エピソード

  • How Your Credit Score Changes When You Pay Off a Loan

    How Your Credit Score Changes When You Pay Off a Loan
    2026/06/06
    In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore what happens to your FICO score the moment you make that final payment on a car loan, student loan, or personal installment loan. They break down the mechanics of credit mix and account age, and why many borrowers see an unexpected temporary drop after closing a loan. Using real data from FICO's own scoring models, they explain how a closed account in good standing continues to benefit your credit history for up to ten years. The hosts also discuss strategies for timing a loan payoff to minimize negative impact, including keeping a small balance on other revolving accounts. A concrete segment covers the difference between installment and revolving utilization, and why paying off a loan entirely can sometimes reduce your credit mix score. Lucas and Luna also touch on the emotional versus financial reasons to pay off debt early, and how to balance both. This episode is essential for anyone planning to make a large final payment and wondering why their score might dip the following month. #CreditScore #FICO #LoanPayoff #InstallmentLoan #CreditMix #AccountAge #CreditUtilization #DebtFree #PersonalFinance #CarLoan #StudentLoan #CreditHistory #FicoScore #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Finance #CreditReport #BorrowerHealth Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
    続きを読む 一部表示
    11 分
  • How Credit Card Fraud Affects Your Credit Score

    How Credit Card Fraud Affects Your Credit Score
    2026/06/06
    In this episode of The Credit Score Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore what happens to your credit score when you become a victim of credit card fraud. Using the 2023 Capital One data breach as a concrete example, they walk through the immediate steps you should take, how the Fair Credit Billing Act protects you from liability, and why your score might still take a temporary hit even when you do everything right. They explain the difference between fraudulent charges and unauthorized inquiries, how long an active fraud alert stays on your file, and why freezing your credit is often smarter than just placing a fraud alert. Lucas shares the specific form you need to file with the Federal Trade Commission, and Luna pushes back on whether closing all your cards after fraud is actually a bad idea. If you've ever worried about identity theft and your credit score, this episode gives you a clear, actionable playbook. #CreditCardFraud #CreditScore #FICO #IdentityTheft #CapitalOne #DataBreach #FraudAlert #CreditFreeze #FairCreditBillingAct #FTC #CreditReport #ConsumerProtection #ZeroLiability #Finance #PersonalFinance #CreditEducation #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
    続きを読む 一部表示
    7 分
  • What Your Credit Score Means After You Die

    What Your Credit Score Means After You Die
    2026/06/05
    Lucas and Luna explore a morbid but important question: what happens to your credit score after you die? They explain why a deceased person's credit file is typically closed but how errors, identity theft, and joint accounts can create headaches for surviving family members. Lucas cites the FTC's 2024 data showing over 800,000 deceased-consumer fraud reports. They discuss the Credit Reporting Death Notification System (CRDNS), how executors should notify the three bureaus, and why freezing a deceased person's credit is pointless. Luna shares a story from a listener whose mother's credit was used to open a store card six months after her death. The episode ends with a practical checklist for listeners who might one day handle a loved one's credit affairs. #CreditScore #DeathAndCredit #CreditBureaus #IdentityTheft #DeceasedConsumerFraud #FTC #CRDNS #ExecutorDuties #JointAccounts #CreditFreeze #Probate #Finance #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #PersonalFinance #CreditReport #FICO #LucasAndLuna Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
    続きを読む 一部表示
    6 分
  • How Credit Inquiries Affect Your FICO Score

    How Credit Inquiries Affect Your FICO Score
    2026/06/05
    In this episode of The Credit Score Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore the real impact of hard and soft credit inquiries on your FICO score. They break down the difference between shopping for a mortgage and opening multiple credit cards in a short period, using real-world examples like a borrower who applied for six store cards in one week. The hosts explain how the credit scoring models treat rate shopping for auto loans versus personal loans, and why checking your own credit report doesn't hurt your score. They also discuss the FICO 'deduplication' window and how long an inquiry stays on your report. By the end, you'll know exactly how many credit applications are too many and how to plan your borrowing strategically. Tune in for a clear, practical guide to managing credit inquiries without damaging your score. #CreditInquiries #FICOScore #HardInquiry #SoftInquiry #CreditReport #CreditScore #MortgageShopping #AutoLoan #CreditCards #Borrowing #Finance #PersonalFinance #CreditTips #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #CreditScorePodcast #LucasAndLuna #FinancialLiteracy Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
    続きを読む 一部表示
    9 分
  • What Your Credit Utilization Ratio Really Means for Your Score

