The play for when you've been declined three times in a row.

Three declines in a short window does something to your head — and to your credit file. Here's what's actually happening, and how to stop the spiral before the fourth one.

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The play for building credit from zero in 90 days.

A specific, sequenced 90-day plan for someone with no credit file at all. What to open in week one, what to set up by day thirty, what to expect by month three.

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The play for getting your rent on your credit report.

Three services, two free, one worth paying for. Which one fits your situation, and exactly how to set it up. Most people who could do this never do.

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The play for disputing an error you didn't put there.

Wrong account on your file? Late payment that wasn't yours? Identity mix-up with a relative? The dispute process is free, the bureaus have 30 days, and the law is on your side.

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The play for choosing a secured card without getting fleeced.

The good ones charge nothing in fees. The bad ones charge $99 annually on a $300 limit. Here's what to look for, what to avoid, and the four cards we actually recommend.

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The play for when "credit repair" companies call you.

They charge $99 a month for work you can do yourself in an afternoon. Sometimes worse — they file frivolous disputes that make things harder later. Why we say skip them, every time.

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The play for understanding why you got declined when you had cash in the bank.

Two hundred grand in savings shouldn't get you turned down for a $5,000 loan. But it does, all the time. Here's why the system can't see what's in your account — and what to do about it.

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The play for the parent helping a kid build credit before they need it.

Authorized user status is the closest thing to free credit history that exists. The age requirements, the risks to your own score, and how to do it without it backfiring on either of you.

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More plays
Every Tuesday. One new play.

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