Born on this day!! Actor Tony Lo Bianco (“The French Connection”) is 84. Artist Peter Max is 83. Actor Michael Gambon (“Harry Potter” films) is 80. Actor John Lithgow is 75. Singer Jeannie C. Riley is 75. Singer Patrick Simmons of The Doobie Brothers is 72. Actor Annie Golden (“Orange is the New Black”) is 69. Talk show host Charlie Chase is 68. Singer-keyboardist Karl Wallinger of World Party is 63. Singer Jennifer Holliday is 60. TV host Ty Pennington (“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”) is 56. Singer-guitarist Todd Park Mohr of Big Head Todd and the Monsters is 55. Actor Jon Favreau is 54. “South Park” co-creator Trey Parker is 51. Comedian Chris Kattan (“Saturday Night Live”) is 50. Singer Pras Michel of The Fugees is 48. Actor Omar Gooding (“Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper”) is 44. Country singer Cyndi Thomson is 44. Writer-director Jason Reitman (“Juno”) is 43. Actor Benjamin Salisbury (“The Nanny”) is 40. Actor Gillian Jacobs (“Community”) is 38. Singer Zac Barnett of American Authors is 34. Actor Ciara Renee (“Legends of Tomorrow”) is 30. Actor Hunter King (“The Young and the Restless”) is 27.
THIS DAY IN GENIUS HISTORY
1781 – British General Cornwallis surrendered to General George Washington at Yorktown, Va., bringing an end to the last major battle of the American Revolution.
1812 – French troops under Napoleon Bonaparte began their retreat from Moscow.
1960 – The United States imposes a partial embargo on goods exported to Cuba.
1983 – The Senate passed a bill (78–22) making Martin Luther King, Jr.’s, birthday a public holiday.
1987 – The stock market crashed on what came to be known as “Black Monday.” Stocks dropped a record 508 points, or 22.6%, topping the drops on October 28 and 29 in 1929 that ushered in the Great Depression.
Today Is: Evaluate Your Life Day, LGBT Center Awareness Day, Lung Health Day, National Clean Your Virtual Desktop Day
TODAY ON TV!
Primetime TV (All Times Eastern)
CBS – 8:00 – Big Brother / 9:00 – One Day At A Time / 9:30 – One Day At A Time / 10:00 – Manhunt: Deadly Games
NBC – 8:00 – The Voice / 10:00 – The Weakest Link
ABC – 8:00 – Dancing With The Stars / 10:00 – Emergency Call
FOX – 8:00 – L.A. Finest / 9:00 – Filthy Rich
CW – 8:00 – Whose Line Is It / 8:30 – Whose Line Is It / 9:00 – Penn and Teller
TV Talk Shows
Jimmy Kimmel: Sacha Baron Cohen, Emma Roberts, Ozuna featuring Doja Cat
Jimmy Fallon: Gwen Stefani, Swizz Beatz, Timbaland, Bebe Rexha featuring Doja Cat
Stephen Colbert: Joy Reid, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
Seth Meyers: Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Ego Nwodim, Todd Sucherman
James Corden: Ken Jeong, Alicia Keys (R 9/22/20)
Lilly Singh: Retta (R 2/27/20)
Daily Show: Dr. Anthony Fauci (R 9/21/20)
Conan: DIY Conan (R 9/21/20)
Watch What Happens Live: “Below Deck Mediterranean” Reunion, Part 1
The View: America Ferrera
The Talk: Luke Wilson, guest co-host Rumer Willis
Live with Kelly and Ryan: Sarah Gilbert, Melba Wilson
Ellen DeGeneres: Marlon Wayans, Ron Finley, guest host Tiffany Haddish
Wendy Williams: Devyn Simone, Melissa Garcia
The Real: Chelsea Clinton, Jo Koy, Nikkolas Smith
Kelly Clarkson: Blake Shelton, Cynthia Nixon, Ian Cauble
Tamron Hall: Mitch Winehouse, Derek Hough
Drew Barrymore: Marie Kondo, Rachael Ray
WHAT ARE YOU TALKIN’ ABOUT? Here are today’s PPM-Friendly Topics!
