California's 10 Best Credit Unions of 2023
We love credit unions — they’re part of our social fabric and a force for energizing communities everywhere. As not-for-profit member-owned... read more »
By: Mike Senecal • 5/25/23
“BadCredit.org Finance Studies: Discover the latest studies and research on subprime credit, from how a bad credit rating comes about to how it affects one’s economic outlook. Follow this section daily to stay updated!”
Ashley Dull, Finance Expert
Credit Unions
1,162 views
23 min read
We love credit unions — they’re part of our social fabric and a force for energizing communities everywhere. As not-for-profit member-owned... read more »
By: Mike Senecal • 5/25/23
Budgeting
100,000+ views
11 min read
Middle-to-low income families are being priced out of child care. Child care is deemed affordable if it costs no more than 7% of a... read more »
By: Brandon Rossman • 4/27/22
Economy
100,000+ views
11 min read
Researchers at the Institute for Gender and the Economy at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management explore the... read more »
By: Adam West • 4/20/22
Debt
100,000+ views
17 min read
Americans aren’t shy about borrowing money. A Federal Reserve survey found that 77% of US households have some form of debt. On the other hand,... read more »
By: Eric Bank • 4/14/22
Business
100,000+ views
11 min read
Starting a small business is difficult, but when larger corporate entities already dominate the market, it’s even harder to gain a... read more »
By: Adam West • 3/3/22
Economy
100,000+ views
11 min read
Government financial stimulus and relief resources at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 helped businesses keep their... read more »
By: Jon McDonald • 9/13/21
Economy
100,000+ views
11 min read
Wage theft is surprisingly common among low-income workers despite laws and oversight tools designed to prevent it. Although it’s... read more »
By: Adam West • 6/22/21
Student Loans
100,000+ views
11 min read
Students who want high-paying careers after graduation may need to take on more student debt to earn degrees in desirable fields.... read more »
By: Adam West • 6/4/21
Student Loans
100,000+ views
13 min read
At around $1.5 trillion, student loan debt in the U.S. is quickly becoming what many experts are categorizing as a crisis. It is... read more »
By: Matt Walker • 11/19/19
Children
100,000+ views
9 min read
Gentrification is a sensitive topic for many Americans, yet there has been very little research done on the issue that presents... read more »
By: Matt Walker • 10/18/19
Jobs
100,000+ views
9 min read
While it makes sense for certain occupations, such as medical professionals and attorneys, to require licenses to practice, the... read more »
By: Matt Walker • 9/18/19
Education
100,000+ views
19 min read
The United States has a math problem but it’s not the kind that can be solved with a simple formula or even an advanced algorithm. While math... read more »
By: Matt Walker • 2/28/19
Economy
100,000+ views
33 min read
Peppered across the western U.S. are a number of forgotten towns that are now home to little more than tumbleweeds. These ghost towns are an... read more »
By: Brittney Mayer • 1/25/19
Economy
100,000+ views
55 min read
We’ve all seen the click-worthy lists full of the “best places to live,” complete with the glossy photos of tree-lined streets, sandy beaches,... read more »
By: Brittney Mayer • 12/17/18
Auto
100,000+ views
15 min read
Ah, the smell of a new car. That alluring, straight-from-the-factory fragrance of polyurethane and freshly laid carpet somehow draws millions of... read more »
By: Brittney Mayer • 11/26/18
Mortgages
100,000+ views
13 min read
As with the 8-track players and parachute pants popular during their heyday, the company pension is mostly history. As a result, many modern... read more »
By: Brittney Mayer • 5/8/18
Build Credit
100,000+ views
9 min read
In a study of over 75,000 calls, tech support hotline Gadget Helpline found that nearly two-thirds of male callers didn’t bother to read the... read more »
By: Brittney Mayer • 1/11/18
Credit Cards
100,000+ views
9 min read
Although I don’t know where, exactly, I’m convinced that somewhere lies an immense mountain of missing socks pilfered from unsuspecting dryers... read more »
By: Brittney Mayer • 10/30/17
Credit Card Debt
100,000+ views
9 min read
Already approaching 7.5 billion halfway through 2017, the world population is projected to top the 8 billion mark around 2023. In the US alone, a... read more »
By: Brittney Mayer • 7/28/17
Credit Scores
100,000+ views
13 min read
In personal finance, credit scores are what make the world — or, at least, the lines of credit — go ’round. So it’s small wonder that, no matter... read more »
By: Brittney Mayer • 5/12/17
Medical Debt
100,000+ views
5 min read
Your credit score is a reflection of the age, type, size, and general standing of the myriad accounts that make up your credit report.... read more »
By: Brittney Mayer • 1/12/17
Get Out of Debt
100,000+ views
7 min read
Doing just a little bit of research into the best and fastest ways to pay down your debt will return the same results from just about everyone:... read more »
By: Brittney Mayer • 10/28/16
Credit Cards
100,000+ views
5 min read
Earlier this month, Lexington Law Firm published “Credit Cards: What We Found In The Fine Print,” a series of infographics featuring statistics... read more »
By: Ashley Dull • 4/12/16
Credit Cards
100,000+ views
9 min read
Paying off credit cards can improve credit scores substantially as outstanding debt is the second most heavily-weighted factor in... read more »
By: Ashley Dull • 9/10/15
Student Debt
100,000+ views
11 min read
Student loans are the hot topic of the financial world lately, and for good reason. The number of students borrowing and the amount they’re... read more »
By: Logan Ladnyk • 6/16/15
Credit Card Debt
100,000+ views
3 min read
You’ve been reading BadCredit.org all year, working on paying off your debt as our how-to guides help you achieve financial freedom. Great job!... read more »
By: Logan Ladnyk • 6/11/15
Student Debt
100,000+ views
3 min read
With the cost of a four-year college education continuing to hit new highs, millennials aren’t the only ones struggling with rising levels of... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 5/28/15
