Smart Credit Journey

How to Request a Credit Limit Increase (And Actually Get Approved)

Sometime around my late twenties, I hit a wall with my credit card. My score had been climbing steadily, I’d […]

At some point in my late twenties, I started checking my credit score the way some people check their horoscope.

Somewhere between applying for my third credit card and getting my third rejection letter, I started to wonder if I

Getting rejected for a credit card when you’re just trying to start is a special kind of frustrating. You’re not

Somewhere between my late twenties and turning thirty, I got weirdly competitive about my credit score. I was checking it

The first time I got a credit card, I told myself I’d only use it for emergencies. Three months later,

Three credit card rejections in a row will teach you something no personal finance blog ever spelled out for me:

A $4,200 difference. That’s what a lousy credit score cost me in extra interest on a three-year auto loan —

I avoided looking at my credit score for almost a year. I’m not even exaggerating. After I applied for my

The letter sat on my kitchen counter for three days before I finally opened it. I knew what it was