Credit Card Blog

If you’ve ever listened to the radio or watched late-night television, chances are you heard or seen an ad for credit repair companies.

You know, the ads where they claim to be able to repair your credit to improve your credit score.

Where they say things like:

• “We can remove negative items from your credit report forever!”
• “Credit problems? No problem!”
• “Credit really bad? We’ll help you create a new identity – legally.”

Chances are if you hear any of these claims, they’re signs of a scam.

A company is likely just looking to separate you from some of your money. They may not even perform any credit repair.

If that’s the case – what’s someone to do when they need to repair their credit and increase their credit score?

To start, understand there’s no quick fix for creditworthiness. Below, we’ll dig into the right steps you can take, as well as reputable companies to partner with on your journey.

This post was written in partnership with Brian from Debt Discipline and The Money Mix.

[Read more…] about Review of Credit Repair Companies – Do They Really Work?

The Mercury Credit Card, or Mercury Mastercard, is a middle-tier credit card that requires average credit to attain. It’s also one of the most confusing personal finance products I’ve come across so far.

Let me explain…

For one, it’s unknown if the Mercury Card offers any rewards. There is nothing to be found regarding rewards on their website, but some users are leaving card reviews that mention them. I’ll get into more of the details later.

To add to the oddness, this is an exclusive, mid-tier credit card that requires a sign-up code to apply. I never expected to describe a credit card as both “exclusive” and “mid-tier,” but that’s what this is and you cannot apply unless you get an invitation through the mail.

At the end of the day, I believe there are better, less-mysterious middle-tier credit cards for someone with fair credit.

[Read more…] about Mercury Credit Card Review: An Exclusive Mid-Tier Card

The Reflex Credit Card is a below-average credit card for beginners. If you are looking to build your credit, there are better options available.

The card is issued by Celtic Bank and managed by Continental Finance Company, which has been around since 2005 and is the same company behind the Verve Card and Fit Mastercard. They claim to offer, “credit cards for consumers with less-than-perfect credit.” That’s a fair and accurate statement, but there are better options when it comes to beginner credit cards.

We’ll get into the details below, but the biggest negative with the Reflex Card is its $99 annual fee. This is not completely out of line when compared to other beginner cards, however, there is another reoccurring fee on top of the $99.

Looking a little further at the cardholder agreement, I found the card also charges a $10 monthly fee starting in year 2, which brings the total annual fee to a whopping $219.

Before filling out a Reflex Mastercard online application, here is some more information you should know:

[Read more…] about Reflex Credit Card Review: Reasons to Avoid It

With all the talk of a pending recession, saving some money on your next vacation is likely even more top of mind than usual. Luckily, there’s a solution out there to help you save money while still enjoying your next vacation! The answer is called travel hacking. 

Travel hacking is just a fancy term that entails using existing systems to your advantage to get discounted and free airfare, hotels, car rentals, and other travel expenses. So you can get your next vacation on the house!

Below, we’ll highlight the six steps to travel hacking that any beginner can use to get started – yes, even during a recession.

[Read more…] about Travel Hacking 101: A Beginner’s Guide