Business
100,000+ views
33 min read
Which business schools are contributing the most reliable, quality research to the economics community? Pulling data from the... read more »
By: Alexandra Leslie • 5/5/15
Economy
100,000+ views
13 min read
A new study from the University of New Mexico found many undocumented immigrants are severely underbanked, wary of debt and unable... read more »
By: BadCredit.org Staff • 5/1/15
Bankruptcy
100,000+ views
5 min read
When bankruptcy exemption levels increase, the wealthy tend to invest less in risky unsecured assets, according to a new study... read more »
By: BadCredit.org Staff • 4/24/15
Economy
100,000+ views
7 min read
A combination of overconfidence, selective memory and high liquidity explains why financial crises often follow periods of... read more »
By: BadCredit.org Staff • 4/21/15
Credit Cards
100,000+ views
5 min read
A traditional finance study may not seem like interesting reading, but we can learn a great deal about the typical U.S. consumer and the state of... read more »
By: Linsey Knerl • 4/10/15
Bankruptcy
100,000+ views
7 min read
Bankruptcy is a measure of last resort for the overindebted consumer, presumably offering a fresh financial start to people drowning in debt. But... read more »
By: BadCredit.org Staff • 3/31/15
Bankruptcy
100,000+ views
9 min read
Back in November 2014, The New York Times shed light on a disturbing trend among some of the nation’s biggest lenders: Banks like JPMorgan Chase,... read more »
By: BadCredit.org Staff • 3/24/15
Mistakes
100,000+ views
21 min read
Americans love to consume, but living a life of excess — especially with your finances — can lead to trouble. These 20... read more »
By: BadCredit.org Staff • 3/17/15
Bankruptcy
100,000+ views
9 min read
Bankruptcy is one of the most effective yet misunderstood forms of consumer protection in the legal system. Instead of jailing an individual or... read more »
By: BadCredit.org Staff • 3/12/15
Economy
100,000+ views
19 min read
Over the past decade, there’s been quite a lot of talk about consumers’ stagnating wages — not only because the average American citizen’s income... read more »
By: BadCredit.org Staff • 3/5/15
Economy
100,000+ views
7 min read
2005 was a terrible year for New Orleans — Hurricane Katrina, a category five storm and meteorological juggernaut, swept up the Gulf of Mexico... read more »
By: BadCredit.org Staff • 2/19/15
Loans
100,000+ views
5 min read
The Internet has a track record of cultivating uncanny new technologies that challenge markets, playing the role of democratized Davids to... read more »
By: BadCredit.org Staff • 2/10/15
Retirement
100,000+ views
15 min read
For someone with bad credit, figuring out retirement can be a tricky task. Chances are your finances are already battered from high-interest... read more »
By: BadCredit.org Staff • 2/4/15
Economy
100,000+ views
15 min read
Every year, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation releases data through the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program that shows the number of... read more »
By: BadCredit.org Staff • 1/27/15
Economy
100,000+ views
7 min read
Is big data leveling the playing field in the modern-day consumer credit market, or is it doing more harm than good? This was one of the... read more »
By: BadCredit.org Staff • 1/26/15
Economy
100,000+ views
13 min read
Last month, we took at look at some of America’s most financially responsible cities. Drawing on data from Experian’s fifth annual State of... read more »
By: BadCredit.org Staff • 1/13/15
Good Credit
100,000+ views
3 min read
Anyone paying attention to news reports during the collapse of our banking system was treated to detailed information about credit-default swaps.... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 1/5/15
Effects
100,000+ views
3 min read
Admittedly, credit scores can seem perplexing sometimes. You likely have three different FICO scores, depending on which of the three credit... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 12/29/14
Credit Scores
100,000+ views
1 min read
Impatience can lead to many problems like extra stress, high blood pressure and a quick temper. A new study suggests you can add a poor credit... read more »
By: David Andrew • 12/22/14
Credit Reports
100,000+ views
3 min read
So you think the only thing that suffers when you have bad credit is your ability to take out a loan? Think again. According to a study conducted... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 12/15/14
Loans
100,000+ views
3 min read
Thanks to the unprecedented convenience of the Internet, peer-to-peer lending has become a more popular alternative for consumers to find new... read more »
By: BadCredit.org Staff • 12/15/14
Economy
100,000+ views
9 min read
A pair of researchers from Duke and Chapman Universities wondered: Why did Western Europe become an economic juggernaut, while the Ottoman Empire... read more »
By: BadCredit.org Staff • 12/9/14
Mortgages
100,000+ views
5 min read
A pair of real estate economists claim they’ve found a new quirk in the post-recession housing market — not knowing the price of their homes may... read more »
By: BadCredit.org Staff • 11/24/14
Bankruptcy
100,000+ views
5 min read
“[Health care] is a cost that now causes a bankruptcy in America every 30 seconds,” President Obama said in his 2009 State of the Union address.... read more »
By: BadCredit.org Staff • 11/14/14
Mortgages
100,000+ views
7 min read
Since the end of the Great Recession, policymakers, academics and economists have been struggling with a very difficult question — what should we... read more »
By: BadCredit.org Staff • 11/13/14
Income
100,000+ views
3 min read
A recently published research paper by computer scientist Randy Olson suggests height may be determined by economic prosperity and people in... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 11/6/14
Credit Scores
100,000+ views
7 min read
Students who complete state-mandated financial literacy courses in high school tend to have higher credit scores than those who receive no such... read more »
By: BadCredit.org Staff • 10/27/14
Credit Card Debt
100,000+ views
1 min read
If you’re meeting someone for the first time and trying to come up with a topic for conversation, don’t bring up credit card debt. According to a... read more »
By: David Andrew • 10/27/14