QUESTION: Is THIS why they want us to VOTE EARLY?? Neil DeGrasse says an ASTEROID could hit the earth the day before the election!! What if it hits Trump??
QUESTION: Do ALL celebrities HATE TRUMP?? Many.. but not all! Take a look at this gallery of celebrity TRUMP SUPPORTERS!! On your mark.. let the trolling begin!!
QUESTION: How much does it cost to maintain and run a luxury mansion in Montecito, CA.?? You won’t believe how much Meghan and Harry will have to pay!!!!!!!!!!!!
QUESTION: Why not go BIG??? A California woman steals a FIRE TRUCK, takes it on a joyride, and gets busted by the cops!! (She might have been DRINKING!!)
QUESTION: Is this the FUTURE OF CONCERTS?? The Flaming Lips and their fans rock out with everyone inside PROTECTIVE BUBBLES!! Talk about distancing!!
Meghan Might Give Up Politics For Harry
According to royal historian and biographer, Robert Lacey, Meghan Markle’s recent speeches may affect Prince Harry’s relationship with the rest of the royal family. “I think when William sat down with Harry and said there could be problems, I think events have proved him right,” Lacey, who authored the new royal biography, Battle of Brothers: William and Harry – The Inside Story of a Family in Tumult about Harry’s ongoing feud with his brother, Prince William, explained during an interview for True Royalty’s The Royal Beat. Lacey predicts that Meghan may actually pull back on these kinds of speeches and engagements in the future, however, for the sake of Harry’s relationship with his family. “I think that [Meghan] has come to realize how [some of her] speeches risk her husband’s relationship with the family and perhaps she may pedal back on some of these more extreme positions,” he said on the program, according to The Sun.
******Good luck with that!!
******There’s only room for one Queen in Harry’s life… and guess who that is!!
******They should get behind her!! She could be the first member of the British Royal Family to be elected president!!!
Home Improvement Star Arrested
Zachery Ty Bryan, an actor best known for playing Brad Taylor on the 1990s sitcom “Home Improvement,” was arrested in Oregon Friday on charges of strangulation and assault of a woman. Officers responded to reports of a physical dispute at an apartment complex and found 39-year-old Bryan outside one of the units. A 27-year-old woman, who police said had been in a relationship with the actor, was waiting for police at a neighbor’s home in the apartment complex where she lived. Bryan is accused of assaulting the woman, impeding her breathing and taking her phone from her when she tried to call 911. According to police, the victim declined medical treatment. Her name has not been released. Bryan was booked into the Lane County Jail at 1:101 a.m.
********And he was such a cute little kid!!!
“Ratched” Is Netflix’s Most Popular Show
Netflix announced on Friday that original series Ratched, starring Sarah Paulson, was the streaming service’s biggest original Season 1 of the year. “In its first 28 days, 48 million members have booked an appointment with Nurse Ratched, making it our biggest original Season 1 of the year,” Netflix said on Twitter alongside a photo of Paulson in character. Executive producer Ryan Murphy, who has also worked with Paulson on American Horror Story and American Crime Story, posted on Twitter an image touting the 48 million viewers in 28 days. Ratched is based on the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey that was adapted into a 1975 film starring Louise Fletcher as Nurse Ratched. Fletcher had lobotomized Jack Nicholson in the film.
