There is no question there is a bit of a divide going on here, you have an awful lot of Americans who are doing pretty well and have been paying down debts, and an awful lot who are really, really struggling. The weird thing is, because of government stimulus and widespread payment deferrals, both groups may have credit that looks like they are doing well.

Matt Schulz

It might not have great terms, so keep your expectations low, but if you have income, chances are you'll be able to find a card.

money

Tipping can be tricky and awkward because there’s really no right or wrong answer, however, the truth is that many workers rely on tips to generate a large portion of their income. To them, it’s not just about etiquette. It’s about being able to provide for their families and put food on their own tables.

latest-headlines

Tipping at sit-down restaurants has always been the standard in the U.S., but that’s not necessarily the case in other countries.

latest-headlines

If you get those kind of deals and pay it off every month, it can... by Matt Schulz

If you get those kind of deals and pay it off every month, it can work out for you.

money

New customers tend to get better deals than long-time customers. That's why you have so many people playing the sign-up bonus game, closing after a year or two.

money

We were expecting a little bigger number, but we also understood that this is going to be a long process.

company-news

All of this newfound debt that Americans have is only going to get more and more expensive in the coming months.

An increase in credit card debt can be a sign of confidence, or it can be a sign of concern, i think we're seeing both of those simultaneously right now in this country, and it's just another example of how different people have been impacted in the wake of the pandemic.

There are many, many different credit scores out there, and the score that you just saw might not be the same one lenders see when they're examining your creditworthiness.

One of the best ways to improve your credit score is to fix mistakes on your credit report, people would be surprised how often mistakes happen.

They're everywhere now and banks are eager to lend if you have decent credit.

It can sound weird to get another card to help you, but a 0 % interest rate on a balance transfer card can help you avoid accruing interest on that card for nearly two years.

In the wake of the pandemic's worst economic impacts there is a group of people who are doing really, really well and have extra cash and are feeling good.

The average APR is being driven up by more subprime cardholders carrying a balance while more prime cardholders pay off their balances, you have more people with higher APRs carrying balances and fewer people with lower APRs doing so, sending the overall average higher.

If you're looking for a credit card, the banks where you have your account is often the best place to start because they know the most about you, they are already using that information to make decisions about up selling you on other things they offer like car loans or mortgages.

There is always risk when you're opening up access to credit to people who haven't had it before, but if you can do that by using information banks already know how to read and what to do with, you're limiting the risk.

It is nothing new to use bank account information to help make lending decisions for those with little or no credit, banks have been doing that with their own deposit customers for years.

Eventually these deferred bills will come due and the saved money from the previous stimulus will run out, and that's when things may get pretty darn dicey for a lot of Americans.

Because of all the deferment we're seeing and some stimulus, I'm not sure how predictive these credit scores will be of people's financial situation in the future.

You'll want to make sure that any payment arrangement that you made really isn't impacting your credit score, mistakes happen.