Credit Scores
100,000+ views
7 min read
Social media has come a long way since the early days of Facebook and Myspace. What started out as a virtual social playground for... read more »
By: BadCredit.org Staff • 10/20/14
Children
100,000+ views
3 min read
Talking to aging parents about money, retirement and estate planning is a challenge for even the most open families. In their latest Intra-Family... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 10/13/14
Credit Card Debt
100,000+ views
1 min read
American consumers are still addicted to credit, buried in debt and embarrassed about it, according to recent data published by the U.S. Federal... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 10/6/14
Economy
100,000+ views
9 min read
The easiest way to get bad credit is by not paying your bills. Anyone who’s missed even a single payment on their credit cards or loans will... read more »
By: BadCredit.org Staff • 10/1/14
Auto
100,000+ views
3 min read
Your insurance rates could more than double if you have no credit history, according to a recent survey by WalletHub. The survey polled five of... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 9/25/14
Budgeting
100,000+ views
1 min read
A study by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling finds when it comes to personal finance and money management skills, many Americans... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 9/8/14
College
100,000+ views
5 min read
Rising tuition, a stale job market and lower-paying jobs — is college still worth it? A new study by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York finds... read more »
By: BadCredit.org Staff • 7/14/14
Medical Debt
100,000+ views
1 min read
[Edit 8/7/2014: FICO plans to transition to a new credit scoring model where people with only medical debt will receive a 25-point boost in their... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 7/7/14
Economy
100,000+ views
3 min read
The financial crisis and subsequent Great Recession of 2008 appears to shaping the long-term savings strategies of the nation’s youngest... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 7/1/14
Credit Card Debt
100,000+ views
3 min read
A recent credit card debt study shows U.S. consumers continue to pay off credit card debt at a rate of $32.5 billion in the first quarter of... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 6/23/14
Student Debt
100,000+ views
7 min read
A new report published by the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) finds student debt is rising faster at state universities with the highest-paid... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 6/10/14
Millennials
100,000+ views
1 min read
When it comes to understanding credit scores and how they’re used, it turns out Millennials – those aged 18 to 34 (also known as “Gen Y”) – know... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 6/6/14
Debt
100,000+ views
3 min read
While many Americans continue to repair their finances following the Great Recession, the overall amount of household debt continues to grow. In... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 5/26/14
Mortgages
100,000+ views
1 min read
Tight credit markets since the Great Recession continue to dampen mortgage originations in Ohio and several other states. The study conducted by... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 5/12/14
Accounts
100,000+ views
3 min read
While 92 percent of Americans say they are concerned with checking account fees, only 44 percent have free checking accounts. In addition, a new... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 5/1/14
Family
100,000+ views
1 min read
A new study conducted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Cornell University looked at the effects of the earned income tax credit (EITC)... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 4/28/14
Banks
100,000+ views
3 min read
About or aboot? Sorry, Canada. We had to do it. According to a recently released FICO survey, bankers in Canada are more pessimistic than those... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 4/24/14
Banks
100,000+ views
1 min read
In their 9th annual Credit Card Issuers Identity Scorecard, Javelin Research has named Bank of America as “Best in Class” for security. Javelin... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 4/21/14
Budgeting
100,000+ views
1 min read
Recent growth in the use of prepaid credit cards may be fueled by consumers looking to change bad spending habits. At least that’s the conclusion... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 4/14/14
Economy
100,000+ views
1 min read
Income inequality in America has been out of the headlines for the most part since the Occupy Wall Street movement has died down. But that... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 4/10/14
Taxes
100,000+ views
1 min read
A new study conducted by BMO Harris Bank showed an overwhelming majority of Arizonans feel confident with the job they did preparing their taxes.... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 4/7/14
Millennials
100,000+ views
1 min read
In a recent study, the FINRA Investor Education Foundation found millennials (those between the ages of 18 and 34) engaged in a number of... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 4/3/14
Banks
100,000+ views
1 min read
A recent survey of the 50 largest credit unions in the U.S. showed most still offer free standalone checking accounts. The study shows 72 percent... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 3/31/14
Business
100,000+ views
1 min read
In a recent study of small- to medium-sized businesses, it was found many business owners use their personal credit cards to help finance... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 3/27/14
Credit Cards
100,000+ views
1 min read
A study released recently by the Pew Charitable Trusts showed U.S. consumers are using prepaid credit cards more now than ever before. In yet... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 3/20/14
Debt
100,000+ views
1 min read
Americans know all about consumer debt – sometimes it seems like we almost invented it. But the fact is our neighbors to the north may be even... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 3/17/14
Bills
100,000+ views
1 min read
