The Ultimate Guide to Credit Cards
Monday, May 29, 2023
John Ulzheimer
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About The Author

John Ulzheimer is an expert on credit reporting, credit scoring, and identity theft. The author of four books on the subject, Ulzheimer has been featured thousands of times in media outlets including the Wall Street Journal, NBC Nightly News, New York Times, CNBC, and countless others.

With over 30 years of credit-related professional experience, including with both Equifax and FICO, Ulzheimer is the only recognized credit expert who actually comes from the credit industry.

He has been an expert witness in over 600 credit-related lawsuits and has been qualified to testify in both federal and state courts on the topic of consumer credit. In his hometown of Atlanta, Ulzheimer is a frequent guest lecturer at the University of Georgia and Emory University's School of Law.

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Latest Posts

48 posts written/edited to date
17 Credit Scoring Secrets Exposed (By a FICO Expert)

17 Unknown Credit Scoring Secrets Revealed

Your credit scores play an important role in your financial life. That’s certainly... read more »

John Ulzheimer 5/4/2023
Is Your Credit Card Issuer Withholding Payment Data From the Credit Bureaus?

Is Your Credit Card Issuer Withholding Payment Data?

Some of the largest credit card companies in the United States have caught the... read more »

John Ulzheimer 4/6/2023
What Do Credit Card Issuers See When They Check Your Credit?

What Do Card Issuers See During Credit Checks?

Credit reports and credit scores are tools credit card issuers use to predict the... read more »

John Ulzheimer 3/13/2023
Can I Change Missed Payments on My Credit Reports?

Can I Change Missed Payments on My Credit Reports? 

There are many details that go into the calculation of your credit scores. But... read more »

John Ulzheimer 2/13/2023
How Inflation Is Affecting Americans’ Credit Scores

How Inflation Is Affecting Americans’ Credit Scores

Soaring inflation has impacted the financial lives of countless millions of... read more »

John Ulzheimer 1/16/2023
50 Important Credit Card Terms You’ll Find in a Cardholder Agreement

50 Important Credit Card Terms

If you’ve ever read through a cardmember agreement, you may have thought the bank... read more »

John Ulzheimer 12/12/2022
Can You Have Good Credit With Credit Card Debt? 

Can You Still Have Good Credit With Card Debt? 

There’s no question that being in credit card debt is a bad deal financially... read more »

John Ulzheimer 11/1/2022
What is the Average Credit Score in America?

What is the Average Credit Score in America?

Your credit scores aren’t something that you should just set on a shelf and forget... read more »

John Ulzheimer 9/13/2022
How Much Will a Secured Card Raise My Score? (June 2023)

Will a Secured Credit Card Raise My Credit Score?

If you’ve done any research on how to build or rebuild your credit, you’ve... read more »

John Ulzheimer 8/10/2022
What Would Student Loan Forgiveness Do to Your Credit Scores?

How Student Loan Forgiveness Could Affect Credit Scores

The forgiveness of student loan debt is almost always in the news. The issue has... read more »

John Ulzheimer 7/11/2022
When Do Credit Card Issuers Report Late Payments to the Credit Bureaus? 

When Are Late Payments Reported to the Bureaus?

You are probably aware that you need to pay your bills on time if you want to earn... read more »

John Ulzheimer 6/9/2022
Can I Use a Commercial Credit Card to Build Personal Credit?

Do Commercial Cards Build Personal Credit?

Opening a commercial credit card in your company’s name has many benefits... read more »

John Ulzheimer 4/21/2022
What Are the Different FICO Scores Used in Lending Decisions?

What Are the Different FICO Scores Used in Lending?

In 1989, a credit score with the brand-name Beacon was made commercially available... read more »

John Ulzheimer 3/15/2022
What Is a Schumer Box?

What Is a Schumer Box?

Credit card agreements contain a lot of information that can be challenging for the... read more »

John Ulzheimer 2/17/2022
Clearing The Confusion About Buy Now, Pay Later & Credit Reporting

Clearing the Confusion About BNPL and Credit Reporting

In late 2021, Equifax issued a press release indicating it would be the first of... read more »

John Ulzheimer 1/24/2022
When Do Credit Cards Get Reported to the Credit Bureaus?

When Do Credit Cards Get Reported to the Bureaus?

Your credit reports are not static objects frozen in time. Instead, the information... read more »

John Ulzheimer 12/16/2021
Is It Bad to Apply For Multiple Credit Cards At The Same Time? (June 2023)

Is It Bad to Apply For Multiple Cards At The Same Time?

The plastic market is full of attractive credit card sign-up bonuses right now... read more »

John Ulzheimer 11/22/2021
How to Build Credit With a Credit Card

5 Ways to Build Credit With a Credit Card

Consumers tend to like credit cards for several reasons. Credit cards offer a... read more »

John Ulzheimer 11/1/2021
When Were Credit Scores Invented?

When Were Credit Scores Invented?

Credit scores are an important part of everyday financial life in America. Do you... read more »

John Ulzheimer 9/29/2021
How Your Credit Score Affects Your Loan Terms

How Your Credit Score Affects Your Loan Terms

It’s commonly understood that your credit scores can make or break your chances of... read more »

John Ulzheimer 8/31/2021