Category
Get out of debt for good
New York Federal Reserve Board data puts debt for people between 50 and 59 at $86,994. Here's a plain look at the levers people use to shrink those balances before a fixed income arrives, from a phone call to the card issuer to selling the house.
A bankruptcy can stay on a credit report for up to 10 years, but the rebuild starts long before it falls off. Here's how credit reports, secured cards, credit-builder loans, autopay, and budgeting fit into that stretch of time.
Consolidated Credit offers free credit counseling, debt management plans, and HUD-approved housing help. Here's what the company says a plan can change about your payments, what the monthly fee runs, how enrollment shows up on your credit file, and how it compares with other counseling agencies.
A brand-new borrower can't be scored right away — Experian says it takes at least six months of activity before a credit score can be calculated. Here's what happens during that window, which factors carry the most weight, and the tools people use to get a thin file moving.
Unpaid gambling debt goes to collections like any other unsecured balance, but bankruptcy treats it differently. Here's how payment plans, credit counseling, consolidation, settlement, and Chapter 7 or 13 actually work, plus where to find help for the gambling itself.
A hospital bill can contain errors, qualify for a hardship program, or be capped by federal rules the patient never hears about. Here's how the main forms of medical bill help actually work, from itemized reviews and charity aid to payment plans, financing, and collections rights.
Consolidating debt before a mortgage application changes what a lender sees on paper. Here's how personal loans, balance transfer cards, and debt management plans each affect debt-to-income ratio, credit, and timing.
Americans collectively carry $1.14 trillion in credit card debt, and the two most common payoff strategies get used almost interchangeably. Here's what separates a refinance from the broader family of debt consolidation, what each one costs, and what each does to a credit file.
Money worry is one of the most common sources of stress in the U.S., and there are concrete places to take it — from crisis lines to nonprofit credit counseling to a plain monthly budget. Here's what each route involves, and what the riskier ones cost.
Chase Credit Journey gives anyone a free VantageScore 3.0 that refreshes weekly, plus score factors, a full Experian report, and a simulator. Here's what the tool covers, what it leaves out, and how the free alternatives compare.
A credit score fell below 550 in early 2010 and climbed past 760 by 2013. The tools were unglamorous: a $500 secured card, one spending category, automated full payments, and a hard look at which bills came first.
A discharge cancels eligible balances, but plenty of debt walks out of bankruptcy untouched. Here's how Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 handle credit cards, mortgages, car loans, taxes and student loans differently.