A new study carried out recently in Britain showed families with poor credit are paying more for their broadband Internet access. The research... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 3/13/14
Fraud
100,000+ views
1 min read
In a recent annual fraud study conducted by Javelin Strategy and Research, it was reported a new occurrence of identity fraud happened every two... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 3/10/14
Banks
100,000+ views
1 min read
According to a recent study conducted by a group of Cambridge researchers, the credit crisis of 2008 and beyond may have been made worse by... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 3/6/14
Health
100,000+ views
1 min read
When President Obama laid out the plans for his Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, he used Massachusetts’ health care model as a... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 3/3/14
Family
100,000+ views
1 min read
A study released recently by the Corporation for Enterprise Development shows nearly half of households in California have little to no savings... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 2/27/14
Divorce
100,000+ views
1 min read
As our economy continues to slowly improve from the effects of the Great Recession, most of the news is good. However, one disturbing trend has... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 2/24/14
Debt
100,000+ views
1 min read
According to a new report from the National Center for Policy Analysis, Americans aged 65 and older are carrying far more debt than they were... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 2/20/14
Get Out of Debt
100,000+ views
1 min read
Being in debt is often the result of many factors, but no matter why or how you find yourself in debt, paying it down is the top priority. While... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 2/17/14
Credit Cards
100,000+ views
1 min read
The numbers are in and this year’s holiday retail spending increase was pretty decent after all. The expectation for moderate or slow consumer... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 2/13/14
Apps
100,000+ views
1 min read
It seems small businesses have little loyalty to their current financial institutions and would likely switch for a better mobile banking option.... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 2/10/14
Credit Unions
100,000+ views
1 min read
In recent years, the rate of interest charged for home mortgages has been at historic lows. While this has led to a boom in home purchases, the... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 2/6/14
Food
100,000+ views
1 min read
A recent study in the journal Obesity seems to show a relationship between students eating habits and the way they pay for school meals.... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 2/3/14
Family
100,000+ views
1 min read
Managing a relationship isn’t always easy, and there are many challenges along the way. One of the biggest challenges couples face is finding a... read more »
By: David Andrew • 1/30/14
Saving
100,000+ views
1 min read
If you want to be happier in 2014, you may want to start putting more money in your savings account. A new survey from Ally Bank suggests people... read more »
By: David Andrew • 1/27/14
Bills
100,000+ views
1 min read
When it comes to money priorities, Americans are focused on the basics: paying their bills on time and paying off their debt. The financial... read more »
By: David Andrew • 1/23/14
Economy
100,000+ views
1 min read
During the U.S. housing bubble, lenders were giving out too many mortgages to unqualified borrowers, which eventually led to a market crash. To... read more »
By: David Andrew • 1/20/14
Debt
100,000+ views
1 min read
It may be no surprise to those between the ages of 19 and 29 (the so-called Millennial Generation) that a recent study shows this group fairs the... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 1/16/14
Credit Card Debt
100,000+ views
1 min read
The Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure, or CARD Act, was ratified by Congress and signed into law by President Obama in... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 1/13/14
Identity Theft
100,000+ views
1 min read
On a study conducted by Javelin Strategy and research, it was shown one-quarter of the people whose credit card data was stolen ended up being... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 1/9/14
Debt Collectors
100,000+ views
1 min read
To protect consumers, state governments sometimes create laws that restrict the ability of creditors and debt collection agencies to aggressively... read more »
By: David Andrew • 1/6/14
Economy
100,000+ views
1 min read
We are all aware home values took a big hit during the recession, but some areas were hit harder than others. A recent study by the American... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 1/2/14
Credit Card Debt
100,000+ views
1 min read
The middle class in American society has been dramatically affected by the recent credit crisis and subsequent economic challenges. The segment... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 12/30/13
Identity Theft
100,000+ views
1 min read
As our lives move online, it isn’t always easy to protect our personal information. Teens and young adults are particularly vulnerable because... read more »
By: David Andrew • 12/26/13
Debt
100,000+ views
1 min read
The American and Canadian economies have always been pretty closely tied to each other. For this reason, it should be no surprise that consumer... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 12/23/13
Banks
100,000+ views
1 min read
With key U.S. interest rates still at historic lows of around .25 percent, banks are finding it tough to make any money these days. On top of... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 12/19/13
Credit Cards
100,000+ views
1 min read
The calculation of our credit scores has always been a bit of a mystery to many people. We know they are important when it comes to getting a... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 12/12/13
Couples
100,000+ views
1 min read
With the holiday season upon us, some couples are more likely than others to feel anxiety and fear around holiday spending. These feelings can... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 12/9/13
Credit Cards
100,000+ views
