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Posts Tagged :

credit score

It’s in the stars: Credit Simple’s financial horoscopes (January)

Aries New Year, new you, right Aries? Well, sort of. This is New Zealand, so the best thing you could possibly to do support our grass-based economy is to start 2017 with a new ewe. Depending on where you live, Trade Me has them for under $100 and unlike a puppy, when you get bored with it you can just eat it. Taurus If 2016 has gotten you down, Taurus, well you’re not alone. Trump! Brexit! Toblerone increasing the size…

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Are you #winning at life?
Are you a married non-smoker with a couple of kids? You’re #winning at life

If you’re a married non-smoker with two or three kids and a tertiary degree, pat yourself on the back  –  you’re probably also a high credit scorer to go with it. We’ve had a look in our data (it was dusty and dark in there, but we survived) and it shows that financially responsible Kiwis are likely to be married, have two or three kids, are university educated, and probably don’t smoke. Our research of more than 2.2 million people…

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It’s in the stars: Credit Simple’s financial horoscopes (December)

Aries Earthquakes! Political turmoil! Unsightly hair in those hard to reach places! If it feels like there’s nothing the universe hasn’t thrown at you lately, Aries, then you’re not alone. Oscillations in the moon’s orbit, coupled with a particularly long run of dry weather around Dannevirke, mean your business and personal lives are unlikely to bring you much happiness this month. On the other hand, Lindauer is often on special in the lead up to Christmas, so there’s always that.…

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Girl studying in library
Five financial things I learned while getting a degree I never used

You’ll often hear people say that you shouldn’t go to university unless you know what you want to study and how you’ll use it in a job later on. I disagree; I think all university study is useful in one way or another. It’s not just a degree  –  it’s a formative experience  –  and I personally don’t think it’s ever a waste of money, time or effort. But I’m speaking from the point of view of having got my…

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It’s in the stars: Credit Simple’s financial horoscopes (November)

Aries Like fellow Aries Donald Trump, former Reserve Bank Governor Don Brash and Ron Howard from television’s Happy Days, you face a month of change and challenge. The main challenge? Finding enough change to make it through the day. Top tip: look behind the sofa cushions. Just ignore the old Doritos. Taurus Smashed avocado looms green and delicious in your short term future, Taurus. Tasty breakfast treat rich in good oils, or potent metaphor for Gen Y’s inability to prioritise…

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What affects your credit score (and why it matters)

Your illion credit score via Credit Simple is a number between 1 and 1,000 that indicates how financially healthy and responsible you are, and how likely you are to pay your debts. Understanding how this score is calculated is crucial to improving your score, so you can get better deals from your bank, telco, insurance company and more. Here’s what affects your credit score: Defaulting on a payment, even if you eventually pay it. Even if it’s a day late,…

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So you think you don’t have a credit history …

An acquaintance said to me – rather smugly – the other day, “I don’t need to check my credit score, because I don’t have a credit history.” “Oh, you don’t?” I said. “Have you checked it in the past and discovered you didn’t have a profile in the system?” “No,” he said. “But I’ve never had any hire purchases or a car loan, so they won’t have anything on me.” Many people think that a credit history is built solely…

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It’s in the stars: Credit Simple’s financial horoscopes (October)

Aries As Saturn reaches its closest point to Earth this month, the wise Aries will be thinking about kindness to others, avoiding foods starting with P, and paying off that pesky credit card debt before Christmas kicks in. Lucky number: any single-digit interest rate. Taurus An ascendant Shatner’s Bassoon, coupled with some instability in the Euro, could mean great things for the canny Taurus. Invest wisely now and you’re sure to reap the benefits in the New Year. Or just…

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Dog digging in the sand
Help! I want to delete my credit history

We got an email the other day from a guy who wanted his account deleted. He’d registered for Credit Simple, discovered his credit score was in the 200s, and decided the best thing was to just wipe it all off the history of the world, immediately and forever. Great idea in theory. And many people point to other parts of the world where there’s such a thing as “the right to be forgotten”, where you can apply to have things…

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Is your credit score in the zero zone? This could be why

If credit scores were emojis, getting a zero would be a bit like this guy.  Getting a zero for your credit score can be a bit of a shock. But don’t worry, you can turn your emoji frown upside down with a few fixes. But first, a bit about why you got a zero score. For 85% of people with zero scores, they’ll have a default collection record or a bankruptcy on their file. This is the major problem: not paying…

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