Whenever a creditor views your credit history, it will appear as an inquiry on your credit report. Too many inquiries can lower your Credit Score, which may cause your credit application to be denied.

While most mortgage applicants know a good credit score is a key element for a loan approval, not everyone realizes raising your credit score by even a few points can make the difference between qualifying for a mortgage or not. In addition, if you are applying for a conventional mortgage rather than an FHA-insured home loan, you can pay a lower interest rate if you are able to boost your credit score into the next level.

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.

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.

In the past several years, medical debt has become more burdensome for many families. So much so that medical bills have become a major cause of personal bankruptcy. It’s not that people have no health insurance. Many individuals who cite medical debt as the cause of their bankruptcy were actually covered under a health insurance plan at the time the medical expenses were incurred. The problem is that certain medical expenses are often uncovered. Debt settlement may be an alternative to bankruptcy for dealing with your medical expenses.