Back in June, I mentioned that lenders were beginning to reduce credit card limits, especially for customers living in areas suffering from the housing crisis, those who are self-employed with businesses in troubled industries, and customers that have large debts. The effects of loose credit became even more evident over the turbulent Summer, and now consumers with good credit are also seeing their credit card limits cut.
According to Carol Kaplan, spokeswoman for the American Bankers Association, "Most banks are cutting their credit limits.
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Sorting through the news lately has been an emotional, stressful experience that has everyone worked up. While it's important to understand how things came to be and the who's who of what's happening now, it's just as worthwhile (and maybe more so) to know how the Wall Street mess affects you and me. Here are some points to consider when trying to make sense of the various moving pieces. 
The fact that a cloud of 
Credit scores are what lenders use to determine the creditworthiness of consumers looking to borrow money. Your score should be on your radar so you can be aware of any issues that have hurt your score and you can begin taking the steps to improve it.
The higher your score, the better interest rates will be offered to you by creditors. 
Making punctual payments on your debts has a huge impact in maintaining (or achieving) a high credit score, and tardy payments can leave a negative dent in your credit. Have you ever been late in making a payment?
Just as there are several companies and agencies capable of generating your credit report, there are many sources that offer credit scoring services. The September issue of 
Best Buy's "featured offer" seems like a no-brainer for buying brand-new electronics — two years with no interest comes across as a great way to buy it now and pay later without punishing interest charges. If you're not turned off by the notion of being accountable for 
Piggybacking is the practice of adding someone with poor or no credit as an authorized user on a credit card belonging to a person with excellent credit. There are two types of piggybacking, one involves strangers and the other involves family members.
The practice of one stranger piggybacking on another stranger's credit has FICO in a rage. 
Checking your credit report is as easy as visiting a website and entering your personal information, and other parties can access your report when a loan or credit is involved. There are two types of credit checks: hard and soft. Do you know the difference? 
Sixty percent of you admitted that you have 
