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Credit Education

Latest Guides

  • Guide to Secured vs. Unsecured Debt
    Many people don’t realize it, but not all debts are the same. There are two basic types of debt – secured debt and unsecured debt. At the most basic level, the difference between the two is that one type of debt is tied to a piece of property while the other type is not.

Latest Blog Posts

  • The Haunting of Credit Mistakes Past
    How scary are your past credit mistakes? In celebration of Halloween, check out these classic ghost stories with some financial twists.
  • A Guide to Credit for Twenty-somethings
    In your twenties? If you’re like most twentysomethings, you’re probably working hard to finish your education, get your career started on the right foot, and launch your life in the “real world.” Whatever stage of the game you’re in, don’t forget about credit!
  • Thursday Grab Bag - 10/15/2009
    We usually do a Friday Grab Bag but we're changing things up a bit this week. Here's some interesting stuff from the world of credit and personal finance.
  • Video: An (Abbreviated) History of Credit
    I came across this little gem trolling YouTube. I love a good video montage (who doesn't, really?) and this one—with its jazzy music and retro film footage—fits the bill.
  • Hot Financial Trends: Finovate 2009
    I'm just back from the Finovate conference in New York City, and I'm still spinning from the trip. It was an entire day packed with fresh, hot coffee, the opportunity to mingle with top financial execs and entrepreneurs, and more than eight hours of "finovative" show-and-tell.
  • Are You Headed to Finovate?
    Finovate 2009 is right around the corner and the buzz is building. If you're headed to the conference, drop me a line so we can connect!
  • Credit Report for Richest and Poorest Neighborhoods in America
    We've compiled some interesting facts about the five richest and the five poorest neighborhoods in the country, and formatted them on a nifty map for you to check out. Do you live near these places, or are you familiar with them? How does your own financial situation compare?
  • Friday Grab Bag - College Edition
    It's Friday again, and that means it's time for the weekly SpendOnLife grab bag! This week we highlight the upcoming credit card ban on campuses, how college kids can learn about credit, and future college costs for the babies of today. Enjoy!
  • Credit Recipes: Cooking up Credit Score Greatness
    Like a slow-simmering chicken cacciatore, your credit score requires certain ingredients and ample time to bring out its full potential. The credit score recipes we show here will make the most out of the ingredients you already have in your “pantry” at home.
  • Bad Poetry Contest Winner
    Our judges have spoken, and it's now time to reveal the winner of our recent Bad Poetry Contest.
  • Friday Grab Bag - 9/4/2009
    It's Friday again, and that means it's time for the weekly SpendOnLife grab bag! Here we share some of the week's more interesting tidbits from the world of credit and personal finance. Enjoy!
  • Bad Poetry Contest Submissions - Group 15
    Here is the fifteenth (and final) set of entries we've received for our SpendOnLife bad poetry contest. Enjoy!
  • Bad Poetry Contest Submissions - Group 14
    Here is the fourteenth set of entries we've received for our SpendOnLife bad poetry contest. Enjoy!
  • Bad Poetry Contest Submissions - Group 13
    Here is the thirteenth set of entries we've received for our SpendOnLife bad poetry contest. Enjoy!
  • Bad Poetry Contest Submissions - Group 12
    Here is the twelfth set of entries we've received for our SpendOnLife bad poetry contest. Enjoy!
  • Bad Poetry Contest Submissions - Group 11
    Here is the eleventh set of entries we've received for our SpendOnLife bad poetry contest. Enjoy!
  • Bad Poetry Contest Submissions - Group 10
    Here is the tenth set of entries we've received for our SpendOnLife bad poetry contest. Enjoy!
  • Bad Poetry Contest Submissions - Group 9
    Here is the ninth set of entries we've received for our SpendOnLife bad poetry contest. Enjoy!
  • Bad Poetry Contest Submissions - Group 8
    Here is the eighth set of entries we've received for our SpendOnLife bad poetry contest. Enjoy!
  • Bad Poetry Contest Submissions - Group 7
    Here is the seventh set of entries we've received for our SpendOnLife bad poetry contest. Enjoy!
  • Bad Poetry Contest Submissions - Group 6
    Here is the sixth set of entries we've received for our SpendOnLife bad poetry contest. Enjoy!
