Protecting My Credit

Home » Web Guides » Finance » Credit

In This Guide

Most Popular

Use the Web to Take Charge of Your Credit

We use credit to make many substantial business deals, such as buying a home or car, or obtaining a loan. Other times, we simply want to use a credit card to make our daily lives a little easier. Whether you want to learn how to select the right credit card, protect yourself from identity theft, or learn how your credit score affects the loans you receive, the Web can serve as your guide to understanding, establishing, and maintaining good credit. For a Spanish-language version of the Guide, click here.

Expand All Guide Sections

What is Credit?

The credit card industry mailed more than six billion credit card offers to households during 2005. ... read more »

Finding and Improving Your Credit Score

Your credit score can have an impact on many aspects of your financial life, perhaps none more ... read more »

Choosing the Right Credit Card

There are credit cards to suit a unique array of personal needs. Flight miles, cash-back rewards, ... read more »

Credit Card Debt

If you're even asking this question, the answer is probably yes. In fact, because credit card debt ... read more »

Teens, Young Adults, and Credit

Approximately 83 percent of undergraduate college students possessed at least one credit card in ... read more »

Protecting My Credit

With so many people using credit cards, credit card fraud has become a lucrative "business." The Web can give you some helpful tips for protecting your identity.

Dulcinea's Insight

Checking your credit report regularly online can help you detect fraud or identity theft and. You don't have to wait until you receive next month's bill to make sure all your charges are legitimate.

When shopping online, avoid making any credit card purchases while using a wireless Internet connection unless you're sure that the connection is secure. For more tips on protecting yourself against fraud and identity theft online, read the findingDulcinea Internet Security Guide.

See "When Credit Cards are Disputed", an article from Creditor Web, if you need help disputing any charges.

Dulcinea's Picks

To learn about credit card fraud ...

Internet ScamBusters provides 21 tips to help safeguard your credit card both online and in public.

go to site »

Creditor Web explains how to determine which Web sites are safe to provide your credit card numbers to and which may be questionable if you are looking to make an online purchase.

go to site »

Credit Card Loss Protection discusses your rights in the event your card is stolen and provides some tips to help you detect imposters who may claim to be from your credit card company.

go to site »

For identity theft information ...

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) presents "Deter, Detect, Defend," an identity theft resource. This site teaches consumers how to avoid, detect, and recover from identity theft. Businesses and law enforcement officials can learn how to help victims of identity theft, prevent its occurrence, and investigate instances of identity theft.

go to site »

The U.S. Department of Justice has an "Identity Theft" section that is similar in many ways to the FTC Web site, in that it explains what identity theft and fraud are, the most common ways these acts are committed, and what you should do if you are a victim of this type of activity. This site is unique in that it also details popular types of internet fraud, which include credit card schemes.

go to site »