Your debt-to-income ratio (DTI) is an important part of how mortgage lenders evaluate your financial health. DTI ratios represent how much debt you have compared to your income. It’s important to know your DTI as you consider buying a home. If you have a high amount of debt compared to income, consider `lowering your debt … Read more
âBeginning in early 2023, all medical debt with an original owed balance below $500 will be removed from credit reports. If your outstanding bills meet this requirement, it could be worth waiting until the change occurs to begin shopping for a home. A lot of Americans have trouble paying their medical bills because of how … Read more
This article contains general information and is not intended to provide information that is specific to American Express products and services. Similar products and services offered by different companies will have different features and you should always read about product details before acquiring any financial product. Understand how closed accounts on credit reports may impact … Read more
Becoming an authorized user on someone elseâs credit card can help you build credit. In order to build a good credit score, the primary account owner needs to have a good credit score and responsibly manage the account. Becoming an authorized user on someone elses credit card account can be a great way to establish … Read more
A common way for people to get cash quickly and easily is to cash checks. But a lot of people aren’t sure if cashing checks leaves a paper trail that the IRS can see. So do banks report cashed checks to the IRS?. The short answer is – it depends on the amount. Banks are … Read more
This fact sheet provides general information concerning the CCPA’s limits on the amount that employers may withhold from a person’s earnings in response to a garnishment order, and the CCPA’s protection from termination because of garnishment for any single debt. A wage garnishment is any legal or equitable procedure through which some portion of a … Read more
Numerous websites claim there is a magic 11 word phrase to stop debt collectors from collecting debts. That is false. The notion of an 11 word phrase to stop debt collectors is pretty much an Internet myth. It was created and perpetuated by individuals and marketing companies to sell advertisements and books. The truth is … Read more
Some or all of the mortgage lenders featured on our site are advertising partners of NerdWallet, but this does not influence our evaluations, lender star ratings or the order in which lenders are listed on the page. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners. If you’ve been looking for reviews … Read more
Receiving a pre-screened offer or using a tool to check for pre-approval can be a great way to understand your credit card options. And getting pre-approved for a credit card typically wonât impact your credit scores. Find out how the terms pre-approval, pre-qualify and pre-screen are used. Plus, learn how card issuers can check your … Read more
Any negative mark on your credit can impact your score and reduce your chances of qualifying for a mortgage. This is especially true if you have debts that are late (past due), charged off, or currently in collections. But the reporting of these derogatory accounts doesn’t disqualify you from getting a mortgage. You are still … Read more