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.

Essentials

Tips & Strategies

Latest Credit

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…
How to place a security freeze on your credit with all three main credit reporting bureaus: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion.
How To Freeze Your Credit With Experian, Equifax and TransUnion Credit December 18th, 2023
Money expert Clark Howard has long talked up the benefits of freezing your credit as a way to better protect…
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…
PayPal Cashback Mastercard 2022 card art
PayPal Cashback Mastercard® Review 2023: Top Option for Online Shopping Credit November 14th, 2023
If you're in the market for a cash back credit card, online payment giant PayPal has a contender worth considering…
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…
average credit score
The Average Credit Score in America Credit November 3rd, 2023
Your credit score is one of the most powerful indicators of your purchasing and borrowing power. That's why money expert…
What Is the Highest Credit Score?
What Is the Highest Credit Score? Credit October 16th, 2023
A high credit score is a great thing to have. But what is the highest credit score, and is reaching…
free weekly credit report
How To Get a Free Credit Report Credit September 21st, 2023
Your credit report is an important tool that U.S. consumers can use to monitor their financial health. Have you viewed…
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…
Credit report with score
The #1 Mistake That Can Hurt Your Credit Score Credit March 29th, 2023
There aren’t a lot of absolutes in this life. Death and taxes are usually the two things listed among life’s…
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…
Average credit score
4 Ways To Get Your Free Credit Score Credit January 12th, 2023
Your credit score is important: It's one of the main factors lenders consider to determine your creditworthiness. There are multiple…
The 3 main credit bureaus are Equifax, Experian and TransUnion
How To Reach a Human at Experian, TransUnion or Equifax Credit January 4th, 2023
From time to time, you may need to get in touch with the three major credit bureaus – Experian, TransUnion…
Credit Cards
5 Credit Card Mistakes To Avoid Money & Credit November 21st, 2022
Credit cards are a financial tool that can lead to great rewards and benefits. But if you mishandle them, you…
Credit Karma vs. Credit Sesame: Is One Better Than the Other?
Credit Karma vs. Credit Sesame: Is One Better Than the Other? Credit September 3rd, 2022
Credit monitoring services such as Credit Karma and Credit Sesame enjoy widespread popularity these days, but which one is better?…
How To Minimize the Damage of Unpaid Bills to Your Credit Score
How To Minimize the Damage of Unpaid Bills to Your Credit Score Credit August 9th, 2022
It can be very upsetting to see a late payment on your credit report especially if the debt has gone…