1 min read
The American government recently launched a series of new credit card regulations with the idea of protecting consumers and reducing overall... read more »
By: David Andrew • 12/5/13
Mortgages
100,000+ views
1 min read
Government-sponsored entities (GSEs) like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac play a huge role in the U.S. housing market. These organizations guarantee... read more »
By: David Andrew • 12/2/13
Auto
100,000+ views
1 min read
In a new study based on data from six large insurers across the country, it was found drivers with poor credit pay almost double for their car... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 11/28/13
Buying a Home
100,000+ views
1 min read
Despite the continued rise in home prices over the past two years, many believe the gains will not last. According to a survey of Americans... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 11/25/13
Holidays
100,000+ views
1 min read
Retailers just got some good news for the holiday season. Even though Americans are still worried about the economy, more than half of Americans... read more »
By: David Andrew • 11/21/13
Taxes
100,000+ views
1 min read
Americans may need to prepare to pay more in taxes in the near future. A new report from the tax publisher Commerce Clearing House (CCH) found... read more »
By: David Andrew • 11/18/13
Banks
100,000+ views
1 min read
Living in the developed world, we take for granted the availability of credit for business expansion. However, in many of the emerging economies,... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 11/14/13
Health
100,000+ views
1 min read
If you are confused about the possible benefits or drawbacks to the new Affordable Health Care Act that is about to go into effect, you are not... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 11/11/13
Family
100,000+ views
1 min read
A joint bank account might not seem like the most romantic thing in the world, but it is often the sign of a strong and loving relationship. A... read more »
By: David Andrew • 11/7/13
Economy
100,000+ views
1 min read
Since the economy has begun to recover from the financial crisis, Americans are starting to apply for credit again. Financial risk professionals... read more »
By: David Andrew • 11/4/13
International
100,000+ views
1 min read
It seems Americans aren’t the only ones with serious credit problems. According to the Australian credit data company Veda, 2.3 million Aussies... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 10/31/13
Accounts
100,000+ views
1 min read
In a recent study, at least one nonprofit public interest group found the majority of complaints made to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 10/28/13
Retirement
100,000+ views
1 min read
Have you ever felt life was moving by so slowly that it seems like you will never retire? If so, you are not alone. Most people are so busy and... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 10/24/13
Debit Cards
100,000+ views
3 min read
Debit card swipe fees amount to only pennies per transaction, but when added together, they account for a sizable chunk of retail spending. Debit... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 10/21/13
Holidays
100,000+ views
1 min read
If you are among that group of American consumers who feel the pinch of credit card bills every new year, you are not alone. According to a... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 10/17/13
Loans
100,000+ views
1 min read
When it comes to paying off debts, Americans do not treat all bills with the same priority. A recent study has shown Americans are more likely to... read more »
By: David Andrew • 10/14/13
Banks
100,000+ views
1 min read
If you feel like your bank is speaking a different language, you are not alone. According to a recent study conducted by Maritz Research,... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 10/10/13
Loans
100,000+ views
1 min read
While the American housing market is starting to improve, it still has not recovered from the housing bubble. One of the reasons why the market... read more »
By: David Andrew • 10/7/13
Retirement
100,000+ views
1 min read
In a study just released by the National Institute on Retirement Security (NIRS), more than 90 percent of working-age households in the U.S. are... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 10/3/13
College
100,000+ views
1 min read
It looks like college students still need help learning to manage their finances. A new study found many students were already picking up some... read more »
By: David Andrew • 9/30/13
Credit Cards
100,000+ views
1 min read
The amount consumers pay per month toward their credit cards gives a pretty good indication of whether or not they will ever be delinquent on... read more »
By: David Andrew • 9/26/13
Economy
100,000+ views
1 min read
A report from the U.S. Federal Reserve shows consumer borrowing has hit a record high in the latest reporting period. Despite the fact Americans... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 9/23/13
Debt
100,000+ views
3 min read
Too much debt is more than just a financial issue. According to a study from the Northeastern University Feinberg School of Medicine, high levels... read more »
By: David Andrew • 9/16/13
Loans
100,000+ views
1 min read
A poor credit score makes it incredibly challenging to get a personal bank loan. This is especially true these days because banks have tightened... read more »
By: David Andrew • 9/12/13
Loans
100,000+ views
1 min read
When it comes to home loans, race unfortunately appears to make a difference. A study out of New York University showed wealthier minorities are... read more »
By: David Andrew • 9/9/13
Spending
100,000+ views
1 min read
It’s probably not surprising to learn compulsive buying is a problem in many Western countries. In fact, many of us probably know someone who... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 9/5/13
Student Debt
100,000+ views
1 min read
Student loans have overtaken both credit card and automobile debt as the largest percentage of household debt in the U.S. According to new data... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 9/2/13
Debt
100,000+ views
1 min read
It looks like the lessons learned from the financial crisis and ensuing economic downturn may have changed the way many Americans view debt and... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 8/29/13
