Credit Education

+ What’s A Good Credit Score?

Maybe you want a short, simple answer. Most experts say 700 or higher constitutes a favorable credit score.

Maybe you’d like a little more information without things getting too involved. There are several different models for calculating your personal credit score. Generally, scores too much below 600 may make things difficult for you when applying for a loan or other form of credit. What affects credit score results varies from method to method, but generally the weightiest factor is your payment history with various creditors and your current outstanding debt-to-income ratio.

Then again, maybe you’ve realized it’s important to more fully understand the different ways credit scores are computed, the factors which shape them, and how your different credit scores are utilized to determine everything from interest rates to insurance premiums to whether or not you’re seriously considered for that promotion. Maybe you’re interested in credit score tips as stepping stones to credit score improvement. Maybe you’ve decided you want to do more than build credit – you want to build a future.

Hopefully your life is about far more than money, but for better or worse, money is a factor in almost everything. When there are so many things we can’t control and too many we may not ever fully understand, why not take control of the parts we can? Why not understand the parts which make sense once you know the information?

This is especially true with the availability of knowledge and insight combined with the power and affordability of modern technology means you could have that information and shape those factors with a few swipes or clicks. Computers in the 21st century can coordinate worldwide movements, pilot our vehicles, or allow us to defeat entire armies of zombies, aliens, or raiders. Everything your laptop, cell phone, or game system does, however, is built on a data-crunching. We can debate whether or not motherboards can think or innovate, but there’s zero doubt they can compile and analyze data and reproduce it a thousand different ways.

That means with the right credit apps or financial management tools, you can analyze spending, visualize investment potential, compare loan offers, or build credit as easily as you check your favorite social media or watch the latest Tik Tok. You probably know someone excited by how easy the latest fitness tracker makes it to monitor calories and calculate steps. Why not apply that same convenience and power to monitor spending and calculate savings? To monitor your credit reports and calculate credit score improvements? If knowledge is power, then credit education is financial power – before you save, borrow, or spend a single dime. What’s a good credit score? One you understand and know how to leverage. A good credit score is one that’s higher than it was six months ago.

+ How Do I Get A Copy of My Credit Report?

Maybe you want a short, simple answer.

Maybe you’d like a little more information without things getting too involved. What sort of information is on my credit report? It’s primarily a record of various types of debt you’ve taken out and how reliably (or not) you’ve repaid or are repaying each. At the same time, there’s so much more to it than that and it can be important to understand the details. How do you resolve credit disputes? Which tips for good credit really help and which ones are just gimmicks from people trying to sell me something?

Or maybe you’ve realized it’s important to more fully understand the power of credit reports, for better or worse, over so many parts of our lives we may not always associate with our payment history. Can you add explanations to different sections of your credit report? Is my credit report the same no matter where I get it? Who has access to my credit report? How is my credit report used? These are all topics we discuss at Creditry, from many different angles but always in straightforward terms and plain, simple English.

It can seem rather tedious or frustrating to clean up your credit report, improve bad credit, or build credit from scratch. There are ways to make it happen more quickly, but that doesn’t always mean change will feel like it’s happening fast enough. We can’t make every part of it easy, but it doesn’t have to be as hard as it sometimes seems – and you don’t have to do it alone. It starts with credit education and encouragement through Creditry and the rest of the Goalry family. It continues with the tools and connections we’ve developed over the years, combining flexibility and power with intuitive design and ease-of-use.

There are so many things about our credit history that we can’t control. There are parts of the financial world we may not ever fully understand. All the more essential, then that we take control of the parts we can. Thanks to the wonders of 21st century tech, that means that the right credit apps or financial management tools can help you analyze the impact of your choices on your credit report and three-digit credit scores.

Imagine pulling up essential credit information when and where you need it or comparing your financial options quickly and easily, all with a few swipes or clicks. Imagine real-time alerts to unexpected activity from any of your accounts or changes to your credit report which dramatically heighten your credit security and confidence. You’re able to stay connected 24/7 to news, scores, and entertainment from around the world, anytime of day or night, during any weather, from anywhere. Why should your credit information and your ability to leverage credit for your own goals and needs be any different? If knowledge is power, then credit education is financial power – before you fill out a single application or negotiate a single interest rate.

+ How Does Credit Identity Protection Work?

Maybe you want a short simple answer. In this case, the short, simple answer is that there is no short, simple answer.

Credit and Identity protection services use the expertise of fraud prevention professionals and the data-processing power of technology to perpetually survey the internet, credit agency records, your various accounts, court records, and anywhere else your name or identifying information may appear without your approval. They prevent inappropriate use when possible and notify you immediately when prevention isn’t possible. Prompt reaction to credit or identity violations is often key to preventing or minimizing the damage done to your finances, your credit, and your good name.

Different services provided different types and different levels of service, so it’s important that you know what questions to ask and what services are reasonably expected of the latest products.

Ideally, you’d utilize an app or program which is both powerful and flexible enough to adapt to your specific circumstances and needs and intuitive enough that you don’t have to take an entire course in how to use it. You should be able to choose how frequently you’d like to receive which sorts of alerts, and it should integrate seamlessly with other financial apps you’ve chosen to utilize.

Technology is wonderful, but the more you understand about your credit, the different ways it’s used, and the things you can do apart from outside services to protect yourself, the better off your credit will be and the more options you’ll have moving forward.

+ How Can I Improve My Credit?

Whether you’re trying to build credit from scratch, repair bad credit, or strengthen an already decent credit score, credit education is key. We’ll always argue that the best credit score tips are the most obvious: don’t spend more than you can afford and pay your bills on time. The difference is, we’ll walk you through practical ways to help those things happen – how to create an effective budget, appropriate vs. reckless credit card utilization, ways to cut costs in little ways that add up quickly over time, etc.

While most of us can make substantial headway in paying down debt just by getting organized and making practical adjustments, in some cases a debt consolidation loan or other financial restructuring might be appropriate to consider. Credity and our sister sites are packed with information and insights, including the pros and cons of almost every conceivable approach.

Yes ,we’ll also cover tips for good credit: why you might not want to close your credit cards after you pay them off, which choices are most likely to nudge your score up or down a few points, and anything else you may find helpful. We’re here to provide information, not decide the right course for you. Full disclosure, however – we’ll probably encourage you to focus on the substantive steps most likely to build your long-term creditworthiness and personal happiness and security.

Knowing what affects credit score calculations is handy. Credit tips and tricks are nice and have their place. There’s really no substitute, however, for committing yourself to ongoing credit education. There’s no app, no trick, no insider information that can replaced substantive change and personal commitment towards using the available information, tools, and connections to take small steps towards big, fundamental changes in how you approach your personal or small business finances.