Don’t be pressured at the checkout line to sign up for a store-branded credit card without knowing exactly what you are getting into. Take your time-do not sign up for a card on the spot. Read the fine print and understand the rates, fees and deadlines with the cards. While retail credit cards typically don’t  … Read More

REAL ID will go into effect on May 3, 2023. It will be required at the time to board domestic commercial flights, enter a military base or enter a federal facility that requires ID at the door. Valid US Passports are considered REAL ID. For more information about obtaining REAL ID in Pennsylvania, visit dmv.pa.gov/REALID

One in 10 Pennsylvania residents has money being held by the PA Treasury. It could be something like an old savings account, forgotten paycheck or refund, a stock dividend or an insurance claim. You can check for your name by visiting www.PaTreasury.gov

The deadline to file has been extended to December 31, 2022. To qualify, applicants must earn less than $35,000 per year for homeowners or $15,000 per year for renters. Only HALF of Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefits count toward eligibility.

Your credit report can have an impact on employment and your ability to buy a home, car or even insurance. Thanks to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, you can receive a free credit report from each of the three national credit reporting agencies. These reports will NOT include your credit score. You may request your  … Read More

A state government may be holding onto funds that belong to you from uncashed checks, inactive bank accounts, insurance policies, safe deposit boxes, rental and utility deposits, rebates or other sources. You can search for yourself or for a family member. Reminder: search under every state you’ve lived in. For Pennsylvania go to patreasury.gov.

Apps such as Affirm, Afterpay and Klara do not require a hard credit check as is needed to apply for credit cards, so they do not appear on credit reports. They generally charge late fees rather than interest. Using these apps will not help credit scores since the apps do not report to the credit  … Read More

The cost of adding a teenager to your car will go up considerably in 2022. This increase will be more than the added cost of any other life event, including getting into and accident of a DUI. Examine your policy carefully with your agent and ask about discounts. Some areas of discounts may include bundling  … Read More

When spouses apply for loans together, data from both spouses may be taken into consideration. When couples apply for a mortgage, lenders may pull credit scores for both spouses from all three credit bureaus- Equifax, Experian and Transunion. They will use a formula mixing the scores to decide on the interest rate. For other loans,  … Read More

The biggest credit reporting firms will remove medical debt from consumers’ credit reports. Beginning in July, 29222 the companies will remove medical debt that was PAID after sent to collections New UNPAID medical debts will not get added to credit reports for a full year after being send to collections. The firms are also planning  … Read More