********Lobotomizing Jack Nicholson didn’t take too long, as we remember!!
*****The new series shows what led up to her being a psycho!! Turns out it all started with a subscription to “Cosmo!!”
****She now has a show on MSNBC, where she lobotomizes the entire nation!!
Kourtney Kardashian Supports Kanye West
Kourtney Kardashian received some backlash this week after she publicly supported brother-in-law Kanye West’s presidential campaign by sporting a “Vote Kanye” ball cap. She shared the image Thursday in conjunction with a Poosh blog post on her website about stylish “voter merch,” which included two of West’s fashion pieces that retail on the site for $40. Many on social media took exception to Kardashian lobbying for Kanye, whose name appears on ballots in 12 states for the upcoming Nov. 3 presidential election. “This is so embarrassing @kourtneykardash,” social media star Tyler Oakley wrote alongside a screenshot of the IG Story. “Support progressive democrats down ballot, especially in swing states!!” Meanwhile, others slammed her for being “irresponsible” in her promotion of West given the large platform. “Omg that is absolutely atrocious. I’m appalled. Even if it is a joke she has MILLIONSSS of followers,” tweeted lifestyle and beauty YouTube star Nicol Concilio, adding in a follow-up tweet, “Also has she even said a damn thing about the election at all?? I really can’t believe this s—t.”
******Even Hunter Biden was offended!! He put down his crack pipe and tweeted: “Outrageous!!”
******Who do you wanna vote for? A bipolar rapper, a geriatric dementia patient or an orange narcissistic megalomaniac?? ‘Cause that’s your choice at this point!!
*******You gotta love the people who think it’s “immoral” not to agree with them!! They’re so young!!
R Kelly Beat Up In Prison
A video of R. Kelly being punched by another inmate in jail shows that not one guard “raised a finger” to help him until the attack was well underway, his lawyers claim in a new court filing. Kelly, who was being held in Chicago’s Metropolitan Correctional Center on federal sex abuse charges, was assaulted in August by Jeremiah Farmer, who had punched the singer repeatedly to get media attention for himself. The assault left Kelly with “significant physical and psychological injuries,” the filing said. His lawyers have not released the video. A guard, identified by center officials as “D. Szyhowski,” ordered Farmer to stop beating Kelly and sprayed Farmer with pepper spray, CNN reported, citing a Bureau of Prison report. In their filing Friday, Kelly’s attorneys wrote that Farmer “roamed a great distance within the MCC before carrying out that act, without any opposition. He is facing federal and state charges in Illinois, including child pornography and aggravated criminal sexual abuse, and federal charges in New York, including racketeering and sex trafficking. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
*****One way or the other, he’s being punished!!
*****If he believes he can fly, now would be a good time!!!
Matthew McConaughey Opens Up About Father’s Death
Matthew McConaughey is gearing up for the release of his new memoir, “Greenlights.” In it he opens up about his family history, revealing in an excerpt featured in his People cover story that his beloved father, James Donald McConaughey, died just how he knew he always would; in bed with wife, Kay. “I got a call from my Mom. ‘Your dad died.’ My knees buckled. I couldn’t believe it. He was my dad. Nobody or nothing could kill him. Except mom. He’d always told me and my brothers, ‘Boys, when I go, I’m gonna be makin’ love to your mother.’ And that’s what happened. He had a heart attack when he climaxed.” He died in 1992. He and Kay had an on-again, off-again relationship, marrying each other three separate times. Matthew was conceived shortly after their third wedding. “They were, at times, violent,” he told People. “As I say in the book, that is how they communicated. They were divorced twice, married three times, I mean, yeah, it was like the Pacific Ocean in a storm.” Earlier this year, he attempted to hook-up his widowed mother, 88, with Hugh Grant’s widowed father, 91-year-old James Grant.
