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Topic
How to start a history, raise your score and read your report without paying for it. Also how to dispute errors, how to deal with debt collectors and how to avoid credit repair scams.
Stage 1 of 3
How a history starts, what raises it and lowers it, and what to look for in your report.
14 guides in this stage
Featured guide 12 minute read
How a payday loan works, what the CFPB says it costs, what a federal credit union payday alternative loan (PAL) is and what to do if you already have one.
The most important thing
The CFPB says a typical two-week payday loan equals an APR of almost 400%, and a rollover does not reduce what you owe.
Verified on October 31, 2026
Essential guide Credit from zero: how to start your history in the U.S. What credit reports and scores are, how to get them for free, and how to start a history from nothing with a secured card or a credit-builder loan. 16 min read Verified on October 17, 2026 
Medical debt: your credit and your mortgage application When medical debt shows up on your credit report, how FHA and Fannie Mae treat it, hospital financial assistance and your rights against surprise bills. 11 min read Verified on October 31, 2026 
Car title loans and pawn loans: what you can lose How car title loans and pawn loans work, what the CFPB found, what you can lose and which cheaper alternatives exist before you hand over your car title. 12 min read Verified on October 31, 2026 
What moves your credit score: the five factors What raises and lowers your credit score according to the CFPB, FICO and VantageScore: on-time payments, credit use, age, new credit and account mix. 15 min read Verified on October 17, 2026 The data behind these guides
The guides on Credit cite these figures. They update when their sources publish new ones; what you see here is current.
See all the dataSources: Freddie Mac (As of November 5, 2026) · U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024)
Stage 1 of 3
Keep going with the other guides on credit, from the most read to the most specific.
Featured guide 12 minute read
How a secured credit card works: the deposit, the fees and rate to compare, how it reports your payments and how to move up to a regular card.
The most important thing
You put down a deposit and your limit is usually equal to it; you use and pay it like any credit card.
Verified on October 17, 2026
Co-signing a loan or lease: the risks before you sign What co-signing a loan or a lease means, what you can be made to pay, how it affects your credit and a future mortgage, and how to protect yourself. 11 min read Verified on October 17, 2026 
Reporting your rent to the credit bureaus: options, costs How to make your rent payments count on your credit: what your landlord does, what services exist, which fees to check and what happens if you pay late. 11 min read Verified on October 17, 2026 
How to read your credit report, line by line Where to get your free credit reports, what each part says, how long negative items can stay and how to spot errors or identity theft. 13 min read Verified on October 17, 2026 
How to dispute errors on your credit report How to fix credit report errors for free: what to send each bureau and the company that reported it, legal deadlines, and credit repair scams. 14 min read Verified on October 17, 2026 Stage 1 of 3
Keep going with the other guides on credit, from the most read to the most specific.
Featured guide 16 minute read
What a debt collector must tell you, how to dispute in writing, when and how often they can call, old debts, and what to do if you are sued.
The most important thing
In the first contact or within five days after it, the collector must tell you who they are, who you owe, how much and how to dispute.
Verified on October 17, 2026
Credit repair scams: warning signs and your rights What credit repair companies cannot do, what the law requires (no upfront fees, a written contract, 3 days to cancel) and what you can do for free. 12 min read Verified on October 17, 2026 
Credit-builder loans: how they work and what they cost What a credit-builder loan is, how it works month by month, which costs to check, who it helps most and where to find one. 11 min read Verified on October 17, 2026 
AnnualCreditReport.com step by step: your free reports How to get your free credit reports online, by phone or by mail, what information they ask for, what to check and how to freeze your credit. 15 min read Verified on October 17, 2026 Tools
The calculators these guides use. Each one leaves you with a result you can use today.
The steps to build or improve your credit.
What you get → steps in order
How much is left for housing each month.
What you get → what is left
The price your income can carry.
What you get → maximum price
The rent that fits your budget.
What you get → rent that fits
Stage 2 of 3
From the first paper to the day you get the keys: who is involved, what you sign and what each step costs.
1 guide in this stage
Featured guide 13 minute read
How Fannie Mae and FHA accept rent, utilities, insurance and remittances as credit history when you have no score: requirements, documents and limits.
The most important thing
Without a score, the lender can build your history from rent, utilities, phone, insurance, childcare, tuition and, at Fannie Mae, remittances.
Verified on October 17, 2026
Stage 3 of 3
The most common scams, the laws that protect you and who to turn to when something is off.
1 guide in this stage
Featured guide 11 minute read
What to do if your identity is stolen: close accounts, place a fraud alert, freeze your credit for free and report it at IdentityTheft.gov.
The most important thing
Freezing your credit is free, does not lower your score and takes 1 business day by phone or online.
Verified on October 31, 2026
Frequently asked questions
Short answers taken from the guides on this topic; each one links the guide that explains it with its sources.
A report is built from what companies report, not from one particular number. Before you apply, ask the bank or credit union whether it accepts an ITIN or another ID on its application and whether it reports your payments to the three bureaus. The second part is what makes a history exist.
Read the full guideThe CFPB says many states allow fees of $10 to $30 per $100. With a typical fee of $15 per $100, borrowing $300 costs you $345 in a couple of weeks, and if you roll it over once you pay $90 for a month. That equals an APR of almost 400% on a two-week loan.
Read the full guideSome still is. According to the CFPB, the three credit bureaus removed paid medical debts, those under a year old and medical collections under $500. But these are bureau policies, not a law. The federal rule that went further was vacated by a court in July 2025.
Read the full guideNo. The FTC says freezing your credit does not affect your score. It only keeps new credit accounts from being opened in your name, even by you, until you lift it.
Read the full guideThe full path with its steps in order, the calculators these guides use, and the agencies their rules come from.
The full path
This topic is part of a path with steps in order, so you know what to do first. Credit from zero and family money. 8 steps in order.
See the pathEvery rule, number and date in these guides comes from what these agencies publish. Each guide links the exact page.
and 8 more official sources
How we make the guidesSwitch topics without leaving the library.