Credit Tips

DCR Takes Credit Repair to the Next Level by Partnering with CredEvolv!

By Tiffany Cross | August 24, 2022

  Sometimes, you need to close one door and strategically choose another open door to walk through. While I’ve built my reputation on trust and transparency, I’ve seen the writing on the wall for the for-profit credit repair industry for a while now. It’s unfortunately rife with bad players, who opportunistically take advantage of people…

7 Ways to Make Your Credit “Recession Proof”

By Tiffany Cross | August 10, 2022

With the US heading into a recession, consumers face potential issues such as higher interest rates, inflation, job loss, and increased debt. This combination of conditions historically also leads to credit problems! You can protect yourself by taking a few steps to “recession proof” your credit scores. Here are 7 things to start doing now,…

What is a Credit Privacy Number and Why Should They Be Avoided?

By Tiffany Cross | August 4, 2022

In 1974, Congress responded to public concern over privacy by passing the Privacy Act. Among other provisions, the Act established that third parties cannot force consumers to provide their Social Security numbers for purposes other than required by federal law. The law was intended to increase privacy for American citizens and protect them from identity…

What Costs More: Credit Repair or Living With Average Credit Scores?

By Tiffany Cross | July 27, 2022

With inflation rates skyrocketing, it makes sense that consumers are cutting some of the non-essential items from their budget in an effort so save money.  However, many fail to realize how much they overpay for major and everyday purchases when their credit scores are below 760. Let’s examine the cost of living with “average” credit…

4 Ways That Thieves Get Their Hands on Your Credit Card Info

By Tiffany Cross | July 20, 2022

Credit card fraud is rampant these days, and it’s difficult to find anyone who hasn’t been a victim.  Usually it’s an inconvenience, but not a financial hardship, since a credit card can be cancelled with a simple phone call to the card issuer.  However, there are cases where the scam becomes much more complex, involving…

How Can Young Adults Achieve High Credit Scores?

By Tiffany Cross | July 13, 2022

As a “twenty something”, it can be a challenge to achieve high credit scores – simply because you probably don’t have any credit established. Credit and credit scoring is a long-term game.  To use a common analogy, “It’s a marathon, not a sprint.”  And so, your marathon begins.  However, just as the tortoise defeated the…

Does Applying for a Credit Card Help or Hurt My Credit?

By Tiffany Cross | July 6, 2022

  This is a common question we hear and unfortunately, when it comes to applying for credit cards, there is no hard and fast answer that applies for everyone.  The truth is that applying for a credit card affects different people in different ways, so the answer is really “it depends.” Here are some common…

The Secret that Banks Don’t Want You to Know

By Tiffany Cross | June 30, 2022

It’s probably not a surprise to you that banks are in business to make money – a lot of money. There are many ways for banks to make money, but here’s the basic scenario that they implement over and over every day and how unsuspecting customers help the banks to “fill their pockets.” How Banks…

Is My Credit the Same as My Spouse’s Credit?

By Tiffany Cross | June 22, 2022

This is a common question we get.  People often want to know if their spouse’s credit will effect their credit – either in a positive or negative way. The answer is an emphatic “It depends.”  Let’s look at this a bit closer. You and your spouse will have different credit scores, regardless of how long…

6 Negative Items That Can Be Removed from a Credit Report

By Tiffany Cross | June 16, 2022

You might be surprised to learn how many different negative items can appear on a credit report.  You might also be surprised at all of the different items that we have had success removing in the past.  It’s is more than just late payments and some items can actually remain on a credit report for…