Credit Q&A: Can You Inherit Bad Debt?
“Your credit score would remain intact,” Ken Lin, CEO of CreditKarma.com, says, because the bad debt is attributed to the lien holder who was responsible for the delinquency whether they’re still around or not.
3 Things You Should Know About Credit Scores
If your personal finance knowledge were a pie, credit scores would be one of the most difficult pieces to swallow. That three-digit number can be confusing, so gaining a good understanding of the credit basics is important. It will give you a context for your credit score, and you’ll know what you need to do to improve your credit health.
To live and borrow in L.A.: Student debts, weighty mortgages
Student debt has jumped 6% over the last year as tuitions and fees rise and financial aid is harder to come by, according to data tracker Credit Karma in San Francisco. In the Los Angeles metropolitan statistical area, students who had borrowed money for their college education typically owed $31,233, compared with a national average of $29,932, Credit Karma said this week.
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.