********We get it. The whole damned family is nutz!!!
*******Now the naked bongo playing make sense!!!!
*******His father was coming before he was going????
Kelly Clarkson Mistaken For Carrie Underwood
An “American Idol” fan had her winners confused when they mistook Season 1 winner Kelly Clarkson for Season 4 title holder, Carrie Underwood. Clarkson recently revealed that a fan once confused her with the country star, despite them looking nothing alike. “This girl came up to me and was like, ‘Oh my god, your song ‘So Small’ is one of my favorites,’” Clarkson said during Friday’s episode of her talk show. “And I kept thinking, ‘I don’t have a song “So Small.” ‘And then she said another song and I was like, ‘Oh, you think I’m Carrie Underwood.’ ” “And I literally look nothing like Carrie Underwood,” she continued. “I was so embarrassed for her that I just…She was like, ‘Can you sign this?’ And I totally signed ‘Carrie Underwood.’ I think that might be illegal!” Clarkson previously opened up about being confused for Underwood in 2016. “People come up to me all the time,” she said on Z100’s Elvis Duran and The Morning Show. “Okay, we look nothing alike, we sound nothing alike, there’s nothing about us that’s similar, really, except we were both on ‘Idol.’ People are always like, ‘I love your song, “So Small,” and I’m like, ‘Thank you. Thank you, I think you’re thinking I’m Carrie Underwood.’ It always happens!”
*********This just means there are quite few blind people in this country!!
*****Kelly’s song is called “Jesus, Take My Love Handles!!!”
Ripping The Tabloids (Throughout the week, we’ll give you the stories from that weeks tabs!)
**Please Credit Publication!
Jen Garner Losing Sleep Over Breakup!-(National Enquirer)
Stressed-out Jennifer Garner can’t seem to get enough shut-eye! The actress has long been battling a chronic case of insomnia, according to sources. “It comes and goes depending on the pressures in her life,” spilled an insider. Sources said Jen’s problem spiked during her separation and 2018 divorce from booze-challenged actor Ben Affleck. Now, the insider spilled, “It’s back in a big way.” Weary Jen, 47, is juggling being a single mom to her kids with Ben-Violet, 13, Seraphina, 10, and Samuel, 7-plus her rocky romance with burger baron John Miller, insiders say. Now she’s trying any route she can to reach dreamland. “She’s exercising in the middle of the night, trying yoga to meditative music, and has cut back on the caffeine,” revealed the insider. But the insider says: “She’s still struggling.”
Bust-Ups, Babies & More!-(Globe)
Sex and the City star Chris Noth, 64, and his wife, Tara Lynn Wilson, 37, are expecting a second son, who will join Orion, 11.
Today host Carson Daly, 46, and wife Siri, 38, are expecting their fourth baby this spring.
The Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kenya Moore and hubby Marc Daly are calling it quits after just two years of marriage. Their daughter, Brooklyn, was born less than a year ago.
Britney & Sam: “Stronger” Than Ever-(Us Weekly)
Britney Spears and Sam Asghari are #FitnessCoupleGoals. Since the start of their romance in 2016, the pair have made it a point to motivate each other to work out-even when they’re too busy. “We try to support each other as best we can,” the personal trainer, 25, said in L.A. on Sept. 20. Adding that they always “stay on top of” their sweat sessions. We believe it.
Carrie’s Panic Attack S.O.S!-(Star)
Friends and family are crossing their fingers that country superstar Carrie Underwood is getting a handle on her workaholic ways and the panic attacks that come with it. “But now she’s starting to recognize the warning signs and is taking better care of herself.” That includes deep breathing exercises, getting outdoors and whipping up natural remedies with lavender and chamomile she’s growing in her herb garden.
Gwen: Leaving The Voice-(Life & Style)
Gwen Stefani was more than happy to fill in for Adam Levin after he left The Voice last season, but according to an insider, the 50-year-old singer is already plotting her own sweet escape! “Gwen won’t be returning next year,” the insider reveals. “Producers are working on finding someone to take her place.” Although fellow coaches John Legend and Kelly Clarkson will No Doubt miss the Hollaback Girl, “they’re excited to welcome a new face” to the singing competition, the insider notes. “Plus, Gwen will still stop by the set” to visit boyfriend Blake Shelton!
One Last Thing: Kal Penn-(People)
The actor, 42, stars in the new NBC comedy Sunnyside.
