In these tough economic times, lenders are all the more careful before granting you a loan. Remember that their decision usually hinges on your credit score. Here is a list of red flags you should avoid to keep your loan prospects alive.

You might not know your credit score or credit history, but the people who handle your money sure do. So what exactly are these things? Your credit report is a summary of your credit history – any new accounts, closed accounts, unpaid bills, late bills etc. If you have a loan, mortgage or a credit card, it will show up here. ...

Although Mr. Freeze was a lame Batman villain, you can now use chilling powers for financial good.

Questions to ask credit monitors before signing up.

Not many people know that they can actually cancel their credit card instead of just physically shredding it up.

Questions to ask ID theft protection providers.

Before you spring for identity theft protection, which, at a minimum, is likely to set you back at least $150 annually, think about all the no-cost measures you can take to protect yourself.

Before examining the services available, it’s helpful to know that you can use common-sense, no-cost measures to protect against ID theft.

Puzzled by those charges on your credit card statement for 15 cases of raspberry Jell-O, a rented mule, and a video camera? Either your college buddies got a hold of your plastic, or you’ve been a victim of identity theft.

You should base your buying decision on how comprehensive you want the monitoring to be and what you’re willing to pay for it.