Sign of the Apocalypse: Average U.S. credit score is 666
And, for the record, San Francisco’s Credit Karma, which reported this data, didn’t mention the apocalypse either. They probably didn’t want to spook the stock market.
Skipping the Mortgage to Pay Your Credit Card
The average consumer has an average of $6,355 in credit card debt, according to a CreditKarma.com report released today — 18% less than this time last year.
The New Freshman 15: Financial Tips for College Students
Set up text and email alerts for your bank accounts and credit cards to help you keep tabs on your spending and avoid missing payment dates. "It's an easy way to stay in-the-know about your own finances," says Justine Rivero, credit adviser at CreditKarma.com. "Plus you can make sure you don't ruin your credit by missing a payment or maxing out your credit card."
Debt in America: What We Owe
Credit Karma, compiled data from the credit files of its 211,000 users, to create a picture of how much individuals owe, broken down by loan type and the state in which they live. MoneyWatch analyzed this data to determine which state’s residents are the most and least indebted — and where people are making the most progress in paying down their loans.
How to Improve a Credit Score
CreditKarma.com and Quizzle.com offer free scores using different formulas that, although less likely to be used by lenders, can help you ballpark your score at the outset and track it over time.
Don’t let the credit card grinch strike while on vacation
If you don't have a credit card that waives currency exchange fees, consider applying for one before you embark on an overseas trip, says Kenneth Lin, chief executive of Credit Karma, a consumer credit website.
Florida credit scores dip
Credit scores for Florida consumers declined slightly over the past year, according to San Francisco-based CreditKarma. The credit management service reported that Florida consumers had an average credit score of 658 in June, down from 660 a year earlier, but unchanged from January.
Florida credit scores dip
Credit scores for Florida consumers declined slightly over the past year, according to San Francisco-based CreditKarma. The credit management service reported that Florida consumers had an average credit score of 658 in June, down from 660 a year earlier, but unchanged from January.
Best Credit Cards for Globe-trotters
According to Ken Lin, CEO of CreditKarma.com, Capital One’s Venture Rewards card stands out as the “best product” for travelers since Capital One (Stock Quote: COF) does not charge a foreign transaction fee and the rewards program associated with it is pretty substantial.
New free credit scores: What you need to know now
Most of those scores are not official or necessarily used by many lenders, but some of them are close enough to FICO scores to be useful as approximations for consumers who just want a rough idea of how they are doing. If that’s all you want, get scores from a site that is truly free, such as CreditKarma.