John Ulzheimer

About the Author

John Ulzheimer

John Ulzheimer is an expert on credit reporting, credit scoring, and identity theft. The author of four books on the subject, Ulzheimer has been featured thousands of times in media outlets including the Wall Street Journal, NBC Nightly News, New York Times, CNBC, and countless others. With over 30 years of credit-related professional experience, including with both Equifax and FICO, Ulzheimer is the only recognized credit expert who actually comes from the credit industry. He has been an expert witness in over 600 credit-related lawsuits and has been qualified to testify in both federal and state courts on the topic of consumer credit. In his hometown of Atlanta, Ulzheimer is a frequent guest lecturer at the University of Georgia and Emory University's School of Law.

Latest Posts

52 posts written/edited to date

Guide

418 views

11 min read

What Is a Good Credit Score For My Age?

What Is a Good Credit Score For My Age?

The credit scores that most lenders use in the United States range from 300 to 850. This is the common score range or “scaling” with FICO and... read more »

John Ulzheimer

By: John Ulzheimer • 6/8/23

Guide

5,566 views

9 min read

Does Marriage Affect Credit Scores? (2023)

Does Getting Married Affect Your Credit?

Getting married can impact many aspects of your life. Yet, the idea that marriage has a direct impact on your credit scores is a myth. And while... read more »

John Ulzheimer

By: John Ulzheimer • 5/8/23

Guide

16,480 views

11 min read

FICO Score vs. Credit Score: What’s the Difference?

FICO Score vs. Credit Score: What’s the Difference?

Lenders rely on your credit report and credit score information to assess your risk, determine whether they want to do business with you, and... read more »

John Ulzheimer

By: John Ulzheimer • 4/4/23

Guide

40,428 views

15 min read

6 Credit Reporting Changes That Favor the Consumer

6 Credit Reporting Changes That Favor the Consumer

Criticizing the credit reporting agencies or the credit scoring companies is almost a national pastime. Nobody likes credit bureaus, credit... read more »

John Ulzheimer

By: John Ulzheimer • 3/1/23

Guide

45,695 views

11 min read

How Medical Collections Impact Credit Reports & Scores

How Medical Collections Impact Your Credit

When you or a dependent gets sick or injured, getting the medical care you or your loved one needs can be a necessary, yet stressful, experience.... read more »

John Ulzheimer

By: John Ulzheimer • 2/7/23

Guide

61,296 views

9 min read

How FICO 10T Will Impact Subprime Mortgage Lending

How FICO 10T Will Impact Subprime Mortgage Lending

In January 2020, FICO, the company that invented credit scoring and my former employer, announced the latest generation of its ubiquitous credit... read more »

John Ulzheimer

By: John Ulzheimer • 1/2/23

Guide

37,740 views

11 min read

What it Means to Use a Credit Card Responsibly

What it Means to Use Credit Responsibly

The credit card is the most common form of credit in the United States. There are over 1 billion cards in circulation today, representing several... read more »

John Ulzheimer

By: John Ulzheimer • 12/1/22

Guide

100,000+ views

15 min read

The Ultimate Guide to Credit Jargon: 25 Basic Terms You Need to Know

25 Basic Credit Terms You Need to Know

The credit industry is full of terms that you may not use in your everyday life and will unlikely see anywhere outside of the credit industry.... read more »

John Ulzheimer

By: John Ulzheimer • 10/19/22

Guide

100,000+ views

11 min read

How to Check Your Credit Reports on AnnualCreditReport.com

3 Steps: How to Use AnnualCreditReport.com

Your credit can have a tremendous influence on your overall financial health. Good credit makes it easier to obtain more affordable financing... read more »

John Ulzheimer

By: John Ulzheimer • 9/12/22

Guide

81,828 views

9 min read

Why Did My Credit Score Drop?

Why Did My Credit Score Drop?

Credit scores have been used by lenders in the financial services market in the United States for more than three decades. Your credit scores... read more »

John Ulzheimer

By: John Ulzheimer • 8/15/22

Guide

100,000+ views

13 min read

What Do Lenders Report to the Credit Bureaus?

What Do Lenders Report to the Credit Bureaus?

When you apply for and take out a loan, you agree to make payments to your lenders and return their money, plus fees and/or interest. Loans can... read more »

John Ulzheimer

By: John Ulzheimer • 6/21/22

Guide

100,000+ views

13 min read

What Are Derogatory Credit Entries?

What Are Derogatory Credit Entries?

Your credit reports are loaded with information, including personal data, employment information, public records, collections, credit inquiries,... read more »

John Ulzheimer

By: John Ulzheimer • 5/31/22

Guide

100,000+ views

11 min read

How Do Authorized Users Build Credit?

How Do Authorized Users Build Credit?

If you’ve been doing research on how to build or rebuild your credit reports and credit scores, you may have stumbled across various sources that... read more »

John Ulzheimer

By: John Ulzheimer • 4/14/22

Guide

100,000+ views

11 min read

How to Read a Credit Report

How to Read Your Credit Report

If you have a goal to earn and maintain solid credit scores, it’s critical to keep a close eye on all of your credit reports.  Frequently... read more »

John Ulzheimer

By: John Ulzheimer • 3/23/22

Guide

100,000+ views

11 min read

What’s In My Credit Reports?

What's In My Credit Reports?

A credit report is simply a record indicating how well, or how poorly, you’ve managed your credit obligations in the past. Think of them as you... read more »

John Ulzheimer

By: John Ulzheimer • 3/1/22

Guide

100,000+ views

11 min read

Is It Bad to Check Your Credit Score?

Is It a Bad Idea to Check Your Credit Score?

American consumers have the right to check their credit reports once every 12 months at no cost. They’ve enjoyed this right since 2003. But a... read more »

John Ulzheimer

By: John Ulzheimer • 2/1/22

Guide

100,000+ views

13 min read

How Long Does It Take To Repair Your Credit? (June 2023)

How Long Does It Take To Repair Credit?

Your credit reports and credit scores are always front and center for lenders and other service providers when they are considering whether to do... read more »

John Ulzheimer

By: John Ulzheimer • 1/3/22

Guide

100,000+ views

11 min read

How to Remove Negative Items From Your Credit Report Yourself

How to Remove Negative Items From Your Credit Report

When negative items appear on your credit reports, they can complicate your life in many ways. Negative credit items can lead to poor credit... read more »

John Ulzheimer

By: John Ulzheimer • 12/2/21

Guide

100,000+ views

13 min read

What Does It Mean to Be a Risky Borrower?

What Does It Mean to Be a Risky Borrower?

When you apply for financing, such as a credit card or loan, the lender will review your credit information to get a feel for the level of risk... read more »

John Ulzheimer

By: John Ulzheimer • 10/28/21

Guide

100,000+ views

13 min read

8 Ways the Fair Credit Reporting Act Protects You

8 Ways the FCRA Protects You

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is a consumer protection statute that Congress passed in 1970. In this context, a statute is a federal law,... read more »

John Ulzheimer

By: John Ulzheimer • 10/4/21