Debt
100,000+ views
3 min read
Are you still asking your parents for money? What about your grandparents? They may be more broke than you. A recent study shows middle-income... read more »
By: Laura Slawny • 8/26/13
Mortgages
100,000+ views
1 min read
Since the housing bubble burst and home values plummeted, Americans have begun to question whether it still makes financial sense to buy a home.... read more »
By: David Andrew • 8/22/13
Business
100,000+ views
1 min read
For small business owners, finding financing is tough. Since the financial crisis, banks have tightened lending standards, which puts many new... read more »
By: David Andrew • 8/19/13
Debt
100,000+ views
1 min read
When it comes to managing debt, women appear to have the edge over men. In a recent study, the credit reports of 750,000 men and women across the... read more »
By: David Andrew • 8/15/13
Spending
100,000+ views
1 min read
When it comes to predicting consumer spending behavior, a lot of work goes into taking surveys and observing sales figures from a macro... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 8/8/13
Financial Planning
100,000+ views
1 min read
It may not come as much of a surprise to many of us, but it appears women are significantly more likely to act on financial advice they receive.... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 8/5/13
Health
100,000+ views
1 min read
In a somewhat surprising study released by the Journal of Health and Social Behavior, it was revealed people who have unpaid credit card debt or... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 8/1/13
College
100,000+ views
1 min read
When students build up credit card debt, they aren’t just hurting their finances. They’re also putting their degree at risk. According to a study... read more »
By: David Andrew • 7/29/13
Mortgages
100,000+ views
1 min read
It’s no secret the recent “great recession” was largely caused at the hands of mortgage lenders with all-too-lenient credit requirements. A... read more »
By: Steven Tumulski • 7/25/13
Credit Card Debt
100,000+ views
1 min read
Credit card debt is becoming an increasingly large problem for young Americans. According to a recent study out of Ohio State, the current... read more »
By: David Andrew • 7/22/13
Credit Checks
100,000+ views
1 min read
We all know employers these days often use credit checks as a way to screen job candidates before making the decision to hire. So it’s a bit of a... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 7/18/13
Minorities
100,000+ views
1 min read
A recent $1.3 million dollar study undertaken by Freddie Mac has revealed some surprising differences in credit scores between African-Americans... read more »
By: Steven Tumulski • 7/15/13
Credit Card Debt
100,000+ views
3 min read
It seems like common knowledge we should avoid debt. Each generation goes through the process of accumulating debt, struggling to pay it off and... read more »
By: Steven Tumulski • 7/11/13
Debt
100,000+ views
1 min read
After many years of credit struggles, young Americans may be finally getting a better handle on debt management. A new study out of the Pew... read more »
By: David Andrew • 7/8/13
Credit Checks
100,000+ views
1 min read
When it comes to verifying the health of our finances, there are few things more important than our credit report. According to a recent survey,... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 7/4/13
Credit Cards
100,000+ views
1 min read
When it comes to the complex and sordid world of credit card theft, it turns out there is at least a little trust among these thieves. A study... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 7/1/13
Family
100,000+ views
1 min read
Unemployment costs Americans more than their weekly paycheck. According to a recent study out of the Pew Charitable Trusts, it also badly damages... read more »
By: David Andrew • 6/27/13
Economy
100,000+ views
1 min read
When the American housing bubble burst, it led a financial panic and the collapse of the American economy. Wall Street made problems even worse... read more »
By: David Andrew • 6/24/13
Credit Card Debt
100,000+ views
1 min read
Many Americans are still in a tough spot financially. According to a recent survey, about one in four Americans has more credit card debt than... read more »
By: David Andrew • 6/20/13
Credit Scores
100,000+ views
1 min read
A recent study shows one-third of all Americans are suffering the consequences of having a low credit score. Lenders are reportedly tightening... read more »
By: Steven Tumulski • 6/17/13
Credit Repair
100,000+ views
3 min read
A new study shows fully reported non-financial payment data, also called alternative data, can have a positive impact on consumers when assessing... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 6/13/13
Letter of Explanation
100,000+ views
1 min read
When it comes to peer-to-peer micro loans, lenders are looking at more than a person’s credit history. According to a recent study from the... read more »
By: David Andrew • 6/10/13
Credit Scores
100,000+ views
3 min read
TransUnion, one of the big three credit reporting agencies, recently revealed their ranking of the U.S. metropolitan areas with the highest and... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 6/3/13
Work
100,000+ views
1 min read
With more and more companies using credit reports as a part of the hiring process, this can dramatically impact an applicant’s ability to land... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 5/30/13
Credit Cards
100,000+ views
1 min read
It seems everything leads to cancer, these days. You can’t do too much of anything without putting yourself at some sort of increased risk. But... read more »
By: Steven Tumulski • 5/27/13
Income
100,000+ views
1 min read
I think most of us recognize the past five years or so have been difficult for many working Americans. However, we’re being told conditions are... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 5/23/13
Credit Errors
100,000+ views
1 min read
In 2004, Congress initiated a 10-year project to study the accuracy of the credit reporting industry. The results are published in two-year... read more »
By: Steven Tumulski • 5/6/13
Debt
100,000+ views
17 min read
