You charged thousands of dollars’ worth of appliances to a store credit card that doesn’t require payments for six months. As long as you make the payments in six months, your Credit Score will not be affected.

Years ago, owing the library a few dollars wasn’t a big deal. Today, with local budgets in a pinch, everyone is trying to find ways to make more money and fund valuable community services.

Late payments are the “biggest foul” when it comes to credit cards, warns Ben Woolsey, director of marketing and consumer research at CreditCards.com — the consequences can include late fees, jacked-up interest rates and a lower credit score.

You’ve been laid off from your job. The ensuing drop in your income could hurt your FICO score.

If you’ve been piggybacking on someones credit card as an authorized user for a while, you may wonder if you should bother to get your own credit card. It isn’t necessarily required, but it’s a good idea. Read on to find out what it means to be an authorized user and why you should apply for your own credit card when you can.