Paying off collections improves your finances, but what happens to the negative mark on your credit report?

Millions of Americans struggle with looming credit card debt, with many making fixing their credit and digging out of debt ...

A credit card opened in your name can hurt your score fast. Here's how it happens and what actually protects you.

A debt can be sold to a collection agency if you miss several payments on an account. A collection account stays on your credit report for approximately seven years. Collection accounts decrease your ...

Disputing collections debt can protect your credit, but only if you know when it actually makes sense to do so.

A well-known business columnist wrote a column tackling the subject of couples and credit. She addressed the issue of one spouse making the other an authorized user on their credit card and opined ...

Editorial Note: Blueprint may earn a commission from affiliate partner links featured here on our site. This commission does not influence our editors' opinions or evaluations. Please view our full ...

Credit card debt relief is gaining attention as balances cross $1.1 trillion and interest rates stay above 21%. In 2026, ...