Americans aren’t shy about borrowing money. A Federal Reserve survey found that 77% of US households have some form of debt. On the other hand,... read more »
By: Eric Bank • 4/14/22
Debt
100,000+ views
3 min read
While many Americans continue to repair their finances following the Great Recession, the overall amount of household debt continues to grow. In... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 5/26/14
Debt
100,000+ views
1 min read
Americans know all about consumer debt – sometimes it seems like we almost invented it. But the fact is our neighbors to the north may be even... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 3/17/14
Debt
100,000+ views
1 min read
According to a new report from the National Center for Policy Analysis, Americans aged 65 and older are carrying far more debt than they were... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 2/20/14
Debt
100,000+ views
1 min read
It may be no surprise to those between the ages of 19 and 29 (the so-called Millennial Generation) that a recent study shows this group fairs the... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 1/16/14
Debt
100,000+ views
1 min read
The American and Canadian economies have always been pretty closely tied to each other. For this reason, it should be no surprise that consumer... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 12/23/13
Debt
100,000+ views
3 min read
Too much debt is more than just a financial issue. According to a study from the Northeastern University Feinberg School of Medicine, high levels... read more »
By: David Andrew • 9/16/13
Debt
100,000+ views
1 min read
It looks like the lessons learned from the financial crisis and ensuing economic downturn may have changed the way many Americans view debt and... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 8/29/13
Debt
100,000+ views
3 min read
Are you still asking your parents for money? What about your grandparents? They may be more broke than you. A recent study shows middle-income... read more »
By: Laura Slawny • 8/26/13
Debt
100,000+ views
1 min read
When it comes to managing debt, women appear to have the edge over men. In a recent study, the credit reports of 750,000 men and women across the... read more »
By: David Andrew • 8/15/13
Debt
100,000+ views
1 min read
After many years of credit struggles, young Americans may be finally getting a better handle on debt management. A new study out of the Pew... read more »
By: David Andrew • 7/8/13
Accounts
100,000+ views
3 min read
While 92 percent of Americans say they are concerned with checking account fees, only 44 percent have free checking accounts. In addition, a new... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 5/1/14
Loans
100,000+ views
1 min read
When it comes to paying off debts, Americans do not treat all bills with the same priority. A recent study has shown Americans are more likely to... read more »
By: David Andrew • 10/14/13
Auto
100,000+ views
3 min read
Your insurance rates could more than double if you have no credit history, according to a recent survey by WalletHub. The survey polled five of... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 9/25/14
Auto
100,000+ views
1 min read
In a new study based on data from six large insurers across the country, it was found drivers with poor credit pay almost double for their car... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 11/28/13
Credit Scores
100,000+ views
13 min read
In personal finance, credit scores are what make the world — or, at least, the lines of credit — go ’round. So it’s small wonder that, no matter... read more »
By: Brittney Mayer • 5/12/17
Credit Cards
100,000+ views
9 min read
Paying off credit cards can improve credit scores substantially as outstanding debt is the second most heavily-weighted factor in... read more »
By: Ashley Dull • 9/10/15
Credit Scores
100,000+ views
1 min read
Impatience can lead to many problems like extra stress, high blood pressure and a quick temper. A new study suggests you can add a poor credit... read more »
By: David Andrew • 12/22/14
Credit Scores
100,000+ views
7 min read
Students who complete state-mandated financial literacy courses in high school tend to have higher credit scores than those who receive no such... read more »
By: BadCredit.org Staff • 10/27/14
Credit Scores
100,000+ views
7 min read
Social media has come a long way since the early days of Facebook and Myspace. What started out as a virtual social playground for... read more »
By: BadCredit.org Staff • 10/20/14
Credit Cards
100,000+ views
1 min read
The calculation of our credit scores has always been a bit of a mystery to many people. We know they are important when it comes to getting a... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 12/12/13
Credit Scores
100,000+ views
1 min read
A recent study shows one-third of all Americans are suffering the consequences of having a low credit score. Lenders are reportedly tightening... read more »
By: Steven Tumulski • 6/17/13
Credit Scores
100,000+ views
3 min read
TransUnion, one of the big three credit reporting agencies, recently revealed their ranking of the U.S. metropolitan areas with the highest and... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 6/3/13
Economy
100,000+ views
11 min read
Researchers at the Institute for Gender and the Economy at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management explore the... read more »
By: Adam West • 4/20/22
Economy
100,000+ views
11 min read
Government financial stimulus and relief resources at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 helped businesses keep their... read more »
By: Jon McDonald • 9/13/21
Economy
100,000+ views
11 min read
Wage theft is surprisingly common among low-income workers despite laws and oversight tools designed to prevent it. Although it’s... read more »
By: Adam West • 6/22/21
Economy
100,000+ views
33 min read
Peppered across the western U.S. are a number of forgotten towns that are now home to little more than tumbleweeds. These ghost towns are an... read more »
By: Brittney Mayer • 1/25/19
Economy
100,000+ views
55 min read
We’ve all seen the click-worthy lists full of the “best places to live,” complete with the glossy photos of tree-lined streets, sandy beaches,... read more »
By: Brittney Mayer • 12/17/18
Credit Card Debt
100,000+ views
3 min read
