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Cash Back Debit Cards: You Don’t Need Credit Cards for Cash Back Rewards

You don't need a credit card to earn cash back rewards! Learn how to get cash back without using a credit card by taking advantage of the same offers on your debit card.

74% of Americans are Getting Married with Debt

A survey of 1,000 couples set to get married in the next 12 months found 3 out of 4 couples will go into debt to tie the knot. And most, 61 percent, say they will use credit cards to pay. But is starting married life saddled with debt a good idea? Here’s what the wedding experts at the Knot say and what Consolidated Credit’s financial expert says. Here are some tips on what you can do to cut cost if you’re getting hitched.

Don’t Loan Credit Cards!

If you thought lending money to family was a bad idea, consider that 36 million Americans admit they’ve run into trouble when they decided to loan credit cards to friends and family. Learn why it’s a bad idea and what you can do instead to help someone out.

Always consider cost before opening credit cards with annual fees

Are Credit Cards with Annual Fees Worth It?

Credit cards with annual fees can offer some valuable incentives, but you have to assess the cost of using the card and the credit card rewards you earn carefully.

Do You Have More Credit Knowledge than These Millennials?

LendEDU finds that Millennials have some interesting (and wrong) thoughts about how credit scores work. Is this lack of credit knowledge a recipe for debt?

Credit Report Cleaning Instructions Infographic

A pristine credit report is very important in order to qualify for credit at the best interest rates on the market. Here are some tips to clean yours.

4 Simple Ways to Jumpstart Your Finances

If you want to jumpstart your finances, author of 6 Week Money Challenge Steve Repak, offers 4 simple ways to achieve your financial goals.

Infographic: Hispanic Perspectives on Credit Card Debt

Credit card usage is not as prevalent in Latin American countries as it is in the U.S. How do Hispanics in the U.S. feel about credit cards and revolving debt? Consolidated Credit wanted to know so they asked. What they found is encouraging. This infographic illustrates the results.

Good credit scores help you achieve your dreams

Does Your Credit Score Make You Smile?

Hispanics see improving their credit scores as a vehicle to achieving financial goals in 2016, and it may just be the true key to happiness.

Infographic: Credit Unions vs. Banks

As consumers, we all want the best bang for our buck. When it comes to banking that translates to getting the best interest rates on savings, credit cards and loans. So which financial institution has your best interest at heart? Consolidated Credit’s Credit Unions vs. Banks Infographic helps you weigh the options.

When Retail Therapy Turns into Financial Distress

Using credit cards for retail therapy may make you feel better in the moment, but the stress of the high-interest debt that follows usually isn't worth it.

Wedding Cost Infographic

Given total wedding cost these days, if you don't budget carefully you're likely to start the marriage in debt with money fights that stress relationships.

Hallelujah for the Real Estate Revival

The real estate collapse may have left you wary about getting back into the market, but a HUD expert says the real estate revival may restore your faith.

Saving Money is Not a Sacrifice. It’s an Investment in Your Future.

By Jeffrey Strain One of the issues many people have trouble overcoming when trying to get their finances in order is that it requires a commitment to a lifestyle change. If your finances aren’t in order, it’s because you have been doing things that have lead to them not being in order. If you continue […]

10 worst credit card mistakes

By Kay Bell and Karen Haywood Queen Whether you’re in a financial crunch, dream of an island vacation or want to earn more rewards, credit card offers may appear to be the solution. Not so fast, says Joanne Kerstetter, spokeswoman for Money Management International. “Just because you’re getting credit card offers doesn’t mean the credit […]

Your Thirties Can Kill Your Finances

By Jennifer Derrick When it comes to living dangerously with your finances, it seems as though your thirties are the most dangerous decade. Obviously you have to be mindful of your money habits throughout your life because it’s possible to screw up with you’re very young and very old, but special care should be given […]

Secure, or not? Assess the risk before sending credit card info

By Cynthia Drake Before you send your credit card information online, over the phone or by mail, it helps to think like a hacker. The next time you’re about to share your credit card number, put on a robber’s raccoon mask and think about it: Where are the potential breach spots along the path your […]

Is Credit Sesame a Scam or Legit?

By Lori Kelley Your credit score is important for a variety of reasons. This score can have a huge impact on how much you’ll end up paying in interest on loans, sometimes with a difference of tens of thousands of dollar, depending on how good your FICO score is. For that reason, people who are […]

Too late for a refund? Return assistance programs may help

By Lisa Bertagnoli An extra blanket at the foot of the bed or a second application of sunscreen — that’s how credit card companies want consumers to think of return assistance programs. Not the first line of defense, but extra protection should a cardholder want to get a refund on a purchase after the retailer’s […]

‘Jamming’ cleans your credit — temporarily

Guest Post by Kelly Dilworth A long-running scam by illegitimate credit repair operations is throwing a wrench into the already-beleaguered credit report dispute process, making it harder for the big three credit bureaus to keep up with legitimate disputes. Credit reporting agencies complain they are inundated with dispute letters bulk mailed by fraudulent credit repair clinics, […]