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Posts Tagged :

credit score

Credit scores 101: How to check your credit score (and more)

You may not have put much thought into your credit rating before, especially if you’ve avoided credit cards, mortgages and other loans in the past. But there will likely come a day when you want financial help from lenders, so here’s our quick guide of everything you need to know about credit scores. Any score over 500 is good, so your rating may not be as bad as you think. What is a credit score? Organisations use credit ratings to…

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What does the bank of the future look like?

Banking is moving into a new high tech universe. Like many other aspects of our lives the digital revolution is about the change the way we bank. We may even use Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram or other social media platforms for our banking with the traditional bank relegated to providing wholesale services. Here is what I think: Banks have got us by the short and curlies. Whichever way we turn there are fees, fees, and more fees. The mainly Aussie-owned banks…

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Using a credit card for everything? There are other ways to pay

Don’t believe you have to have a credit card. Paying interest sucks. It sucks the lifeblood out of your finances. That’s because unless you clear your entire bill within the interest free days, you pay interest. That interest means you’re paying as much as 22.95% more than your mates at the mainstream banks for the same things, which has a detrimental effect on your finances over time. Other (cheaper) ways to pay Thankfully there are way more credit-free ways to…

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Life hack: How to beat credit card interest

If you’ve got a credit card but you’re sick of being stung with interest costs, you might be wondering how you can avoid paying interest but still use the card for the maximum benefits. We’ve broken it down. Credit card interest – the good, the bad and the ugly Each month, your card will tell you the total amount you owe on your account, and it will also tell you the ‘Minimum Payment Due’. You might choose to pay just…

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What is a default on credit? (And how can I remove it?!)

Have you spotted a default on your credit rating? If so, your credit score could have taken a big hit. Let’s take a look at what credit defaults are, how long they stay on your report and the measures you can take to clear defaults from your credit history. You can only get a default actively removed from your history when a mistake has been made. Understanding defaults on your credit rating A default on credit will occur if you…

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Credit cards: What a basic starter credit card will do for you

Can this card help me build my credit? Your first credit card is your chance to start proving you’re a reliable person to lend to. It’s your chance to show that you can pay what you owe, when you owe it. The more you can be trusted to do it, the better your credit rating will be. Build a good reputation with the card issuer, and that sets you up for them to consider you for some of their other…

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Credit cards: Are rewards credit cards, travel cards and cash-back cards a good idea?

Rewards, travel and cash-back cards There’s no such thing as a free lunch. Basically, no-one’s going to be putting rewards and inducements your way unless you’re spending enough to make it worth their while to look after you. If you’re not spending at least $1,000 on your card each month, you’re probably not going to be earning enough to make it worth your while, especially once you factor in the annual fee, which can be quite a lot for a…

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Help! Nothing has changed on my credit file, but my score has changed. Why?

So your credit score has changed, but you can’t see anything immediately obvious on your credit history to indicate why it’s different? There are a few reasons why your credit score can change, even though it doesn’t look like anything has changed on your credit history. Some of the reasons why your credit score may change are: Data is only held on your credit file for a certain amount of time, something that is decided by privacy laws. A default…

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Is Credit Simple legitimate and reliable? Our response to questions on Reddit, Geekzone and elsewhere online

Welcome to Credit Simple. If you’re reading this blog, chances are you’ve found your way here after asking a search engine if our business is legitimate (such as here on Geekzone and here on Reddit). So we thought we’d give you the low-down on myths and truths about our business, credit scores, and your rights and privacy. Pffffft. Everyone uses Veda! Nobody uses Credit Simple. There are three credit reporting agencies in New Zealand: illion (Credit Simple’s parent company), Equifax…

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‘Rate my tenant’ – what does your landlord know about you?

Did you know how landlords score you and why you should care? We caught up with Ian Barker, managing director of Tenant Information NZ (TINZ), to answer some frequently asked questions about your information, privacy, and rights, and how tenants can view their file. Tell us about TINZ and how my landlord might use it? TINZ is a tool developed for landlords to help landlords and property manager screen tenants.  The search returns data from 15 different databases and uses verified…

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