Three years ago when I was at the start of my credit repair journey, I obsessively tracked my FICO credit score using free apps like Credit Karma. I’d been on a hardship payment plan for my credit cards for over a year, and was eager to see my consistency pay off. I needed to apply […]
Debt Bytes Blog
Secured Credit Cards Can Increase Credit Scores
In a previous article I shared how you can boost your credit score up to 90 points in 90 days by becoming an authorized user. While this method is hands down the fastest way to raise your score, it’s not the only underrated credit-boosting hack. Secured credit cards are another way to significantly raise your […]
A Super Fast Way to Boost Your Credit Score
Paying down your credit cards and letting your credit mature are guaranteed to raise your credit score. But the boosting benefits can feel painfully slow. Five years ago, my credit score hung at 550 and my apartment lease renewal loomed around the corner. I would stay up late plugging scenario after scenario into a FICO […]
Debt Collectors Calling? Don’t Make This Mistake
One morning I switched my phone into Do Not Disturb mode, and kept it that way for two years. At that point I had many unheard voicemails. I’d stopped listening to them because they all said the same thing: I owed money. Six months earlier, I lost my job and emptied my savings to make […]
Is Anxious Attachment Hurting Your Relationship with Money?
I was $33,000 in debt by the time I turned 22. This wasn’t the sympathetic, socially-justifiable student loan kind of debt. This was $33,000 of credit card debt, accrued over a 9-month, blackout-style spending spree on clothing, farm-to-table dinners, bougie gym memberships, and Instagrammable getaways. The momentary thrill I enjoyed from all these purchases would […]
Role Reversal: Ways to Care for Financially Unstable Parents (part 2)
In the previous article in this series, I talk about some preliminary questions to ask yourself before you decide to help your parents financially. Stepping into a caretaking role for your once-caretakers can be daunting, demoralizing, and trigger a lot of resentment. I know because I’ve been there, and I’d encourage anyone in the same […]
Role Reversal: How to Cope with Financially Unstable Parents (part 1)
How old were you when you realized your parents struggled with money? I was five: crouched on the top stair, listening once again to my parents fighting downstairs. My mom wanted to know where all my dad’s money went each month. The math just wasn’t adding up. My dad, knowing his daughter was an eavesdropper, […]
Debt Settlement Success Often Depends On This One Priority
I often say that there are only 2 main ingredients to debt settlement success. Those are resources and timing. Resources means money you have to pay a settlement. Timing means your account is past due enough to get a good deal. But it is how these two ingredients combine that allows you to prioritize each […]
Struggling To Repay Your OnDeck Capital Business Loan?
OnDeck Capital has traditionally provided small business loans to companies that major banks would not lend to. The loans through OnDeck range in size, but can reach up to $250,000. If you are having a tough time with your business and have reached the point where you must think through which bills and vendors are […]
Comenity Credit Cards Can Be Settled For Less
Comenity Bank is mostly known for servicing credit cards for stores and other outlets, not for their own branded cards, or retail bank locations. As you will see from the list below, they are the bank behind more than 100 other companies. Your options for dealing with credit cards serviced by Comenity will often mirror […]