Today, a good credit score is essential for getting decent terms on credit--or for getting credit at all. But that's just the beginning: You're now being judged on your credit score by everyone from employers to cellphone carriers. Now, MSNBC/L.A. Times journalist Liz Weston has thoroughly updated her best-selling guide to credit scores, with crucial new information for protecting (or rebuilding) yours. Your Credit Score, Fourth Edition thoroughly covers brand-new laws changing everything from h
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GOOD INFO, GREAT FOR THOSE TRYING TO BUILD CREDIT,
This book gives a great foundation about what credit is. Goes in depth about how credit scores are calculated and how they are affected. Because of this I think this would be great for teens, or college students.
The ways to improve your credit score are nothing new if you are fairly knowledgable about credit. It reinterates many of the basic tips that most are familiar with like ensuring there are no errors on your credit report and paying your bills on time.
I think this book would provide any person with some knowledge about credit and help those who have serious credit problems with a way to organize their clean-up game plan.
Worth reading for all.
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|Good review of the credit score system,
Finance columnist Liz Weston presents in this book YOUR CREDIT SCORE a very user friendly explanation of how consumers can handle their finances, credit cards and all monetary matters to help make sure they can achieve the best credit score possible. Much may seem common sense but it is all very important. She reviews in detail how ontime payments versus late payments and minimum payments versus larger payments can have a huge effect. She gives great tips on realistic changes that can help a person handle and survive a personal monetary crisics without too much damage. She also goes over last resort means of assistance such as bankruptcy and the future effects such decisions will have. Bottom line, anything you want to know about credit scores, changes in how the scores are achieved and how to make sure your records with the reporting agencies are always correct and up to date is here and very detailed.
The only problem I have with this book is when the country entered this latest devestating economic crisis banks and other companies started raising people’s rates on credit cards, mortgages and loans even when a person had superb credit and an excellent credit score. Ms. Weston details greatly what lowers or makes a score better but she does not address how consumers can handle raised interest rates and how to deal with finances in the current economic climate where the credit score matters less. It is always good to have the best credit score possible but having detailed info on how to approach financial matters with the credit score itself meaning less than it used to would have been very helpful.
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|Sound financial advice for those in credit distress!,
Your Credit Score by Liz Weston provides sound financial advice in an accessible, readable presentation; with the first half of the book dedicated to a discussion of how credit scores are compiled and how to manage your credit scores. The second half of the book has a less general application, but is must reading for those with credit issues, particularly those seeking to rebuild a damaged credit history. The potential impact of credit scores on insurance premiums and the job search may also come as a surprise to readers.
I would suggest, however, that if the reader’s primary interest is the FICO score, they should first check out Understanding Your FICO Score, a 20-page booklet available free on the myfico.com website. This covers much of the material in Chapters 1 and 2 of Your Credit Score. If you want to learn more, I would then turn to Weston’s book.
Readers who paid for a credit score online, expecting a FICO score, but receiving a VantageScore instead, will be particularly interested in Weston’s Chapter 3. While the three major credit bureaus promote VantageScore as a superior alternative to FICO, Weston provides some valuable insights on the VantageScore vis-a-vis FICO; Weston also indicates free sources for VantageScore, saving the reader a typical $7.95 (or more) that many pay for this score.
So, my only caution to readers is that about one-half of the book has general applications for all readers and the other half is primarily relevant to those in financial distress. If you are not facing credit issues, you may wish to closely examine the Table of Contents to determine if Your Credit Score is right for you.
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