The girl: Tiffany
Age: 25
Job: Nonprofit
Where she calls home: The Midwest
Her sitch: In June 2008, Tiffany owed $14,611.47. She’s managed to chip away at the balance by using gift money, tax refunds and watching her spending, but she still owes close to $8,000, and she’s not sure what else to do.
“I don’t have any real system,” she says. “I tried fun Excel spreadsheets and advice from friends, but nothing really panned out. In the end, I just kept throwing any money I could at it, from $50 to $200, as often as I could. But I’m hoping to move in the [...]

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LearnVest’s very own Alexa Von Tobel (CEO) sits down with Ken Lin, CEO of CreditKarma, to discuss credit basics and how building a good credit score can save you HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of dollars!
Credit Score Myths… Debunked:
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
How A Good Credit Score Can Save You Major Money:
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

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Phase two of the Credit Card Reform Act (also known as Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 and the CARD Act) is going into effect on February 22. If you haven’t already, you must review, review, review your credit card agreements, as lots of changes are going on. We personally have a card whose issuer just added a $60 annual fee (though it’s refundable if we charge at least $2,400 per year). So, now, we can choose to accept these new terms or close the account and pay our balance according to the original terms.
Here are some [...]

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Another day, another mailing chock full of fine print from your credit card company. But, as lenders prepare for the Credit Card Reform Act to take effect on February 22, they’re making lots of changes to their terms of service. But, if you always pay your credit card bill on time, then take a deep breath. These changes won’t really affect you. But if you do have credit card debt, grab your change of agreement mailing and read closely.
Changes, Fees, And Threats To Your Privacy.
The Credit Card Reform Act has a lot of consumer protections, which is great. But that [...]

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Credit cards come laced with many booby traps, from Annual Percentage Rates (APRs), to Effective Annual Rates (EARs), to hefty late payment fees. Is your APR too high?
Your credit card interest rate is determined by your credit history, so if you have a long history of paying on time, you’re most likely to find a good (low) rate. All the same, reasonable APRs are generally under 15%. If your APR is higher than that, do this:
1. Try To Negotiate.
Call your credit card company and ask for a better rate. Emphasize your long relationship with the card company (if you have [...]

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