Consolidated Credit Finance Articles by April Lewis-Parks

Avoiding ID Theft in the New Age of Credit Card Fraud

Posted on September 17, 2018 by | April Lewis-Parks (5-minutes read)

Counterfeit credit card fraud is down 75% thanks to EMV chips, but the top three sources of fraud aren’t stopped by chips if you want to prevent ID theft.

Read full article

How Security Clearance Credit Check Rules Impact Many Military Service Members

Posted on August 27, 2018 by | April Lewis-Parks (4-minutes read)

New security clearance credit check rules from the Department of Defense make it more critical than ever that Service Members actively monitor their credit.

Read full article

Is Facebook Guilty of Fair Housing Discrimination?

Posted on August 20, 2018 by | April Lewis-Parks (4-minutes read)

HUD filed a formal complaint against Facebook for violating the Fair Housing Act. We explain what homebuyers need to know as they shop for homes online.

Read full article

How Much Should You Have in Emergency Savings?

Posted on June 22, 2018 by | April Lewis-Parks (4-minutes read)

Emergency savings is essential to cover unexpected expenses like home and car repairs, as well as to give you a financial safety net in case you lose your job or can’t work due to a medical emergency. But how much should you have in emergency savings and how much do average Americans actually save?

Read full article

Are Store Credit Cards Bad?

Posted on June 18, 2018 by | April Lewis-Parks (4-minutes read)

A new trend in increased credit card delinquencies on store credit cards reveals two good reasons why you might want to think twice before opening a in-store credit card. Consolidated Credit explains how to decide if store credit cards are a bad idea for your finances.

Read full article

Is There a Tie between Student Loans and Credit Health?

Posted on May 18, 2018 by | April Lewis-Parks (4-minutes read)

Is there are correlation between student loans and credit health? A new FICO study suggests that although student loan borrowers don’t always have bad credit scores, having student loans may make overcoming financial challenges much harder.

Read full article

Military Families Face a Financial Confidence Gap

Posted on April 13, 2018 by | April Lewis-Parks (4-minutes read)

First Command finds that there is a financial confidence gap between Service Members and their spouses, who typically manage the household finances. What can be done to improve financial confidence?

Read full article

Why Women Hold More Student Debt

Posted on April 9, 2018 by | April Lewis-Parks (5-minutes read)

A new study finds women hold more student debt than men. In fact, women hold two thirds of all student loans currently in repayment. CNBC explores five reasons why student loan debt is a bigger burden for women than it is for men.

Read full article

How Credit Smart Are You?

Posted on April 2, 2018 by | April Lewis-Parks (3-minutes read)

It’s National Financial Literacy Month, which makes it the perfect time to find a range of free financial education resources. But what resources do you need? Consolidated Credit has a simple 7-question Credit Smart test so you can test your knowledge and determine what you don’t know.

Read full article

12% of Americans Had a Credit Card Declined Last Year

Posted on March 16, 2018 by | April Lewis-Parks (4-minutes read)

One in ten Americans had a credit card declined last year, but embarrassment is really the least of your worries if it happens to you. Learn why cardholders experienced a declined credit card last year and what you can do to avoid it.

Read full article

More Americans Right Size Emergency Savings

Posted on March 9, 2018 by | April Lewis-Parks (3-minutes read)

Learning how to right size emergency savings is a crucial skill that can help you achieve financial stability and avoid problems with credit card debt. We offer tips to help you ensure you have more savings than debt.

Read full article

Which Cities are Home to the Highest Credit Card Debt?

Posted on February 23, 2018 by | April Lewis-Parks (3-minutes read)

A study of 25 metropolitan areas in the U.S.Cities shows thoese with the highest credit card debt take longer to pay it off. Is your city on the list?

Read full article

Big Changes Coming to Credit Cards Offering 0 Interest on Balance Transfers

Posted on February 19, 2018 by | April Lewis-Parks (4-minutes read)

As consumer debt levels continue to break records, driven by credit card debt, many households may turn to balance transfer credit cards to consolidate. However, new changes in credit cards offering 0 interest on balance transfers could make this type of consolidation less beneficial.

Read full article

What Causes America’s High Credit Card Balances?

Posted on February 16, 2018 by | April Lewis-Parks (3-minutes read)

Americans have record high credit card balances that are often caused by covering daily expenses to make ends meet. We look at reasons for debt and offer helpful tips on how to achieve a balanced budget so you can avoid credit card debt.

Read full article

Say Goodbye to Credit Card Signature Requirements

Posted on January 29, 2018 by | April Lewis-Parks (3-minutes read)

The last major credit issuer just announced they will phase out signature credit card signature requirements on most transactions this year. As EMV chip technology improves, you should see less request for your John Hancock, and hopefully less fraud.

Read full article

Credit Card Use Continues to Climb

Posted on January 19, 2018 by | April Lewis-Parks (3-minutes read)

Consumer credit card use continues to climb, now beating pre-recession levels of spending. Credit card debt increased by 13% in November alone, leading to an all-time high of $1.023 trillion. Here’s what you can do to pay off your debt.

Read full article

How to Use Cash Back Credit Cards

Posted on January 15, 2018 by | April Lewis-Parks (4-minutes read)

Experts predict that cash back credit cards may be king in 2018 as more credit card issuers roll out even sweeter reward programs. But if you want to get the most out of cash back incentive programs, you need the right strategy.

Read full article

Revealing the Risk of Long Term Auto Loans

Posted on November 17, 2017 by | April Lewis-Parks (4-minutes read)

A new CFPB report reveals the risk of long term auto loans, showing higher rates of default. We explain the debt management challenges these loans present.

Read full article

Millennials Fear Debt More Than Dying

Posted on November 10, 2017 by | April Lewis-Parks (4-minutes read)

Death, war, drowning due to sea level rise – all those fears are nothing compared credit card debt for Millennials. So why Millennials fear debt so much?

Read full article

Is Your Budget Sapped by Subscription Services?

Posted on November 7, 2017 by | April Lewis-Parks (4-minutes read)

A new survey finds one in ten Millennials spend $200 per month on subscription services, draining funds that could be used to achieve key financial goals.

Read full article

Ending Confusion to Achieve Homeownership

Posted on October 13, 2017 by | April Lewis-Parks (3-minutes read)

Potential homebuyers are confused about the homebuying process and unaware of financial assistance programs that can help them achieve homeownership.

Read full article

Do You Have More Credit Knowledge than These Millennials?

Posted on August 25, 2017 by | April Lewis-Parks (3-minutes read)

LendEDU finds that Millennials have some interesting (and wrong) thoughts about how credit scores work. Is this lack of credit knowledge a recipe for debt?

Read full article

What’s Your Preferred Payment Method?

Posted on July 21, 2017 by | April Lewis-Parks (4-minutes read)

A new study finds cash is still a preferred payment method that most Americans use at least once a week How do you like to pay at checkout: Cash or credit?

Read full article

Older Consumer Complaints Show Mortgages are a Major Issue

Posted on June 23, 2017 by | April Lewis-Parks (4-minutes read)

A new CFPB report shows the differences between older consumer complaints and complaints from other age sets of consumers with some interesting results.

Read full article