Posts belonging to Category Common Cents Money & Credit

Ten Items to Buy Before the End of the Year

If you didn’t get everything you wanted for Christmas or have been putting off buying something for yourself, here are nine things you might want to consider purchasing before the end of the year. Right now you may even be able to take advantage of some after-Christmas sales! 1. Home improvement Not a lot of […]

How Long Does Bad Credit Last?

Today MyFICO.com answers the question “How long will negative information remain on my credit report?” It depends on the type of negative information. Here’s the basic breakdown of how long different types of negative information will remain on your credit report: Late payments: 7 years Bankruptcies: 7 years for completed Chapter 13 bankruptcies and 10 […]

Creative Ways to Save on Health Insurance

No, we’re not talking about performing your own surgeries or dropping your coverage altogether. At this time of year many employers offer an “open enrollment” period wherein employees can evaluate their health insurance coverage and switch plans if necessary. Regardless of which insurance company you use, here are three “think outside the box” techniques that […]

Credit Score Basics

This week we’re kicking off a new subject for the blog with an article about your credit score: what it is, how it’s determined, and how that number can impact your life. What is a credit score? When someone talks about your credit score, the person is really talking about your FICO score. Anyone who […]