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Being An Authorized User Hurt My Credit Score

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Most people don't think about their credit score until they need a loan. After applying it is usually too late to make significant improvements to your score. You are stuck with the interest rate offered, or you may leave the deal. I've had a mortgage for 15 years, but as the family grew, it was time to build a bigger house. We found a great fixer-upper in the neighborhood we've always wanted to live in. Everything lined up - until I applied for a new loan. I have excellent credit. I have been using credit cards responsibly for 20 years, paying only a day or two late, several times. I have financed two new cars over the years, but drive my reliable and non-cash Toyota 2007. I thought I would qualify for the best rates, no problem. I Am An "Authorized User" On What?! I like dealing with finances, bills, investments, taxes, everything, but my wife couldn't be more different. Years ago she added me as an authorized user on her credit card account. I guess I said...

4 Ways To Save Money On A Low Income

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If every pay cheque you earn is just enough to cover your expenses, it is probably the last thing you can imagine. If you are in a situation where you are worried about how you can survive on a low income, saving could be one of your last priorities. However, if this is not quite your situation and you are instead focusing on a goal such as saving for a house or looking for strategies for effective money management for low-income families, here are 4 tips that could help: Is Your Income Low, Or Is Your Expenditure High? Our first tip is to take a look at the overall picture of both your income and your spending, at all the money you spend. No matter how much or how little you earn, there is never a guarantee of financial well-being. In fact, a higher-income household that is heavily in debt is further behind than a family that takes home much less and has no debt - that family could build up its savings despite lower income. Knowing your income may be as simple as lookin...

Credit Scores: What Are They? How Do They Work?

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Credit scores assist lenders to decide whether to approve loan applications or not and determine what credit terms are offered. Scores are generated by algorithms that use information from your credit reports that summarize your credit history. Fundamentals of Credit Score Credit scores are developed to assist lenders to make decisions. Banks and credit unions want to know the risk of your loan defaulting, so they look for clues about your credit history. They want to know, for example, whether you have borrowed money and successfully repaid loans, or whether you have recently stopped payments on multiple loans. Instead of scouring the credit reports for each applicant for 20 minutes, looking at a score gives lenders a quick and general idea of the applicant's credit rating. Borrowers can also be beneficial. Lenders are less able to use their subjective judgment when a score tells them most of what they need to know. Scores should not differentiate based on how you look or how you ...