The Complete Idiot's Guide to Improving your Credit Score [Mass Market Paperback]

Lita Epstein MBA (Author)

Book Description

Series: The Complete Idiot's Guide | Publication Date: December 4, 2007

Get more with a lower score.

Credit history can make or break your chances of getting a house, an apartment, or a loan. Now you can stay abreast of your credit score, and your future, by thoroughly understanding the publicly released FICO number, once reserved for lenders and businesses only. This invaluable guide busts the credit myths and explains key ways to use credit, pay bills, pay off debt, deal with crisis, and avoid scams in order to make the credit score work for you.
?Includes a glossary, resource section, and sample letters

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lita Epstein, MBA, is a seasoned financial writer who develops online courses about investing for retirement and finance and investing for women. A former congressional press secretary, she has extensive knowledge of the process within the agencies in Washington. She is the author of Alpha Teach Yourself Retirement Planning in 24 Hours and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Supreme Court.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Alpha (December 4, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592576907
• ISBN-13: 978-1592576906
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #413,658 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I enjoy translating complex financial and political topics critical to people's everyday life in language that can be easily understood. I do this through my non fiction "how to" books for the Dummies series and the Idiot's Guides. I have more than 25 finance and political books on the market. Prior to writing books, I've worked as a daily newspaper reporter, a magazine editor, a press secretary for a U.S. Congressman and a fund raiser for former President Jimmy Carter, so he can continue his international work through The Carter Center. I earned my MBA at Emory University's Goizueta Business School and my BA at Rutgers University.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Good Book, November 20, 2010

By 

Mark Clayborne "Hidden Credit Repair Secrets" (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Improving your Credit Score (Mass Market Paperback)

As a Certified Credit Consultant and Author of Hidden Credit Repair Secrets, I found the book to be very detailed when it comes to raising your credit score. If you are new to building or rebuilding your credit score, this book is definitely worth the money. The following key points of information were really helpful. The author talked about the amount of days you have to dispute a credit card charge, when to start cleaning up your credit if you are applying for a home, the best place to find a secured credit card, multiple ways to remind yourself to pay your credit card bills, and the steps to getting out of debt. There were two areas, that I need to add to. 1. The author stated that a collection account will stay on your credit report seven years from the time it was assigned to the collector. It is actually seven years from the date the account went delinquent. 2.The author stated that judgments can stay on your credit report for seven years. Judgments can stay on your credit report for 20 years if it's renewed, and your state statue allows 20 years. Besides those two corrections, the book was excellent.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars No special information or secrets revealed, February 28, 2009

By 

Peter (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Improving your Credit Score (Mass Market Paperback)

Because there is no way to know the secret credit scoring algorithm, this gives very general suggestions which can be read on any Googled credit info site summed up as follows: Your score is based on your balances, length of credit history, payment history, recent inquiries and diversity of credit like auto, home, cards. So keep each cards balance to limit percentage low, Keep percentage of all balances to all credit limits low, Pay on time, keep old cards active, Don't apply for new credit unless necessary and if it is a car apply for all possible vehicles within 10 days so only counts as one inquiry. That's about it! Save your money.