They say that when it comes to education, there’s no such thing as wasted money. But with the increasing costs of higher education, how can you maximize your payment options when everything feels like a stretch to your budget? College dreams don’t come cheap, but there are ways that having good credit can help you maximize the funds that can power your next academic chapter.

Learning that you’ve become one of identity theft’s latest victims is a real downer. It means that your personal identity information wasn’t always as secure as you’d been assured, and that’s alarming news. If this is the first time you’ve dealt with a discovery of identity theft, it’s common to feel rotten and upset. But as those feelings cool, what action do you take to stitch things back up? Listen in to learn some essential steps to include in your plan for response. Make sure you close loops to get things back to normal and minimize the chance for serious harm.

When you’re reconnecting with your credit after some time apart, there may be information that’s been reported in the meantime that you want to address. But how do you go about correcting information you have a right to confirm looks as it should? Discover how you can follow up with account information you don’t recognize or personal identification data that isn’t right. What comes next depends on just what you’re seeing.

The first thought many people have about an identity theft risk is not a thought, but a question. Instead of a flashing siren, it’s a quiet red flag that raises an eyebrow or gives them pause. If that’s what you’ve noticed as you look over your information, you might wonder if that’s enough information for you to take action on. The answer? It absolutely is. Learn how you can get the ball rolling and start to notify authorities of your concern even if you’re not 100% sure yet.

Big purchases are an inevitable part of life – and at least some of the time, you know when they’re coming. If there’s a chance that this year you might become a homeowner for the first time, or buy a new car, know that now – and in the months leading up to your big buy – is the time you’ll want your best credit behaviors to be on display. Learn why they’re extra important now, and how they can help you score before you sign on the dotted line.

Asking if overspending your credit limit can harm your credit seems a little like asking if the sky is blue. When you go beyond what’s been extended to you, there’s bound to be consequences – and those are often reflected in your credit scores. Learn what can make a bad situation worse, and also how you can plan to turn things around if you’re already overextended things.

A credit score is a unique thing: and one that has a unique formula to evaluate your information. Your FICO® Score powered by Experian data considers a specific set of five factors when it looks at information in your Experian credit report. When you know the items that go into the scoring calculation, you can start to see how your credit behaviors are reflected back in your Score. And when you know that, you’ll know how your actions – whether great or not – are impacting your credit scores.

There are more than a few reasons why you might have added a security freeze to your credit report. Similarly, there are also more than a few reasons why you might need to remove it. Fortunately, you have options – whether you need to lift access temporarily, or you’re ready to end the freeze altogether. Learn how to make the right choice for your needs, and still keep fraudsters away from your credit information.

It’s one of the most effective ways to actively hurt your credit. Missing payments on a loan or credit account isn’t an action that has no consequences. When you miss a payment, you’re showing creditors that you’re not always sterling on keeping your word that you’ll pay on time, every month. Learn more about how damaging missing payments can be to your credit scores.

When you’ve recently become the victim of identity theft, It’s natural to be concerned about how secured your credit information is while you’re continuing to use it. An initial fraud alert may help. When added to your credit information, it prompts your creditors to confirm your identity when someone’s trying to use your name and account. Learn more about how long these alerts can last, and how they help keep your information in only your hands.