Building Credit & Managing Debt

Get tips to build credit and reduce debt. Learn practical and empowering strategies to improve your financial health and achieve your goals.

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A woman wearing a bright yellow sweater smiles while holding a phone up to her ear and looking at a laptop. She is sitting in a room with an angled ceiling and white beams. Red, yellow and teal balloons and white string lights are in the background. The Consumers' Checkbook logo appears as white text in the lower right corner of the image.

Buy Now, Pay Later: Use With Caution

Learn how buy now, pay later works, what risks to watch for and when to use it.

A woman sits cross-legged on a fuzzy rug on a wood floor with her laptop open in front of her. She's looking at a piece of paper she's holding up. A bright turquoise arm chair, houseplant and window are behind her. Trees and sunlight fill the window.

What Can I Use a Personal Loan For?

Learn when a personal loan might help you cover a big expense.

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How To Pay Off Credit Card Debt

Get tips for paying off debt and saving for the future.

Two young college-aged students sitting at a table inside located in front of large windows. Trees are in the background outside. The two students are looking together at the screen of a laptop that's in front of one of the students, who is typing on the laptop keyboard. The other student not in front of the laptop is holding a pen in one hand and has a book in their other hand resting on the table, open to a page.

Federal Student Loan Repayment

Learn more about changes to student loans.

Close-up of a man's hands counting money while standing in a bank teller line. A woman's hands are visible behind the counter, as if she just gave him the money.

What Are the Downsides of Payday Loans?

Learn about payday loans and alternatives.

Two young women smile as they look at a phone together. The woman on the left is pointing at the phone as the other holds it. They are outdoors and there are trees in the background.

How To Raise Your Credit Score

Learn how to raise your score and improve your financial health.

Mother holding a mobile phone sits next to her child who is holding a credit card. They are sitting at a table, smiling. A large green plant is in the background.

Credit vs. Debit Card Options for Kids

Learn how to help build kids’ credit and teach them about managing finances.

Illustration of a credit score gauge. A person is sweating from the effort of pulling on the indicator needle, like it's a lever, to move their credit score up.

Why Did My Credit Score Drop? 11 Reasons

Learn about these common credit-score setbacks and how to improve your score.

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A woman is smiling and handing her card to pay her bill at a restaurant. In front of her is a card reader and a figure's hand reaching for her card. In the background are two women talking. The background is a restaurant setting with a bar in the back.

How To Use a Secured Card To Build Credit

Learn how you can use a secured credit card to help improve your credit.

This image is a close up of someone paying for a transaction with a BECU visa credit card. One person's hands are on their wallet, and the other persons hands are inserting the credit card into a wireless point of sale card reader. They are at what appears to be a wood countertop.

What Is a Secured Credit Card?

Learn how secured credit cards work and how they can help you build credit.