Your Credit

Your credit impacts several aspects of your finances: Interest rates on loans, insurance premiums and even employment. From protecting your information to improving your credit score, Team Clark has the resources you need to live a financially healthy life.

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Latest Credit

Checking credit score
Why Did My Credit Score Drop? Credit May 24th, 2023
You probably know that your credit score can drop if you don’t use credit responsibly. But there are also some…
What Credit Score Do You Need To Buy a Car?
What Credit Score Do You Need To Buy a Car? Credit May 19th, 2023
Buying a car is a big decision, and if possible, it’s better to pay in cash. But for many people,…
Ask Clark money column
How Can I Find Out Why My Credit Score Just Dropped? Credit May 10th, 2023
Credit scores can seem like a mysterious black box if you're unfamiliar with how they work. Yet free credit score…
Monitor credit
How To Monitor Your Credit Credit May 9th, 2023
By monitoring your credit score and credit report, you can make sure you know if someone has opened unauthorized accounts…
Ask Clark money column
How Do I Prevent My Credit Score From Sinking When I Pay Off a Loan? Credit May 1st, 2023
Handling a variety of loans in a responsible way can help your credit score. But if you lose certain lines…
What Is the Highest Credit Score?
What Is the Highest Credit Score? Credit April 19th, 2023
A high credit score is a great thing to have. But what is the highest credit score, and is reaching…
Credit report with score
The #1 Mistake That Can Hurt Your Credit Score Credit March 29th, 2023
There aren’t a lot of absolutes in this life. Death and taxes are usually the two things listed among life’s…
How To Build Credit
How To Build Credit Credit March 29th, 2023
Having a good credit score is vital for many reasons. A good credit score can help you get approved for…
Dispute Error on Credit Report
How To Dispute an Error on Your Credit Report and Win Credit March 29th, 2023
Your credit report and credit score are vital parts of your financial health. Using credit responsibly means you can get…
What is a good credit score?
What Is a Good Credit Score? Credit March 1st, 2023
Your credit score -- that sometimes mysterious number that reflects how responsible you are with your credit -- plays a…
Couple looking at finances
How To Spring Clean Your Credit in 5 Easy Steps Credit March 1st, 2023
I totally love spring. There’s just something in the air that makes you feel like it’s time to clean the…
Ask Clark money column
Should You Ever Decline a Credit Limit Increase? Credit February 23rd, 2023
Congratulations. We just approved you for a credit limit increase of $1,000. Your new limit is $10,000. If you've held…
820 credit score
Why You Don’t Need an 800 Credit Score Credit February 16th, 2023
Your credit score is an important part of your financial life, but is it worth obsessing over obtaining a perfect…
Credit score report - Why you need to check your credit report every year
5 Sneaky Ways To Improve Your Credit Score Credit January 30th, 2023
There are certain times when it pays to have the highest credit score possible. Maybe you're about to refinance your…
Clark Howard wants you to freeze your credit with TransUnion, Equifax and Experian
How To Freeze Your Credit With Experian, Equifax and TransUnion Credit January 30th, 2023
Freezing your credit with all three major credit bureaus is the single most important thing you can do to protect…
Average credit score
4 Ways To Get Your Free Credit Score Credit January 12th, 2023
Your credit score is important: It's one of the main factors lenders consider to determine your creditworthiness. There are multiple…
The 3 main credit bureaus are Equifax, Experian and TransUnion
How To Reach a Human at Experian, TransUnion or Equifax Credit January 4th, 2023
From time to time, you may need to get in touch with the three major credit bureaus – Experian, TransUnion…
PayPal Cashback Mastercard 2022 card art
PayPal Cashback Mastercard® Review 2023: Top Option for Online Shopping Credit December 13th, 2022
If you're in the market for a cash back credit card, online payment giant PayPal has a contender worth considering…
Credit Cards
5 Credit Card Mistakes To Avoid Money & Credit November 21st, 2022
Credit cards are a financial tool that can lead to great rewards and benefits. But if you mishandle them, you…
Credit report application
How To Get a Free Credit Report Credit September 23rd, 2022
Staying on top of your credit report is key to making sure you stay in good financial shape. It's also…
average credit score
The Average Credit Score in America Credit September 3rd, 2022
Recent data from the Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO), the leading standard for credit scores,indicates that economic gains consumers made during…
Credit Karma vs. Credit Sesame: Is One Better Than the Other?
Credit Karma vs. Credit Sesame: Is One Better Than the Other? Credit September 3rd, 2022
Credit monitoring services such as Credit Karma and Credit Sesame enjoy widespread popularity these days, but which one is better?…
credit monitoring
Should You Pay for Credit Monitoring? Credit August 22nd, 2022
Monitoring your credit can be an effective way to safeguard your money and your identity. So is credit monitoring something…
How To Minimize the Damage of Unpaid Bills to Your Credit Score
How To Minimize the Damage of Unpaid Bills to Your Credit Score Credit August 9th, 2022
It can be very upsetting to see a late payment on your credit report especially if the debt has gone…
Credit Karma review
Credit Karma Review: Free Credit Score and More at Your Fingertips Credit August 2nd, 2022
Credit Karma is a resource that money expert Clark Howard often recommends to get free credit monitoring and to see…
medical collection debt
Big Changes Coming to Credit Reports This Summer Credit May 27th, 2022
The major credit reporting agencies are making changes to the way that they consider medical debt. The adjustments, which will…
Discover has discontinued its free FICO program for non-cardholders.
Discover Eliminates Free FICO Score Access for Select Consumers Credit March 16th, 2022
If you use Discover to access your FICO score for free each month, you soon may have to find an…
Credit freeze
Can Freezing Your Credit Hurt Your Credit Score? Credit March 4th, 2022
Anyone who follows money expert Clark Howard knows that his No. 1 suggestion for keeping your finances safe from criminals…
Why Are My Credit Scores Different?
Why Are My Credit Scores Different? Credit February 21st, 2022
Your credit score can be different at each of the major credit burueas: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Though it defies…
Ask Clark money column
My Credit Card Issuer Is Cutting My Credit Line in Half. Will It Hurt My Credit Score? Credit November 15th, 2021
Welcome to Ask Clark, a column designed to answer your financial questions, bymoney expert Clark Howard. Will Losing Half My…