Good news for veterans of the U.S. military and anyone interested in an FHA loan — it just got easier to qualify for an FHA loan or VA loan if you have less than perfect credit. With Quicken Loans, you can now qualify for an FHA loan with a credit score as low as 580.  That’s one of the lowest qualifying scores you’ll find in today’s mortgage market and veterans and active members of the military can qualify for a VA loan with the low credit score of 620 as well.

Free credit scores from your credit card now offer free credit score checks to view your free credit scores instantly. Walmart now offers free credit scores to individuals who hold the Walmart credit card and Citi will begin in January 2015 offering free credit scores to individuals who hold the Citi credit card.

Home ownership is a part of achieving the American dream. For many, the only thing standing between them and owning a home is a low credit score. Lenders rely heavily on FICO Scores when determining whether to fund a mortgage — low credit scores equate to high risk. Still, it isn’t impossible to get a mortgage with a low credit score.

Many credit card issuers now offer free credit scores for free every month to their customers. It might not seem like a big deal being able to track your credit score month over month but having a credit card that provides this benefit will help you keep on top of your credit.

A “Charge Off” is an accounting term that creditors use when they assume after a period of delinquency that they are not able to collect on a debt that is owed to them. Creditors write that debt off as a loss against their income taxes. Just because a debt is charged off (or written off) does not mean the debt is forgiven. The money is still owed. The creditor will usually sell or assign the debt to a collection agency or a lawyer to effect collection.