Smart Borrower Blog

Archive for the ‘Personal Loan Rates’ Category

FICO Score Changes More Forgiving

Good news for those hoping to improve their credit. Changes to the FICO model that credit agencies use to determine your credit score is more forgiving for small credit blemishes, according to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal. The new formula, FICO 08, has been made available to lenders by the big three credit agencies; Experian, TransUnion and Equifax, since last month. Unlike previous versions, FICO 08 will not ding your credit score for bills in collections originally under $100. It is also less likely to lower your scores for occasional missed payments, although those with a pattern... more »

Banks Take Credit Card Law Frustrations Out on Checking Accounts

Did lawmakers really think that banks would take this new credit card law lying down? As banks got slapped with tighter restrictions on how they can handle credit card billing and rate adjustments, the banks are trying to recoup some of those reduced profits by gouging their checking account holders. The costs always get passed back down to the consumers when big corporations are taxed or restricted; they never just eat the loss in profits – they try to make it up elsewhere. They work for their share holders, not their clients, apparently. Here's what's going down according to USA... more »