Bear in Mind

Mistake # 1 – Burying Your Head in the Sand:   The biggest error a person can make regarding their credit score is to bury their head in the sand and hope their mistakes will all go away and take care of themselves. It has been said that bad credit is just as bad as no credit. Because of this, wa...

Adam was in the Garden of Eden, when God approached and said "Adam have you noticed all of my creatures have mates" Adam replied "Yes God" "Well Adam, I am going to create you a mate." said God.  "She will be the most beautiful creature you have ever seen, she will have the most voluptuous curves...

Fraud Alert vs. Credit FreezeTo continue in my discussion about a Credit Freeze, I thought it would be beneficial to explain the difference between a Fraud Alert and a Credit Freeze.Unfortunately, most people think Fraud Alerts and a Credit Freeze are the same thing, but they are not.  They do sh...

In the year 2010, the Lord came unto Noah, who was now living in the United States, and said, “Once again, the earth has become wicked and overpopulated, and I see the end of all flesh before me. Build another Ark and save 2 of every living thing along with a few good humans.”He gave Noah the blu...

Freeze your Credit Report at least. Several people have asked me "what is a credit report freeze?", "Is this better than a Fraud Alert?" and "should I freeze my credit report?".  I will break it down to make it easier for you to decide.   What is a Credit Report Freeze? A credit freeze is a way ...

Credit Bureaus -- More than just a Credit Report and Credit Score Now that lenders are taking a more consevative underwriting stance and desire more robust credit card marketing, the three major credit bureaus are offering more data about you.  Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, along with score p...

Credit Card DO's and DON'Ts -- Common Credit Card Mistakes In today's lending environment, you have to have established credit in order to get approved for a mortgage.  Unfortunately, the easiest way to establish a credit history and add to your score is through credit cards.  So, if you've got a...

I finally made it to AR, and I am thrilled to be here.  My name is Michael Barry but most know me as "The Credit Bear".  I have been in the residential real estate and finance industry since 1994.  I have been a Realtor, a Loan Officer, and an Investor.  Currently I am President of a publicly tra...