  • Bad Poetry Contest Submissions - Group 5
    Here is the fifth set of entries we've received for our SpendOnLife bad poetry contest. Enjoy!
  • Bad Poetry Contest Submissions - Group 4
    Here is the fourth set of entries we've received for our SpendOnLife bad poetry contest. Enjoy!
  • Bad Poetry Contest Submissions - Group 3
    Here is the third set of entries we've received for our SpendOnLife bad poetry contest. Enjoy!
  • Bad Poetry Contest Submissions - Group 2
    Here is the second set of entries we've received for our SpendOnLife bad poetry contest. Enjoy!
  • Bad Poetry Contest Submissions - Group 1
    Here are the entries we've received so far from our SpendOnLife bad poetry contest. Enjoy!
  • 12 Little-Known Credit Facts
    It's true, the world of credit can be a little dry sometimes. So I compiled these 12 little-known credit facts to spice things up a bit.
  • All About the Roosevelts, Baybay!!
    You gotta love Taco Bell's latest commercial, which pays lyrical tribute to the smallest, thinnest American coin – the dime. What was a dime worth back in the day, and what can it get you now (besides 1/10 of a Cheesy Double Beef Burrito from Taco Bell)?
  • The TwitTruth about SpendOnLife
    We just stumbled across this cool tool called TwitTruth that gives various stats about a user's Twitter account. Twitterers can be classified according to how they use the social networking tool. (We, apparently, are an "engager"). Check out our other facts about our Twitter usage.
  • Are You Financially Ignorant?
    Ignorance is not always a personality defect….especially when it comes to finances! Some people don’t intentionally turn a blind eye to money woes, they just have no way of knowing how to right their financial wrongs!
  • SpendOnLife Launches Twinancial to Aggregate All Personal Finance Tweets
    It seems like everyone is Twittering these days, and we wanted to create a way to bring the most relevant "tweets" about credit, debt, and identity theft to you, our loyal readers. So we've created Twinancial.com.
  • How I Saved $652 on Car Insurance: My Geico vs. Esurance Story
    So, I’ve never been a huge fan of the Geico commercials. The little lizard guy just looks weird to me. Plus, I’ve gotten a car insurance quote from them in the past, and it didn’t save me a cent over what I was paying Esurance. That is, until I moved to a different state.
  • Friday Grab Bag - 5/15/2009
    It's Friday again, and that means it's time for the weekly SpendOnLife grab bag post. Here we share some of the week's more interesting tidbits from the world of credit and identity theft. Enjoy!
  • One Small Step to Simplify Your Finances, Save Trees
    Yep, that’s right. Earth Day 2009 is here, begging the annual question: What are you doing to help the environment? Because this is a blog about credit and personal finance matters, I’ll share one great green thing you can and should do that will save trees, as well as save you money and simplify your finances.
  • Credit Card-Free Shopping: Layaway Makes a Comeback
    The concept of layaway was born during the tough economic times of the 1930’s, but fell out of fashion as we became hooked on the "get now, pay later" magic fairy dust of credit cards. It’s true that what goes around comes around, though, because this quaint retail practice is making a comeback.
  • 7 Things You Didn't Know About Me
    I’ve been tagged by Yielding Wealth to participate in a meme. Basically, I'm to tell 7 things about myself that you probably didn't know, and then ask 7 others to do the same.
  • Friday Grab Bag
    Here's where we get to all the cool stuff that we discovered this week, from interesting news tidbits to sweet technology that we never knew existed. You never know what you'll find in the SpendOnLife weekly grab bag. Enjoy!
  • Is a 'bad bank' a good idea?
    Obama's latest economic recovery tactic involves setting up a 'bad bank.' What does this mean, and how will it affect you?
  • Vaden v. Discover: Six-Year Credit Dispute Reaches Supreme Court
    Betty Vaden, a consumer who refused to pay down her $10,000 Discover card balance in 2003, is obviously a fighter. A series of counterclaims and appeals has led her case against the credit card company all the way to the Supreme Court.
  • Credit Crisis for Dummies: Four Visual Guides
    Don't fully understand the global credit crisis? You're not alone. Check out these creative, visual guides to get a better understanding of the housing crash and subsequent economic nosedive.
  • Drowning in Credit Card Offers