Last guilty pleasure-
I love tacos. There’s a hole-in-the-wall place in L.A. called Los Tacos open 24/7. After a rough day, a taco makes me happy.
Last time I faced my fears-
John Cho and I went up in propeller planes to promote Harold & Kumar. A pilot sits behind you and you dogfight. Humans don’t need to be upside down going that fast in the sky.
Last time I was recognized-
I was walking down the street, and somebody said, “Hey, you make me laugh.” The world is kind of polarizing right now, and I didn’t know this guy or his beliefs, and it doesn’t matter. I gave him a high five. It was really nice.
Loser of the Week-(In Touch)
Placido Domingo
The famous tenor steps down from the Met Opera amid sexual harassment allegations (which he’s denied).
STUPID NEWS
Antique Booze Found Hidden In House
Old homes usually have a couple of secrets hiding behind their walls, but they’re usually not this boozy. A couple in upstate New York made what they call a “wild discovery” when they uncovered what appears to be an old bootlegger’s supply hidden in the walls of their house. They also say that, upon further inspection, they’ve found hidden compartments with more bottles dating back to the 1920s stashed away. Nick Drummond, who owns the house with his partner Patrick in Ames, N.Y., spoke with Fox News, confirming that so far, “it’s about 60 bottles actually, and there are more compartments we have to open in the floor. I definitely think there is more to find! Maybe 30% of the bottles are full.” According to him, they had previously heard stories about the house. “We were actually told by a neighbor that the home was rumored to have been built by a bootlegger and a German baron,” he said, “and found the story endearing, but took it with a grain of salt. We never thought any part of the story was actually true!”
********Take THAT, Jack Daniels!!!
******The local police sent Captain Morgan over to check it out!!!
*******They offered a bottle to Bill Clinton, and he said “I don’t relax with anything over 12!!!”
Bacon Scented Face Mask
A U.S. company is offering fans of breakfast meats the chance to enjoy the scent of sizzling pork anytime they want with a bacon-scented face mask. Hormel said the Black Label Breathable Bacon mask uses the “the latest in bacon-smell technology” to give the wearer the experience of smelling bacon anytime they don the COVID-19 protection accessory. Bacon fans can register to win a bacon-scented mask until Oct. 28 at breathablebacon.com. “Hormel Black Label Breathable Bacon is bacon-scented for an irresistibly breathable, heavenly aroma that you can keep all to yourself,” the website states. Hormel said the company will donate one meal to Feeding America for every contest entry, up to 10,000. See the video HERE.
******You can get the same effect by shoving bacon bits up your nostrils!!
*******If this works, we’ll soon see a bacon cheeseburger face mask!!
******If you wear it, your dog will be 90$ more likely to lick your face!!!
Giant Pumpkin
A 2,350-pound pumpkin called “The Tiger King” has been named the winning pumpkin in a competition. Travis Gienger, of Minnesota, who grew the pumpkin, told CNN he felt honored to win after decided to enter the contest in Northern California since it’s known as the “Super Bowl of Pumpkins.” He took home $16,450 in winnings for first prize in the pumpkin growing competition, or $7 per pound by the “pay-by-the-pound” system. Gienger added that he named the winning pumpkin after the Netflix series, Tiger King, because he noticed it might have striped coloring. “It was kind of funny deciding the name for this little, little pumpkin at the time,” he said. “I noticed that it might be orange and white stripes and my brother goes. ‘Oh it’s 2020. We should name him Tiger King.’ And I thought that’s great!” “The Tiger King” also set a record for the heaviest grown pumpkin in North America this year, according to contest officials. The current world record pumpkin is 2,624 pounds. Mathias Wilemijns of Belgium set the record on October 9, 2016 at the Giant Pumpkin European Championship in Ludwigsburg, Germany.
