Credit Report Report

The economy is strong and the macroeconomic indicators suggest there's good momentum as we move into 2018. So, has the positive economic climate led to a positive "credit economy"? Listen to this week's episode of the Credit Report REPORT to find out.

Credit card debt is now at $1 trillion. Experian's recently released annual State of Credit report breaks down spending by state. Number one is Alaska with an average of $8,515 followed by Connecticut, Virginia, New Jersey and Maryland. This episode of Experian's Credit Report Report dives into the credit card debt a bit more and shares tips for paying down your balances. You can visit experian.com/research for more on the rankings by credit card debt, credit scores and spending for all fifty states and a breakdown by the city as well. If you're looking to decrease your credit card debt, you'll want to make a plan. Listen to learn more and get helpful information on paying down credit card debt at experian.com/education.

Experian just released its eighth annual State of Credit report which shows 36% of Americans have at least one account in collections—and one generation is late more than others: millennials. This episode of Experian's Credit Report Report dives into the data and shares tips for keeping those payments on track. Learn more at experian.com/education. Nearly half of all millennials are 90 days behind on at least one of their bills—but members of Generation X are right on their heels. Generation Y, also known as millennials, come in well above the national average with 44% having at least one account in collections. But 43% of Gen Xers are in the same predicament—despite generally earning more and having been in the workforce longer. Baby Boomers seem to be more responsible with their money, with only 30% having an account in collections, while Americans born before 1946—a.k.a. the Silent generation—is best of all, at 18%. Generation Z—adults born after 1995—seem more responsible with only 19% carrying a collecti

It's a new year, which means it's time focus on self-improvement. For many Americans, that includes improving their bottom lines. This year, the top financial resolution is to save more money, according to a new survey by Experian.

Yes, the holiday season is in full swing—and so is the anxiety that comes with it, according to a new survey from Experian. Asked what emotions are related to holiday shopping, 43% of survey recipients said excitement. But about a third of all respondents also said they associated stress with holiday shopping and nearly two-thirds of Americans agreed that holiday shopping puts a strain on their finances. A whopping 58% said they end up spending too much money during the holiday season. We share the inside scoop on Americans' attitude towards holiday shopping in this week's edition of the Credit Report Report—where every week we bring you the news that matters most to your financial health.

A virtual credit card is a randomly-generated, temporary number that you can use while shopping online—and you can just toss the numbers if they get in the wrong hands. These disposable card numbers are designed to keep your actual account number from falling into the wrong hands—for example, if there is data breach at a retailer where you shop, your real account is protected. If a merchant only has your disposable card number, then it's more difficult for fraudsters to access your credit card account to make unauthorized purchases. We share the inside scoop on disposable credit cards in this week's edition of the Credit Report Report—where every week we bring you the news that matters most to your financial health.  

Did you know that almost half of all kids have been bullied online? So how can you protect your child on social media? We share tips to help keep the kids safe on social networks in this week's edition of the Credit Report Report—where every week we bring you the news that matters most to your financial health. According to DoSomething.org, 43% of children have experienced some kind of online bullying and 1 in 4 say it's happened more than once. For parents, it means added worry to monitor and teach kids how to safely use social networks. This can be difficult when parents aren't as familiar with them—and even the coolest parent may not be up to speed on the latest, most-popular network or platform. Listen to learn how you can get started.

The holiday shopping season officially kicks off next week with Black Friday and Cyber Monday. In this edition of the Credit Report REPORT, we help you plan for the holiday shopping rush with our best tips, like how to find the best deals. Don't forget that holiday shopping can impact your credit score if you get sidetracked. Check out experian.com/education for more podcasts and personal finance tips.

75% of Americans want to help the environment in their daily lives, and they certainly can while still keeping their budgets intact. There are big steps like getting an energy audit or looking into solar energy, and there are little steps like taking public transportation, riding a bike, or shopping at thrift stores. In this podcast, we share some eco-friendly tips on how you can leave less of a carbon footprint without breaking the bank.

Your Amazon Echo answering with YOUR score is just one of the cool new things in personal finance technology that you'll want to check out. There are thousands of digital tools designed to help you manage your finances. To help you cut through the clutter we break down three of our favorites in this week's edition of the Credit Report Report – where every week, we bring you the news that matters most to your financial health. We share details on Qapital, a savings app, along with Earny, which allows you to get money back automatically if there's a price drop guarantee available. Additionally, Experian CreditWorks and IdentityWorks members can now access the Alexa skill to find out helpful information about their credit. For more information on this feature, visit experian.com/alexa.  

