Bev O'Shea

Georgia

Writer and Editor at Freelance

I write about personal finance for freelance clients and edit for corporate clients. Fitness late bloomer, chocolate addict, night owl. Opinions are mine.

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Articles

What is Credit Monitoring and Is It Worth the Cost? - NerdWallet

2 months ago | nerdwallet.com | Bev O'Shea |Amanda Barroso

Credit monitoring services can detect potential fraudulent activity so you can act quickly, but there are steps you can take for free. Find out if a credit monitoring service is right for you.
Can A Credit Card Lender Come After My Rental Property?

2 months ago | bankrate.com | Poonkulali Thangavelu |Liza Carrasquillo |Bev O'Shea |Alice Lesperance

This page was originally published in late 2022 and still contains relevant reader questions from that time. The rest of the article has since been updated. Because rental properties aren’t protected in the same way that primary residences are, a creditor could potentially go after your rental property to satisfy a debt. However, doing so is a costly process, and it might not be worthwhile to the creditor to pursue.
How to Use Rent-Reporting Services to Build Credit - NerdWallet

Jan 14, 2025 | nerdwallet.com | Amanda Barroso |Bev O'Shea

Rent-reporting services can add rent payments to credit reports and help credit scores. All three major credit bureaus will include payments in reports if shared.
Can You Pay To Remove Negative Items From Your Credit Report?

Nov 27, 2024 | bankrate.com | Jenna-lea Kelland |Bev O'Shea |Aylea Wilkins

A pay-for-delete agreement is a credit repair tactic that could help erase collection accounts from your credit report. It involves offering to settle your debt in exchange for the collection agency deleting the account from your credit report. Credit bureaus discourage the practice, and there are other ways to clean up your report. Debts in collections typically stay on your credit report for seven years and can harm your score for as long as they appear.
What Happens If You Are Late On Your Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Payment?

Nov 15, 2024 | bankrate.com | DJ Whiteside |Bev O'Shea |Aylea Wilkins

The court could dismiss your case or change it to Chapter 7 if you’re late on your Chapter 13 payment. You can request a payment reduction or amendment if you’ve faced an unexpected financial hardship. If you miss a payment or think you could be late in the future, reach out to your bankruptcy trustee or your attorney immediately and let them know. Chapter 13 bankruptcy, also known as reorganization bankruptcy, allows certain debts to be discharged without giving up important assets.
What Debts Can't Be Removed From Your Credit Report And Which Can?

Nov 11, 2024 | bankrate.com | Amy Wolff Sorter |other publications. Amy |Bev O'Shea |Aylea Wilkins

Most debt eventually disappears from your credit reports, but some debts stay on your reports for longer than others. Some of the debt on your credit reports demonstrates longevity, which can be positive for your credit score. Removing debt from your credit reports is almost impossible unless the debt is too old to report or time-barred or a reporting error is involved. If you have debts on your credit report that shouldn’t be there, file disputes with the credit reporting agencies.
What Should You Do With Someone's Credit Report After They Die?

Sep 27, 2024 | bankrate.com | Bev O'Shea |Aylea Wilkins

When a loved one passes away, there are many things to take care of, from making funeral arrangements to going through the probate process. While you don’t have to do anything about your loved one’s credit, you may want to take a few steps to look into it. Monitoring and even protecting a deceased person’s credit may seem counterintuitive, but there are good reasons to make time for this task if you have the authority to represent the deceased.
How to Prevent Identity Theft: Warning Signs, Prevention Signs and More - NerdWallet

Sep 25, 2024 | nerdwallet.com | Amanda Barroso |Bev O'Shea

Simple steps can help you prevent identity theft, including freezing your credit, monitoring accounts and storing personal information securely.
What Do The Different Versions Of FICO Scores Mean?

Sep 23, 2024 | bankrate.com | Beth Deyo |Bev O'Shea |Aylea Wilkins

FICO Scores are the most common scores used by lenders across the U.S. There are multiple versions of FICO scores, each using different criteria. Differences are typically minor and unlikely to impact whether you're approved for a loan. To keep your FICO scores as high as possible, focus on making payments on time and keeping balances low relative to your credit limit. You may have noticed that your credit score seems to change depending on where you check it.
How to Report Identity Theft: A Step-by-Step Guide - NerdWallet

Sep 18, 2024 | nerdwallet.com | Bev O'Shea

Contact the Federal Trade Commission to report identity theft, get your credit report, reach out to companies and credit card issuers and place a freeze or fraud alert on your credit files.