********How does a pumpkin get that big??? Lots of pizza and milkshakes!!
*******You’ll need an acetylene torch to turn it into a Jack-O-Lantern!!
*******If you put this one on your porch… it IS your porch!!
Flaming Zamboni
An ice-making machine burst into flames on an ice rink in New York while the driver rode it. The incident occurred Wednesday during a youth hockey practice, according to sources, while a driver was using the machine to clean an ice rink at Bill Gray’s Regional Iceplex in Rochester. Rochester Fire Department Lt. Ryan Fleming said no one was hurt, including the driver who continued driving the machine off the rink to a maintenance area while it was on fire and a couple of youth hockey players who were on the rink at the time. The incident, which has over half a million views on social media, was sparked by leaking hydraulic fluid that came into contact with hot components of the vehicle’s underside, according to multiple reports. Fleming said the driver put out the fire after he got to the maintenance area. See the video HERE.
********It’s kind of a “reverse Zamboni!!!”
******they were like, “Dude, your Zamboni is on fire!!” “I know, I gotta go to the doctor!!”
STUFF THAT’S COOL AND VIRAL
VIDEO: STEP BROTHERS DEEP FAKE WITH ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER AND SYLVESTER STALLONE.
VIDEO: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST “MASK” PARODY.
A LIST FOR MONDAY
How To Fix Your Credit Score If It Got Dinged During The Pandemic
Huffington Post
- Talk to your lenders about your situation.
If you have a loan bill coming up and you don’t think you will be able to pay it in full, it’s a good idea to contact your bank or creditor as soon as possible to make them aware of your situation, according to Tom Quinn, vice president of FICO Scores.
“Your lender will likely have procedures in place to work with customers impacted by this unique health emergency,” he said. “In fact, several federal and state regulators have already issued guidance to lenders encouraging financial institutions to work constructively with affected consumers, small business owners and communities.”
For example, your lender may work with you to increase your available credit, set up a deferred payment plan or temporarily place the loan in forbearance. Quinn noted that the act of having your loan payments deferred or put in forbearance does not negatively impact your FICO score.
- Double-check that payment plans are reported correctly.
You can still run into issues regarding how the lender reports your revised payment plan to the credit bureaus. A prime example is federal student loan borrowers who recently had their deferred loans incorrectly reported as past due, harming their credit.
“You may want to also check with your lender on how they intend to report these fields while the account is in forbearance or a deferred payment plan,” Quinn said. For example, does your lender intend to report the payment status of your account as “current” (i.e. paid as agreed) during the forbearance period? “Each lender is likely to have their own unique policies, so if you have loans from different financial institutions, you may want to contact each of them to cover all of your bases,” said Quinn.
Once you’ve confirmed how your lenders plan to report your loan status, check that the credit bureaus are correctly indicating that information on your reports. You can pull your credit reports from the three major credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion) by visiting AnnualCreditReport.com. This is the only website that’s federally authorized to provide all three reports for free once a year.
And keep in mind that even if you do work out a payment plan with your lender, any prior history of missed payments will still show up on your reports and negatively affect your credit for a while.
- Review your credit reports for other errors.
While you’re in the process of reviewing your credit reports, it doesn’t hurt to check for any other issues on how your information is being reported by the credit bureaus.
“Not all creditors report to all three bureaus, so you’ll want to know what information is being reported and to which bureau, because scores can change drastically,” Tayne said.
Look for mistakes concerning your personal information (such as name or Social Security number), account status, balance, credit inquiries, etc.
“Erroneous information on your credit reports could be hurting your score at no fault of your own,” Tayne said. If you find any inaccurate information on your reports, contact your credit card company, loan servicer or lender and inquire about where that information is coming from. You can also file a dispute with each credit bureau through their website.
- Don’t miss a payment (if you can help it).
If you have to skip a cell phone payment to put food on the table, it won’t be the end of the world. But do know that missing payments on bills is one of the fastest ways to kill your credit.