You’ve been reading BadCredit.org all year, working on paying off your debt as our how-to guides help you achieve financial freedom. Great job!... read more »
By: Logan Ladnyk • 6/11/15
Economy
100,000+ views
13 min read
A new study from the University of New Mexico found many undocumented immigrants are severely underbanked, wary of debt and unable... read more »
By: BadCredit.org Staff • 5/1/15
Bankruptcy
100,000+ views
5 min read
When bankruptcy exemption levels increase, the wealthy tend to invest less in risky unsecured assets, according to a new study... read more »
By: BadCredit.org Staff • 4/24/15
Economy
100,000+ views
7 min read
A combination of overconfidence, selective memory and high liquidity explains why financial crises often follow periods of... read more »
By: BadCredit.org Staff • 4/21/15
Credit Cards
100,000+ views
5 min read
A traditional finance study may not seem like interesting reading, but we can learn a great deal about the typical U.S. consumer and the state of... read more »
By: Linsey Knerl • 4/10/15
Economy
100,000+ views
19 min read
Over the past decade, there’s been quite a lot of talk about consumers’ stagnating wages — not only because the average American citizen’s income... read more »
By: BadCredit.org Staff • 3/5/15
Economy
100,000+ views
7 min read
2005 was a terrible year for New Orleans — Hurricane Katrina, a category five storm and meteorological juggernaut, swept up the Gulf of Mexico... read more »
By: BadCredit.org Staff • 2/19/15
Economy
100,000+ views
15 min read
Every year, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation releases data through the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program that shows the number of... read more »
By: BadCredit.org Staff • 1/27/15
Economy
100,000+ views
7 min read
Is big data leveling the playing field in the modern-day consumer credit market, or is it doing more harm than good? This was one of the... read more »
By: BadCredit.org Staff • 1/26/15
Economy
100,000+ views
13 min read
Last month, we took at look at some of America’s most financially responsible cities. Drawing on data from Experian’s fifth annual State of... read more »
By: BadCredit.org Staff • 1/13/15
Economy
100,000+ views
9 min read
A pair of researchers from Duke and Chapman Universities wondered: Why did Western Europe become an economic juggernaut, while the Ottoman Empire... read more »
By: BadCredit.org Staff • 12/9/14
Economy
100,000+ views
9 min read
The easiest way to get bad credit is by not paying your bills. Anyone who’s missed even a single payment on their credit cards or loans will... read more »
By: BadCredit.org Staff • 10/1/14
Economy
100,000+ views
3 min read
The financial crisis and subsequent Great Recession of 2008 appears to shaping the long-term savings strategies of the nation’s youngest... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 7/1/14
Debt
100,000+ views
3 min read
While many Americans continue to repair their finances following the Great Recession, the overall amount of household debt continues to grow. In... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 5/26/14
Economy
100,000+ views
1 min read
Income inequality in America has been out of the headlines for the most part since the Occupy Wall Street movement has died down. But that... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 4/10/14
Debt
100,000+ views
1 min read
Americans know all about consumer debt – sometimes it seems like we almost invented it. But the fact is our neighbors to the north may be even... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 3/17/14
Banks
100,000+ views
1 min read
According to a recent study conducted by a group of Cambridge researchers, the credit crisis of 2008 and beyond may have been made worse by... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 3/6/14
Divorce
100,000+ views
1 min read
As our economy continues to slowly improve from the effects of the Great Recession, most of the news is good. However, one disturbing trend has... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 2/24/14
Economy
100,000+ views
1 min read
During the U.S. housing bubble, lenders were giving out too many mortgages to unqualified borrowers, which eventually led to a market crash. To... read more »
By: David Andrew • 1/20/14
Economy
100,000+ views
1 min read
We are all aware home values took a big hit during the recession, but some areas were hit harder than others. A recent study by the American... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 1/2/14
Debt
100,000+ views
1 min read
The American and Canadian economies have always been pretty closely tied to each other. For this reason, it should be no surprise that consumer... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 12/23/13
Buying a Home
100,000+ views
1 min read
Despite the continued rise in home prices over the past two years, many believe the gains will not last. According to a survey of Americans... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 11/25/13
Economy
100,000+ views
1 min read
Since the economy has begun to recover from the financial crisis, Americans are starting to apply for credit again. Financial risk professionals... read more »
By: David Andrew • 11/4/13
Economy
100,000+ views
1 min read
A report from the U.S. Federal Reserve shows consumer borrowing has hit a record high in the latest reporting period. Despite the fact Americans... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 9/23/13
Economy
100,000+ views
1 min read
When the American housing bubble burst, it led a financial panic and the collapse of the American economy. Wall Street made problems even worse... read more »
By: David Andrew • 6/24/13
Budgeting
100,000+ views
11 min read
Middle-to-low income families are being priced out of child care. Child care is deemed affordable if it costs no more than 7% of a... read more »
By: Brandon Rossman • 4/27/22
Budgeting
100,000+ views
1 min read
A study by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling finds when it comes to personal finance and money management skills, many Americans... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 9/8/14
Budgeting
100,000+ views
1 min read
Recent growth in the use of prepaid credit cards may be fueled by consumers looking to change bad spending habits. At least that’s the conclusion... read more »
By: Mike Randall • 4/14/14
