburn University and a master's in education from Georgia State University. Before coming to NerdWallet, she worked for daily newspapers, MSN Money and Credit.com. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, MarketWatch, USA Today, MSN Money and elsewhere. Twitter: @BeverlyOShea.
Credit reports are beginning to catch up with transgender or nonbinary consumers who legally change their first or middle name. All three major credit bureaus have recently added webpages to…
Buy now, pay later loans generally do not affect people’s credit. These loans, typically offered at the point of sale, do not yet routinely appear on most credit reports. That means…
A 710 credit score falls solidly into the “good” band (690-719) of a typical 300-850 range. It falls a little below the average FICO 8 score of 716, a score…
A 695 credit score is at the low end of the “good” band (690-719) on a credit score range of 300 to 850. A misstep could easily send your score into…
A 720 credit score on the common credit scoring range of 300-850 is right at the border of “good” and “excellent.” In fact, when your score hits 720, you’ve just…
A credit reference is a document, person or company that can provide information about whether you typically have paid your bills on time. You’re most likely to be asked for…
Last Cyber Monday, I rushed to put a very-much-on-sale grill into my virtual shopping cart. I texted my daughter to make sure my son-in-law really wanted it, because this limited-quantity…
Journalist Kelly Rissman of New York City had advertised some furniture online with not so much as a nibble when “Jaree” sent a message via the OfferUp resale app asking…
If you’ve just started a new job, criminals may have you in their sights. You’re eager to make a good impression, want to be a team player and are unfamiliar…
If you’re the parent of a young adult, you may be asked to co-sign for a car loan or an apartment lease. Before you agree, know what’s at stake —…