“The first and most important factor in your credit scores is your payment history,” said Christina Lucey, director of product and financial advocate at Credit Karma. In fact, payment history makes up about 35% of your score. “Even one missed payment can hurt your credit score, so do everything you can to not miss a payment entirely,” Lucy said.
And when it comes to credit cards, making only the minimum payment should be a last resort, as you’ll find yourself accruing costly interest.
- Don’t close any credit cards (even if you’re not using them).
Lucey said that many people incorrectly assume they should close a card if it’s finally paid off or never used. While it may seem responsible to close credit cards you no longer use, that might actually damage your credit.
That’s because the amount of debt you owe in relation to the amount of available credit you have (also known as your credit utilization ratio) makes up another 30% of your score. The more credit you’re using up, the more it can harm your score. So if you have outstanding debt, closing a card wipes away some of your available credit while the amounts owed remain the same, driving up your utilization.
If you’re concerned about keeping a card with an expensive annual fee, Lucey said you can call your card issuer and ask them to downgrade it to one without fees while still maintaining your credit line and associated payment history.
- Lower your credit utilization.
Speaking of credit utilization, any steps you can take to decrease your outstanding debt will go a long way toward improving your credit. “Decreasing your credit utilization can be one of the fastest ways to improve your credit score,” said Tony Wahl, director of operations for Credit Sesame.
The general rule of thumb is that you should aim for a utilization ratio of under 30%. That goes for individual cards as well as your total outstanding balances. “It’s even better if you can keep it under 10%,” Wahl said.
However, those percentages are guidelines and not hard and fast rules. Just try to keep your utilization as low as possible.
- Pay off a small debt every month.
Taking steps like talking to your creditors and watching out for credit reporting mistakes are great offense. However, you can also add defense to your plan by paying off a small debt each month, according to Tiffany Aliche, a financial educator and founder of The Budgetnista.
“Your credit score is like the GPA you got in high school,” she said. “It’s an average of your grade.” So if you’re behind on a few bills and have missed payments, those are all Fs on your record that need to be offset with As, she explained. If your credit cards are paid off, one of the best ways to chip away at the unpaid bills is by putting the smallest one on a card each month (think Netflix) and then immediately paying it off.
“The amount doesn’t matter ― it’s the habit,” Aliche said. “Paying on time and in full is like getting an A+ every month.”
- Take out a credit-builder loan, which doesn’t actually involve borrowing money.
Another way to add “As” to your credit report card is by taking out a credit-builder loan, which are offered by many credit unions. Not only will this add more positive payment history to your name, it will help diversify your credit mix.
Creditors like to see a variety of credit types in your history. If you have a credit card, which is considered revolving debt, that’s great. But you can boost your score by taking on an installment loan, which means you borrow one lump sum and pay it back in fixed payments until the debt is gone.
“What’s so great about a credit-builder loan is that you’re not actually borrowing the money,” Aliche said. Rather than giving you the funds, the credit union places that money into a savings account. You then pay back the “loan” in monthly installments over about 12 months. At the end of the term, you get all your money back. All the credit bureaus see is that you made 12 on-time payments and then paid off the account in full ― an A+.
- Ask to be added as an authorized user.
Finally, if you want to build up a positive payment history but don’t want to take on any unnecessary debt right now, you can ask a friend or family member to add you as an authorized user on their credit card.
The best part about becoming an authorized user is that you don’t even need access to the card to reap the benefits. “If they have a great payment history and have had the card for several years, you could benefit from that credit history which will help improve your score,” Wahl said.
However, it goes both ways: If the primary cardholder misses payments, it could damage your score, too. And don’t expect authorized user status to send your credit score skyrocketing; it’s simply a way to give your credit a little boost along with all the other steps you’re taking to build good credit.
The preceding material was compiled and edited by Brandon Castillo. The Editor-In-Chief is Gary Bryan. The Radio Genius Show Prep Service is licensed for use on-air only by subscribing radio stations. Other means of redistribution is forbidden.
© 2020 – Radio Genius Show Prep