In a survey earlier this year, Experian learned that most people find monitoring their financial transactions to be challenging, so they rely on banks and credit card companies to help catch fraud. The good news is that many of those companies are adding features to help fight back against theft and fraud. Check out this podcast to find out some of the top technologies financial companies are rolling out, like temporary account freezes, location tagging, and biometric fingerprint scanners.

We hear a lot about identity theft these days. In a recent Experian survey, many Americans confirmed that they are concerned about identity theft, but they are not worried enough to do something about it or change how they do things. Check out this podcast where we dig into the details and results of this new survey. Also, with the recent data breaches, this podcast includes tips on how you can protect yourself from identity theft, like having strong passwords and keeping an eye out for phishy emails.

With the sky-high cost of college, it's no surprise that millions of parents and students are filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year. However, making one simple mistake can cost you thousands. These mistakes include not filling out the application, waiting too long, and not being prepared when filling it out. Check out this podcast to learn how you can avoid losing money when looking for financial aid to pay for schooling.

New scams keep popping up, and there's a specific one to be aware of: spear phishing. Phishing is when the bad guys try to get you to share things with them -- like your usernames, passwords or even your Social Security number -- or trick you into transferring or sending money. A variation of this is spear phishing, and that's when they tailor or target the messages by using personal details to really throw you off. Check out this podcast to learn tactics on how you can avoid getting hooked, like being aware of what you post on social media, keeping an eye out for suspicious emails, and hanging up if you get an illegitimate phone call from a "government agency."

On the heels of the Equifax data breach, there's been a lot of talk about people freezing their credit. It's a legit way to keep your credit report locked down. A freeze may be the best option for you, but it's not the only option. Before you take the drastic measure of freezing your credit, there are some things you might want to consider, like how much your state charges for a freeze, potentially placing a fraud alert instead of a freeze, and taking a closer look at what a freeze actually does. Check out this podcast to learn if a credit freeze might be the right move for you and how you can keep yourself more protected from identity theft.

Equifax announced last week it had suffered a major breach in which personal information affecting 143 million Americans was compromised. Stolen data includes, names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and, in some instances, driver's license numbers. Be vigilant about signs of identity theft by watching your bank and credit card statements carefully, reviewing your credit report regularly and keeping an eye on your email for anything that you don't recognize. Also, it's a good idea to set up a fraud alert and consider a credit freeze. You can do this with Experian. Although, the Equifax incident is unrelated to Experian, check out this episode of the Credit Report REPORT for some tips on if your information has been compromised and how you can help protect yourself. 

If you think your email's spam filters are protecting you from malware and other email scams, you might want to think again. There's a nasty new spambot that's targeting over 700 million email addresses. It's called Onliner and is designed to get past those filters and firewalls. There are steps you can take to protect yourself online, including never opening unrecognizable emails or attachments, using strong passwords, and following your IT department's protocol. In this Credit Report REPORT, we break down the basics of malware, spambots, and social engineering. Credit Report REPORT is a weekly podcast where we bring you the news that matters most to your financial health.

Hurricane Harvey has brought huge amounts of rainfall and devastation to Houston and many areas of southeast Texas and Louisiana. The financial fallout from natural disasters like Harvey is quite serious. It can be emotionally overwhelming to even know where to start. This podcast features steps to take after a natural disaster and things to be aware of beforehand so you can prepare ahead of time. You'll want to start the claims process as soon as possible with your insurance company, protect and access your financial documents, and consider doing essential repairs when starting to rebuild. If you're looking to donate funds, be sure to check BBB to see if the charity is accredited. Credit Report REPORT is a weekly podcast where we bring you the news about the issues that matter most to your financial health.

Recently, Bill Burr, former manager of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), told the Wall Street Journal that he regrets the advice he gave back in 2003 when he wrote the password guidelines that many consumers have come to know. It turns out that the combinations of characters and numbers confuses everyone but identity thieves, because they can easily decode those passwords. Check out this podcast to learn how to create a stronger password and keep yourself more protected from identity theft.

College is the time where many people get started with credit, and college students have definitely taken their fair share of credit missteps as they figure out the importance of their actions. Listen in and hear why in our recent survey of collegians, most rated their institutions an F when it comes to preparing them for financial real life.