It's 10 pm. Do know where your credit history is?

[Darth K'Trava]

Mine's pretty good. Even with 2 credit cards and a car loan.... all paid on time. Thanks to my aunt.

 

[Kanegrundar]

I don't carry any credit cards anymore. I still have lines of credit for my car and computer that get paid on time and usually get double the minimum payment. Beyond that, if I can't pay with cash, check, or debit card I figure I don't really need it.

My fiancee is a different matter altogether. she has one card that has a 15K balance on it. Plus a car, house, and a couple other credit cards. We'll be paying on her debt for a long time to come.

Kane

 

[Darth K'Trava]

I don't carry any credit cards anymore. I still have lines of credit for my car and computer that get paid on time and usually get double the minimum payment. Beyond that, if I can't pay with cash, check, or debit card I figure I don't really need it.

My fiancee is a different matter altogether. she has one card that has a 15K balance on it. Plus a car, house, and a couple other credit cards. We'll be paying on her debt for a long time to come.

Kane

Only if you decide to take on her debt and help her with it once you two get married...

 

[Kanegrundar]

Only if you decide to take on her debt and help her with it once you two get married...

I will. Marriage is a joining of two lives, IMO, that's the good and the bad. At least her credit rating is still pretty decent even with all that debt. She gets everything paid on time, we just don't see the balances drop nearly enough.

Kane

 

[Darth K'Trava]

I will. Marriage is a joining of two lives, IMO, that's the good and the bad. At least her credit rating is still pretty decent even with all that debt. She gets everything paid on time, we just don't see the balances drop nearly enough.

Kane

Ok. That works...

She needs a low-interest loan to help drop those balances. It's the high interest rates that keep them at high levels...

 

[IronWolf]

She needs a low-interest loan to help drop those balances. It's the high interest rates that keep them at high levels...

It doesn't even always take a loan. When I battled my post-college debt I kept four credit cards. Then you start playing the transfer game. Transfer the high balance stuff to the low interest cards. At one point one of my cards offered something like 2.99% for all balance transfers until it was paid off. Other cards will give you 6 months at 0%. Call the credit card company and ask for a better rate. If you pay on time you can often get a better rate just by calling. Same if you call a card and ask about lowering balace transfer rates. Watch out for cards that try to charge you for transferring to them. Once you have the debt sitting at low interest rates take advantage and pay them down.

Using these transfers like that I was able to pay off my credit cards and student bills in relatively short order. Granted, you do need to have paid your bills on time or trying to talk them down in interest rates doesn't work very well.

 

[DaveStebbins]

My credit history is long and spotless. I'd hate to think how much money reputable institutions would be willing to loan me.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

Last time I checked, my credit history was out getting tons of lenders to send me junk mail. Of course now I'll want to check again soon...

http://money.cnn.com/2005/06/17/news/master_card/index.htm?cnn=yes

 

[GlassJaw]

If all the credit card junk mail is any indication, my credit history must be pretty good (I get at least 2 in the mail per day).

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Riding bareback, cross-country! :\