Intuit Credit Karma
CreditKarma.com's credit-score simulator will calculate how your score might change if you pay down or take on a certain amount of debt, fall behind on a monthly payment or close your oldest credit-card account, among other transactions.
Although you could easily get credit with a 680 FICO score two years ago, acceptable credit scores are far higher now, said Ken Lin, chief executive of Credit Karma in San Francisco.
Big discounts! Big sales! Big freebies! In the recession economy, enticing deals abound. But you need to distinguish those from the raw deals masquerading as bargains. Many of them come with so many strings attached that they could cost you plenty.
"What goes around, comes around" is a phrase you hear often about the Great Cosmic Scorecard of the universe. So how does it apply to your finances? Kenneth Lin, CEO of CreditKarma, can explain how. "Your past behavior plays a huge part in your current credit situation. If you always do the right thing, pay all your credit card bills on time, you get the best interest rates on cars, your house, and more"
Ken Lin, CEO of Credit Karma says waiting until 21 to get a credit card could have long term implications on a person's credit score. "Generally, credit cards are the backbone of most consumers' credit history."
If you start using credit cards at 18, by the time you're 19 or 20, your credit score could be in the 700-range, which could get you a credit limit of about $5,000, possibly more, Lin says. And if your credit score is around 740, you can get an interest rate of as low as 9%, a tempting idea for a newly independent consumer
"It's no secret that in this recession, many travel companies are playing the discount-and-surcharge game. You know, the one where they slash prices and then add hidden fees to make up the difference. It would follow, then, that a lot of unwanted charges are popping up on credit card bills - fees that, if not removed, will end up being contested."
"Despite concerns that credit card limit cuts would devastate consumers' credit, scores nationwide seem to be holding steady, according to Credit Karma, a score-tracking site."
"Credit card company policies that drastically cut people's available credit over the past two years did their damage to credit scores as expected. Credit Karma, in its trend study, reported today that according to its June Credit Score Climate Report the current average U.S. consumer credit score was 674 in May."
"If you're wondering how your credit card debts and other borrowing loads stack up with the average consumer, check out these numbers compiled by Credit Karma, an online research and educational business."