As students are learning the responsibility of living on their own in college, they’re also learning financial independence. Creating healthy habits early will go a long way to ensure they graduate on strong financial footing. Here are the top 5 financial mistakes that college students make. This article is provided by Deserve, a credit card […]
In addition to building a credit history with a U.S. credit card, an important part of financial success for international students on F, M, and J visas is building a personal budget. Budgeting carefully allows you to: Save for major purchases Reduce impulse buys Manage your money without stress The average annual cost of attending […]
5 Opportunities to Take Advantage of a Credit History International students on F1 visas know that a credit card is a way to manage daily expenses and build a credit history in the U.S. But they don’t always know what a credit history is or why it’s useful — in fact, many of their American […]
Most of Today’s Credit Cards Were Not Designed for Students Look, let’s be real here: credit card companies aren’t thrilled about issuing credit cards to students. Banks assume students are risky credit owners and do not have a lot of spending power. That’s why most of today’s credit cards were not designed with first time […]
We’re always reminding international students that having credit isn’t just about buying things. It’s also about access and credibility. Access means any service that requires credit to use becomes available to you. And credibility, of course, means proof that you are financially responsible. There’s no quicker way to do that than to show someone your […]
Why is the formula for a good credit score such a mystery? International students assume Americans know the secrets of credit because it’s such a huge part of our culture. But the fact is, most Americans don’t have any proper education in financial matters and many don’t know how a credit score is calculated. We decided it was time to end the mystery […]
You may be shocked to find that your credit report features outdated personal information. This could include a previous job, home, or legal name that you’ve since changed. Many credit holders wonder if a credit report with outdated information can negatively affect their credit score. Well, we here at Selfscore would like to assure you […]
According to a recent study in the New York Times, up to 25% of American credit reports contain errors of some kind. These could be harmless errors like outdated personal information or more serious ones like fraudulent accounts. We recommend that international students review their credit reports after a year of using credit in the […]
International students might be shocked to hear that only 16% of Americans understand their credit reports. As we’ve said many times before, the power of financial education lies in how few people have it. The US runs a complex credit-based financial system that benefits those who educate themselves. Reading and understanding a credit report is […]
In matters of credit, everyone has their own way of doing things. Some carry huge balances and pay their minimum balances. Others avoid credit except in emergencies, paying off small balances immediately. Both are extreme cases and neither is ideal. Unfortunately, in the case of credit, there’s very little clear information and education for credit […]