All posts by Michael Delgado

Today, Experian operates across a number of different industry sectors known as Verticals. The US Automotive sector is a trillion dollar industry. Experian Automotive provides services to every part of the industry; manufacturers, lenders and dealers. In this film, we take a look at how our data can enable car dealerships to identify new customers and match them up with the right vehicle that they can afford.

Why is Experian so vital to economic life? This film explores the role our Brazilian Credit Services business has played in a rapidly growing economy, and looks at the impact we’re having on businesses and consumers in Australia with the introduction of Positive Data.

A glimpse at average debt in the largest metropolitan areas …   View interactive map: Experian's Fourth Annual State of Credit Report

A glimpse at credit scores in the largest metropolitan areas ... View our interactive map: Experian’s Fourth Annual State of Credit Reportf Credit, 2013

Do you want to buy gifts for friends and family this holiday season? Check out these great holiday shopping tips from some of our favorite personal finance writers:

1. Think experience over tangible items

Stay sane. I’m not kidding. It’s so easy to lose control and get wrapped up in the feeling of needing everything. Back up and question each purchase. Especially gifts. By March, very few people even remember what they got in December - so is it worth overspending for? Think experience over tangible items. If you’re going to drop some cash, do a party or a trip. That’s what people recall and often value. Right now I’m big into Groupon. I love the goods and getaways Amazing deals! Erica Sandberg is one of the nation’s foremost personal finance authorities. She is editor at large for the Bankrate Inc.‘s subsidiary Credit Card Guide and a columnist and reporter for CreditCards.com

The Fourth Annual State of Credit report is Experian’s comprehensive look at nationwide data to determine how four different generations are managing their debts by analyzing their credit scores, the number of credit cards they have, how much they are spending on those cards and the occurrence of late payments. Additionally, credit scores were examined in Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) to provide the 10 highest and 10 lowest credit scores in each generation across the nation. The study creates an opportunity for consumers to better understand how credit works so they can make informed financial decisions and live credit smart even in the face of national economic challenges. Check out the full infographic.

This guest post is from Rod Ebrahimi, CEO of ReadyForZero

At ReadyForZero, our focus has always been on helping people pay off debt and take control of their finances so they can begin building wealth. It’s a mission that has inspired us since our very first user. We started out very small, when I helped my girlfriend make a spreadsheet to organize her student loans. After that, my co-founder Ignacio Thayer and I realized that many of our friends and loved ones had debt. We decided it was our challenge to create a tool that would help them. Focusing on this mission has helped us create the best debt management tool in the industry. Our users are regular people all across the U.S. who are tired of being burdened by their debt and ready to become debt free.

This guest post is from Benjamin Feldman (@BWFeldman), writer and content strategist at ReadyForZero.com, a company helping people get out of debt.

Is personal debt an impossible problem to fix? No way! Thousands - actually, millions - of people across the U.S. are struggling with personal debt right now, but the situation is not hopeless for any of them. I know, because just last year I was one of them. In January of last year, I had over $3,000 in credit card debt and a vowed to get it paid off before the year was over. I’m grateful that I was able to accomplish my goal and along the way I learned a few things that can help others who are still on their way to being debt free. If that includes you, keep reading to learn the 5 steps that will help you get out of debt:

Summer officially arrives on June 21. The busiest travel season of the year is on the horizon, and freecreditscore.com™ wants to help travelers mitigate post-vacation credit debt that can impact their credit long after a vacation ends. Here are five tips to avoid the pitfalls of a post-vacation credit sunburn: