Credit Curious

There's not just one way that people are taught about credit. But when life throws a curveball your way, that's not the time to piece it together for the first time. Hear from two Angels hurlers - Garrett Richards and Andrew Heaney – as they chat with Roger Lodge about how they made the jump from the minors to the majors with finances in tow, and how it impacted them both on the field and off.

There's no doubt that as technology speeds up, it's changing the way we do some very basic things – including how we'll buy our next vehicle. Listen in as we chat with industry experts from Kelley Blue Book and Autocheck who let you know what to look for the next time you're considering a vehicle swap: what might be different from the last time you shopped for a vehicle, and where the future of car buying might take us.

Summer's the time of year we can look forward to all year long – but when you're the leader of the club, it can be stressful trying to pull it all together to be just perfect. Ditch that old notion of perfection says Emma Johnson of WealthySingleMommy.com. Listen in to our chat for her best tips on how to make summer meaningful and fun for everyone – without sacrificing your budget to the summer travel gods!

As relationships mature, it's often a part of the discussion to unify your finances at some point. If your relationship goal is marriage, you may have a few questions about what that can mean for your credit, as well as wondering about what others typically might do - beyond the family members who might volunteer their horror stories all to readily. Becky Frost shares information from an extensive recent survey covering relationships, credit, as well as attitudes and behaviors toward spending, saving, and communicating about both. It's no surprise that men and women approach their finances from different perspectives: hear how others are making their financial journey a harmonious one through communication and understanding.  

With the ease of filing your taxes online, it's no wonder that the popularity of online filing continues to soar. However, with convenience online there can often be a trade-off with security. Your tax filing information contains a great deal of personal information about you and your finances, so confirm that you're not sacrificing important safety protection for the ease of a speedy filing. Since your tax filing is so information-rich, it's attractive bait for hackers and other hucksters to skim for information valuable to others in the dark web. Becky Frost joins this episode of Credit Curious with tips and trends on how to keep your filing secured.

Today, it seems like the best way to keep information close is to put it on your phone or tablet via a mobile app - and it's an increasingly popular choice. From online shopping and banking to scheduling appointments with caregivers and others, there's no shortage of ways that having information on-the-go helps us manage different parts of our lives today. The recent availability of new apps brings the world or finance and credit into the mix, too. Becky Frost joins to share recent findings from an Experian survey that posed questions about who's putting the power of their finances into their pocket, as well as what they feel they're getting out of it. Listen in to learn why 80% of those who use a financial app feel better about their situation as a direct result of their app usage.

At the busiest time of the year for many of us, there's no shortage of things to cross off the list we've checked more than twice. When holiday travel is a part of your itinerary, things can reach a fever pitch with much to coordinate. The last thing on your mind might be keeping your information completely secured, and that's just when a savvy identity thief can strike. Identity theft is among the fastest-growing crimes in the nation, and adding holiday stress to a travel itinerary can leave your information vulnerable to a well-placed huckster. Learn a few tips that can help you ensure the security of your information when you're on the go. Keep your data just as secure as you hope it is all the time - especially when the holidays are in full swing.

Putting funds aside for a rainy day is one of the oldest and wisest cornerstones of financial management. However, it's true that since it's such a gradual process, it can be hard to maintain it as a priority. Listen in as noted financial blogger J.D. Roth of moneytoolbox.com shares not only how he saved and paid down some serious debt quickly, but also the process that helped him understand and reinvent his savings plan. Finding answers to some of the biggest questions in money can often mean looking beyond the spreadsheet to understand the philosophy of money that powers your decision making. Hear how J.D. worked to deconstruct his own perspective, and the simple shifts that he made which resulted in a total money makeover.

When Becky Frost stops by, answers to the big credit questions come thick and fast. Becky joins this episode of Credit Curious to touch on questions about what the differences are between FICO Scores and other credit scores in the marketplace, as well as the important function of what credit freezes can do for you in just the right moment, just to name a few. Listen in as she addresses questions from some of our readers in the social space: was it one of your questions that she answered this time? Credit, credit scores, and being knowledgeable about your own credit are all important topics that rise to prominence when you're considering major financial decisions. Grow your credit awareness today with the answers to some reader-submitted credit questions and see how they might apply to your credit journey, too.  

Becky Frost returns to delve into answers to some of credit's bigger questions, including what might be happening if you request your credit report but end up with a red-flagged response, how much your credit can suffer if you check it frequently (spoiler: not at all!), or why you can sometimes see a dip in your scores as you work to pay down debt (go you!). Listen in as she addresses questions from some of our readers in the social space: was it one of your questions that she answered this time? Credit, credit scores, and being knowledgeable about your own credit are each important to be well versed in to expand your knowledge about credit. Build your credit awareness by seeing how some of the answers to these reader-submitted questions might apply to your credit journey, too.

Everyone needs a little advice on certain topics from time to time. Maybe it's something you've not done before, or something that you just do infrequently. In moments like these, having an expert who can offer you advice to point you in the right direction can be key. For decades, Kelley Blue Book has been providing just that kind of consistency through its industry-leading pricing standards for new and used vehicles. Dan Ingle of Kelley Blue Book joins us to offer some handy tips on approaching the process as you begin either to re-familiarize yourself with how it's changed since the last time you bought a vehicle, or set out to purchase your first car. If you're like most prospective buyers, there's at least some lending that you'll pursue to stitch up the deal. Remember that your credit scores carry weight with lenders as they determine what financing to offer to you. Confirm your credit is as strong as you think it is before you head to the dealership.

It’s a rough time to be a millennial these days, what with coming of age in the recent recession and spiraling educational debt. It’s no wonder that they have a different outlook on spending, achievement and using credit to reach out for life’s big purchases. For the latest survey findings, join Lauren Bowling of LBee and the Money Tree (a millennial herself) in this episode of Credit Curious.

If cyber security isn’t top of mind for you all the time, you’re not alone: listen in and learn a few ways you can help keep a handle on your information online. Check in for some simple truths about how you can help keep your information safe with Experian’s Rod Griffin. See how a simple adjustment today can help keep your security up-to-date and fraudsters at  bay.

As a busy college student, there’s many demands on your time. It’s also the point where many people start to use a credit card for the first time. Being busy and having new access to a payment option can be a recipe for disaster if you haven’t taken the time to learn how to use it. Hear from credit ambassador Rod Griffin on how to start your credit journey smart: learn what new credit can mean for you, as well as why good behaviors now can help you out later on.

When your current budget keeps running off the rails, the problem might be that your budget doesn’t fit all your goals. Maybe you’re not even sure what they are, aside from saving money and avoiding too much debt. Whenever things change in your life and your priorities realign, it’s time to seek your budget inspiration anew. Listen to learn how three guests from the finance world discovered the power of using their motivations to charge up their budgets. How can checking back in with your goals change the way you spend, save and share?

If you’re a major league baseball player, you might think that money problems are a thing of the past. But when you upgrade to the big show, it’s no small adjustment to jump from eight guys sharing a two-bedroom apartment and enduring long stretches of bus travel before and after games. Two stars of Angels baseball - right-fielder Kole Calhoun and starting pitcher Hector Santiago – join to talk with Roger Lodge about how they learned the basics of money management when they moved up to the majors. You’ll also get to hear them put their credit knowledge to the test.