| Identify your debt
Warning
signs of too much debt -- You can live with debt. The questions
are, how much is too much, and how can you tell? Good
debt vs. bad debt -- A mortgage is usually good debt. Buying
more clothes you don't need on credit is not. 
Know your credit cards
Credit
card's real deal is buried in fine print -- The
big letters say "You've been approved!" but make sure you know what
you're agreeing to. Reading
a credit card statement -- Not knowing how to read it can
cost you money.
PLUS: Figuring
finance charges How
to cancel a credit card -- Be careful when closing an account,
or it may come back to haunt you. Late
with one creditor? All will punish you -- A trend in the
financial industry is for Company X to jack up your rates because you were late
to pay Company Y.
Understand credit reports
and scores
Why
you should check your credit report -- If you are applying
for a loan or credit, records of your previous dealings with some else's money
are vital. Can
you read your credit report? -- OK, you got your credit
report just like everyone says you should. Here's how to read it. Correcting
errors on your credit report -- Follow these steps to get
errors removed from your credit reports. 13
myths about credit reports -- When it comes to credit information,
what you think you know that isn't true can really hurt you. Contacting
the credit bureaus -- Here are the addresses and Web sites
for the big three credit reporting agencies. The
future of FICO -- A little three-digit number, practically
unknown a few years ago, keeps growing in importance for your finances.
Monitoring
the credit monitoring services -- Can they protect your
credit, or do they just cost you money? 8
calls to make if your identity is stolen -- This step-by-step
guide will help you clear your good name.
Tackle your debt
Making
a money-smart spending plan -- Do you fail every time you
try to budget? Try this: Don't budget, plan your spending. Debt
and marriage -- These strategies will help you work through
debt without ending up divorced. Cures
for post-holiday debt remorse -- 8 solutions for dealing
with your spending demons. Yes!
Use home equity to consolidate debt -- Bankrate financial
expert George Saenz says convenience, lower payments and a tax break all make
it smart to tap home equity to consolidate debt. No!
Don't use your home equity to consolidate debt -- Keep
your cotton-pickin' paws off your home equity nest egg, says financial expert
Dorothy Rosen.
Credit
management home | 
