Gerri Detweiler

Credit Expert
Gerri Detweiler

About the Author

Credit expert Gerri Detweiler has been guiding individuals and small business owners through the confusing world of credit and financing for 30+ years. Her articles have appeared on many sites including Forbes, MSN, and MarketWatch. She is the author or coauthor of six books, including "Finance Your Own Business: Get on the Financing Fast Track." She hosted a live radio show for three years and testified before Congress on consumer credit legislation.

Latest Posts

Worked On 6 Articles To Date

Guide

224 views

5 min read

4 Reasons Why Credit Reports Sometimes Show Old Debts as New (And How to Fix It)

Why Credit Reports Sometimes Show Old Debts as New

No matter how bad your credit is now, there’s an off-ramp in the future. Federal law prohibits credit bureaus from reporting most negative... read more »

By: Gerri Detweiler • 6/18/26

Guide

23,855 views

7 min read

How to Tell Which Accounts Are Hurting Your Credit the Most

How to Tell Which Accounts Are Hurting Your Credit the Most

Pay down your credit card balances. Pay on time. Don’t close your oldest account. Dispute mistakes on your credit report.  One of the biggest... read more »

By: Gerri Detweiler • 3/31/26

Guide

20,086 views

7 min read

How to Use a Credit Card With a Low Limit to Build Credit

How to Use a Credit Card With a Low Limit to Build Credit

When you’re trying to build or rebuild your credit, starting small with a low-limit credit card may not seem like it will get you very far.  Take... read more »

By: Gerri Detweiler • 3/9/26

Guide

39,018 views

7 min read

Which Credit Monitoring Service Should I Use?

Which Credit Monitoring Service Should I Use?

This question was posted on Reddit, but over the years I’ve heard versions of it many times:  “Which app is the most helpful for monitoring... read more »

By: Gerri Detweiler • 2/16/26

Guide

57,902 views

5 min read

“Help! My Child Used My Card to Buy Online Games!” — How to Request a Refund & Prevent Future Surprises  

What to Do If Your Child Uses Your Card for Unauthorized Purchases

Finding credit card or debit card purchases on your account that you didn’t expect can be alarming, but even more so when you realize it’s your... read more »

By: Gerri Detweiler • 1/8/26

Guide

63,251 views

7 min read

Fact or Fiction: Can Letting Accounts Go to Collections Improve Your Credit?

Can Letting Accounts Go to Collections Improve Your Credit?

In a Reddit thread I encountered recently, a debtor suggests that paying your creditors is a bad idea if you want to improve your credit. The... read more »

By: Gerri Detweiler • 12/3/25