Your Credit

Your credit impacts several aspects of your finances: Interest rates on loans, insurance premiums and even employment. From protecting your information to improving your credit score, Team Clark has the resources you need to live a financially healthy life.

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Latest Credit

Credit Sesame free credit monitoring
Credit Sesame Review: Get a Free Credit Score and More Financial Tools Credit July 11th, 2024
Consumers often get asked to pay to protect their financial well-being, but one place you can do it for free…
free weekly credit report
How To Get a Free Credit Report Credit July 3rd, 2024
Your credit report is a valuable tool for monitoring your financial health. Have you viewed yours lately? Money expert Clark…
4 Ways To Get Your Free Credit Score
4 Ways To Get Your Free Credit Score Credit June 21st, 2024
Your credit score is important: It's one of the main factors lenders consider to determine your creditworthiness. There are multiple…
Credit Karma
Credit Karma Review: Free Credit Score and More at Your Fingertips Credit June 12th, 2024
Credit Karma is a key part of money expert Clark Howard’s credit freeze toolkit because the site allows you to…
How to place a security freeze on your credit with all three main credit reporting bureaus: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion.
How To Freeze and Unfreeze Your Credit With Experian, Equifax and TransUnion Credit June 10th, 2024
Money expert Clark Howard is a strong proponent of freezing your credit as a way to better protect your finances…
average credit score
The Average Credit Score in America Credit June 4th, 2024
Your credit score largely dictates your borrowing and purchasing power in the United States. That’s why money expert Clark Howard…
credit score and missed payments
How Long Will It Take for My Credit Score To Go Up if I Missed a Payment? Credit May 29th, 2024
Missing a payment on your credit card bill can have disastrous effects on your finances, but if you get back…
highest credit score
What Is the Highest Credit Score? Credit April 30th, 2024
As a savvy consumer, you probably know that your credit score is one of the most important numbers in your…
credit bureaus
Should I Freeze My Credit With the Other Credit Bureaus? Credit April 18th, 2024
When it comes to protecting your finances, money expert Clark Howard is all in on freezing your credit. “A credit…
The 3 main credit bureaus are Equifax, Experian and TransUnion
How To Reach a Human at Experian, TransUnion or Equifax Credit April 4th, 2024
The major credit bureaus can be invaluable when it’s time to freeze your credit, which is something that money expert…
Credit report with score
The #1 Mistake That Can Hurt Your Credit Score Credit April 2nd, 2024
There aren’t a lot of absolutes in this life. Death and taxes are usually the two things listed among life’s…
What is a good credit score?
What Is a Good Credit Score? Credit March 11th, 2024
Your credit score -- that sometimes mysterious number that reflects how responsible you are with your credit -- plays a…
credit report
The Difference Between a Hard Inquiry and a Soft Inquiry on Your Credit Report Credit January 23rd, 2024
If you apply for a loan or a credit card, the creditor will typically determine your creditworthiness by pulling your…
What Credit Score Do You Need To Buy a Car?
What Credit Score Do You Need To Buy a Car? Credit January 16th, 2024
Buying a car is a big decision, and if possible, it’s better to pay in cash. But for many people,…
Credit score report - Why you need to check your credit report every year
5 Sneaky Ways To Improve Your Credit Score Credit January 2nd, 2024
There are certain times when it pays to have the highest credit score possible. Maybe you're about to refinance your…
credit monitoring
Should You Pay for Credit Monitoring? Credit December 14th, 2023
Monitoring your credit can be an effective way to safeguard your money and your identity. So is credit monitoring something…
Why Did My Credit Score Drop?
Why Did My Credit Score Drop? Credit November 13th, 2023
You probably know that your credit score can drop if you don’t use credit responsibly. But there are also some…
credit utilization
How Does Your Credit Utilization Rank vs. Average U.S. Consumers? Credit November 8th, 2023
Did you know that credit utilization is a key factor in having a good credit score? In fact, it can…
women from different generations arm wrestle best credit scores
Which Generation Has the Best Credit Scores? Credit November 8th, 2023
Does being older make you financially wiser? Or do the youngsters have the advantage of learning from the big mistakes…
free credit reports
Credit Bureaus Announce Big Changes for Credit Reports Credit September 21st, 2023
Regularly looking at your credit report is a major way you can keep tabs on your financial well-being, according to…
frozen credit card
How to Freeze Your Credit — Literally! Budgeting & Saving September 18th, 2023
You may have heard of freezing your credit, but have you ever heard of freezing your credit card? If you're…
Credit Score Expert Discusses 2023 Tips, Mistakes and Misconceptions
Credit Score Expert Discusses 2023 Tips, Mistakes and Misconceptions Credit September 5th, 2023
A good credit score is one of the most important pieces to a healthy financial life. It's also one of…
Monitor credit
How To Monitor Your Credit Credit August 29th, 2023
By monitoring your credit score and credit report, you can make sure you know if someone has opened unauthorized accounts…
Ask Clark Howard and Team Clark
Should You Ever Decline a Credit Limit Increase? Credit August 20th, 2023
Congratulations. We just approved you for a credit limit increase of $1,000. Your new limit is $10,000. If you've held…
820 credit score
Why You Don’t Need an 800 Credit Score Credit August 8th, 2023
Your credit score is an important part of your financial life, but is it worth obsessing over obtaining a perfect…
Ask Clark money column
How Can I Find Out Why My Credit Score Just Dropped? Credit May 10th, 2023
Credit scores can seem like a mysterious black box if you're unfamiliar with how they work. Yet free credit score…
Ask Clark money column
How Do I Prevent My Credit Score From Sinking When I Pay Off a Loan? Credit May 1st, 2023
Handling a variety of loans in a responsible way can help your credit score. But if you lose certain lines…
How To Build Credit
How To Build Credit Credit March 29th, 2023
Having a good credit score is vital for many reasons. A good credit score can help you get approved for…
Dispute Error on Credit Report
How To Dispute an Error on Your Credit Report and Win Credit March 29th, 2023
Your credit report and credit score are vital parts of your financial health. Using credit responsibly means you can get…
Couple looking at finances
How To Spring Clean Your Credit in 5 Easy Steps Credit March 1st, 2023
I totally love spring. There’s just something in the air that makes you feel like it’s time to clean the…