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Ben Luthi

Ben Luthi is a personal finance writer and a credit cards expert who loves helping consumers and business owners make better financial decisions. His work has been featured in Time, MarketWatch, Yahoo! Finance, U.S. News & World Report, CNBC, Success Magazine, USA Today, The Huffington Post and many more.

articles from Ben

116 posts

Should You Use a HELOC to Pay Off Credit Card Debt?

Published 05/26/2017 by Ben Luthi

Credit card debt is expensive. As of February 2017, the Federal Reserve lists the average credit card annual percentage rate (APR) at 13.86%. And depending on your credit situation and the kind of card you choose, your APR could be much higher. So, does it make sense to use HELOC to pay off your credit card?

The Most Common Mistakes of Home Buyers

Published 05/24/2017 by Ben Luthi

Almost three-fourths of Americans believe that homeownership is part of the American Dream, according to Trulia. But that dream can turn into a nightmare if you’re not careful during the mortgage process.

How to Redeem Capital One Venture Miles

Published 05/19/2017 by Ben Luthi

Travel credit cards can sometimes be frustrating when it comes to redeeming your rewards. Some restrict you to a certain hotel chain or airline, and others may require you to use their mediocre travel website to get good value.

5 Credit Score Myths You Can Stop Believing

Published 05/17/2017 by Ben Luthi

Your credit score can be something of an enigma. Credit scoring companies like FICO and VantageScore share approximations of how your credit score is calculated. But there are so many factors it can be hard to predict exactly how your actions affect your score.

Credit cards are popular because of their convenience, but that convenience often comes at a high price. It’s not uncommon to see credit card APRs higher than 20%, and some cards charge upwards of 30%. But depending on how you use your credit card, the APR may not matter.

Your payment history is the single most important factor in your credit score. Missing a payment, even by accident, can leave a negative mark on your credit report for seven years.

The desire to help a friend or a family member can be strong, especially when it’s your children. Maybe their credit history is down in the dumps, or they’re looking to start building their credit.

Nobody likes rejection, but knowing what you can do next time to avoid it can help make up for it. There are several reasons why your credit card application may get denied, but that doesn’t mean you should give up.

Want Excellent Credit? Develop These Habits Now

Published 05/05/2017 by Ben Luthi

For many people, credit is one of the most important indicators of fiscal responsibility. Having great credit gives you better opportunities when it comes to borrowing and low interest rates. Depending on the circumstances, having excellent credit can save you thousands of dollars in interest over the years.

Just a few years ago, getting access to your FICO score would cost you. Despite being the main indicator of your creditworthiness, consumers had very little access to it.

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