Harmoney Advantage Partner Network

Just how valuable is your credit score?

I always cancel credit cards I've stopped using even if closing the accounts hurts my credit score by raising my debt-to-credit ratio. Why keep unneeded accounts open and risk identity theft?

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Improv sets the stage for young consumers

About 200 seventh- and eighth-graders are shushed into a vast auditorium and told to settle down, sit up straight and listen. They are being given an opportunity, Barbara Chanaiwa, the principal of Charles R. Drew Middle School in South Los Angeles, tells them. One false move and they'll be pulled out of the auditorium and be back in class in a heartbeat.

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Disability can wreck finances

Sherry Sherman was on an empty two-lane highway in 2002 as she returned from a job interview. The last thing she remembers was leaning over to change a CD. Days later, she woke up in the hospital with a broken spine.

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Borrowing between friends just got easier

Shakespeare had it all wrong when he wrote that to preserve friendship as well as money, "Neither a borrower nor a lender be."
Both borrowers and lenders can profit - and stay friends - as long as they're professional about it and put the details in writing. Or so says Asheesh Advani, chief executive of Virgin Money, a Waltham, Mass.-based company recently acquired by British airline magnate Richard Branson. Virgin Money, previously known as CircleLending, charges a fee to facilitate all kinds of loans - including business loans and mortgages - between people who are friends or relatives.

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How can I protect myself from identity theft?

Besides getting a credit report at least once a year to monitor your credit, you should carefully examine your monthly financial statements. Read over your bank statements and other creditor statements to make sure you recognize all the items listed. Use a shredder to destroy bank statements, credit card offers, or any other document that carries your financial information. And keep track of your credit card receiptsÑsome still list your full account numbers and expiration dates.

How do I dispute inaccurate information?

Immediately call and write the credit bureau that reported the inaccurate information. The bureau will then check with the original source. If the disputed inaccuracy persists, add a statement to the credit report explaining why you believe the item is wrong. The dispute process can take up to 30 days.

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