    What Your Credit Utilization Ratio Really Means for Your Score
    2026/06/04
    In this episode of The Credit Score Podcast, Lucas and Luna go beyond the simple 30 percent rule to explore how credit utilization ratio actually impacts your FICO score. They break down the difference between per-card and overall utilization, explain why a low balance can sometimes hurt more than a high one, and share a surprising case from a listener who saw a 25-point drop after paying off a card entirely. With concrete examples and data from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, this episode gives you a practical framework for managing your revolving credit — including why timing your payments matters more than you think. #CreditUtilizationRatio #FICO #CreditScore #RevolvingCredit #CreditCards #PersonalFinance #DebtManagement #CreditReport #ConsumerFinance #CFPB #CreditTips #FinancialLiteracy #CreditEducation #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #FinancePodcast #CreditScorePodcast #MoneyManagement Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
    続きを読む 一部表示
    14 分
  • What Your Credit Score Has to Do With the Economy

    What Your Credit Score Has to Do With the Economy
    2026/06/04
    Episode 30 of The Credit Score Podcast explores the surprising link between your personal credit score and the broader economy. Lucas and Luna explain how aggregate credit scores are used as a leading indicator by institutions like the Federal Reserve, and how consumer credit behavior can predict economic trends. They dive into a 2025 study from the New York Fed showing that a drop in average credit scores among subprime borrowers preceded the 2023 regional banking crisis by six months. The hosts discuss what this means for individual borrowers: if your score dips while the economy is strong, it might be a signal to tighten your budget before a downturn hits. The episode also covers why lenders' tightening credit standards can create a feedback loop that accelerates a recession. A concrete, insightful look at how your FICO score is not just personal—it's a piece of a much larger puzzle. #CreditScore #Economy #FederalReserve #NewYorkFed #LeadingIndicator #SubprimeBorrowers #Recession #CreditCycle #FICO #BureauData #ConsumerDebt #BankingCrisis #CreditStandards #PersonalFinance #EconomicIndicators #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Finance Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
    続きを読む 一部表示
    7 分
  • How Your Credit Score Survives a Divorce

    How Your Credit Score Survives a Divorce
    2026/06/03
    Divorce is painful enough without a credit score surprise. In this episode, Lucas and Luna walk through exactly what happens to joint accounts, authorized user cards, and mortgage co-sign liabilities when a marriage ends. They explain why many people assume divorce decrees erase debt obligations — and why the credit bureaus don't care about your court order. The key number: a single joint account going 30 days late can drop a 780 score by 100 points. They also share a practical checklist for separating credit before the divorce is finalized, including how to freeze joint accounts, remove authorized users, and refinance co-signed loans. If you're married, divorced, or ever plan to combine finances, this episode is a must-listen. #DivorceAndCredit #JointAccounts #AuthorizedUser #CreditScoreDrop #FICO #CreditBureaus #DivorceDecree #MortgageCoSign #CreditSeparation #FinancialDivorce #CreditChecklist #Finance #PersonalFinance #CreditEducation #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #CreditScorePodcast #LucasAndLuna Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
    続きを読む 一部表示
    9 分
  • How Authorized User Status Can Boost Your Credit Score

    How Authorized User Status Can Boost Your Credit Score
    2026/06/03
    In this episode of The Credit Score Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore how becoming an authorized user on someone else's credit card can raise your credit score — sometimes by 50 points or more. They break down exactly how authorized user accounts get reported to the credit bureaus, why FICO and VantageScore treat them differently, and the hidden pitfalls like the 'piggybacking' crackdown by FICO 8 and 9. They discuss real scenarios: a young adult added to a parent's card with a 15-year account history, and a spouse leveraging a partner's perfect payment record. Lucas explains the difference between being an authorized user and a joint account holder, and why adding a user with a high credit limit but high utilization can backfire. The episode also covers the three-credit-card sweet spot for building thickness, and why the authorized user strategy works best when the primary cardholder has a long, clean history with low utilization. Listeners learn one concrete action they can take today — and the warning signs to avoid. #CreditScore #FICO #AuthorizedUser #CreditBuilding #PersonalFinance #CreditCards #Finance #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #CreditReport #VantageScore #CreditHistory #Piggybacking #CreditUtilization #FinancialLiteracy #DebtManagement #CreditTips #LucasAndLuna Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
    続きを読む 一部表示
    10 分