    Do you get heaps of junk mail, especially those pesky pre-approved credit card offers? Find out how to "opt-out," or get your name off a good chunk of those mailing lists here.

  • The Era of Thrift

    The latest figures prove that Americans are breaking bad spending habits and squirreling more into savings accounts. Are we becoming a nation of super savers?

  • Are You a Good Money Match?

    Find out if you and your honey are ideal money mates. When you’re done, pass this quiz on to your other half to compare answers.

  • What's Your Money Personality?

    Take this quick quiz to discover your money personality.

  • A Clear, Complete Picture of the Housing Crash

    Radio show "This American Life" details the steps that mortgage brokers, global investors, and U.S. homeowners took that got us to where we are today.

  • Cell Phone Credit: A New Way to Pay

    Will you soon be waving your cell phone instead of swiping your plastic to pay for purchases? Near Field Communication technology makes it possible.

  • Can Contraception Save Capitalism?

    Sure, Idiocracy is a silly comedy about the de-evolution of mankind. But why is it so easy to recognize ourselves in it? Is the movie really that far off base in its predictions?

  • "A Crisis in the Making": Credit card affiliates discuss the current industry
    Credit card affiliates discuss the changed relationship between credit issuer and consumer. An interview with Jeremy Panizzoli of ASAPCreditCard.com and Bill Hazelton of CreditCardAssist.com.
  • Credit Card Companies Stage Mass Exodus from Affiliate Channels
    Have you tried to apply for new credit recently? Noticed the lack of direct mail credit card offers in your mailbox? Or the reduced number of credit cards being offered through online channels? New credit is becoming a scarce commodity.
  • Money Creep
    Does your money creep out of your wallet? Like a leaky faucet, wallets sometimes need a good tightening. To fight money creep, start by taking a close look at where those extra dollars are going.
  • Would You Rather...
    Find out how frugal-minded you are with this quick game of "Would You Rather". Are you more likely to make do with what you've got or spend money you don't have?
  • The Big Credit Crackdown
    The Fed approves new regulations to prevent the sly practices of the credit card industry. But are the credit card companies really the problem? It's really the credit-crazy consumers who dug the black hole of debt that America is in.
  • Week in Review: 12/8/2008
    Each week we bring you the latest news stories and information about credit, personal finance, and identity theft. Visit us every Friday for new ways to improve your credit and protect yourself from fraud.
  • Credit Cards That Decrease Debt
    A credit card that helps you pay down debt? New credit cards rewards from Wells Fargo and Fidelity are helping consumers reach their financial goals, not hinder them.
  • Week in Review: 12/1/2008
    Each week we bring you the latest news stories and information about credit, personal finance, and identity theft. Visit us every Friday for new ways to improve your credit and protect yourself from fraud.
  • Are You Recession-Proof?
    You've still got your job, gas prices are down, your home's value hasn't dropped significantly (or you're renting), and you weren't all that invested in the stock market anyway. So things are all good, right? Maybe. Here's how the recession affects everyone, and what you should be doing even if you don't feel the pain.
  • Week in Review: 11/17/2008
    Each week we bring you the latest news stories and information about credit, personal finance, and identity theft. Visit us every Friday for new ways to improve your credit and protect yourself from fraud.
  • Week in Review: 11/10/2008
    Each week we bring you the latest news stories and information about credit, personal finance, and identity theft. Visit us every Friday for new ways to improve your credit and protect yourself from fraud.