| | | | Dear Reader, | As the Fed meets January 27–28, markets are expecting a pause—and that matters because it keeps borrowing conditions tight for households. The Fed's own schedule shows the timing clearly in the official meeting calendar. | Inflation also remains high enough to keep lenders cautious. On January 13, the latest CPI summary showed prices up 2.7% over the past 12 months, with core inflation up 2.6%. For everyday borrowers, that's the backdrop: credit is still priced aggressively, and your score is part of the math. |
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| | | | | WARNING: $7 TRILLION Event Imminent. Most Americans Unprepared | | This isn't a boom where everyone wins. It's a transfer from one group to another—like railroads (1800s) and internet (1990s). Louis Navellier, who spent 46 yrs on Wall St., built the grading system institutions paid $24,000/yr for him to evaluate stocks with. Now, his system shows exactly where the $7 trillion is flowing. And it's not AI. | |
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| | | | | Why This Matters | Credit scoring isn't a reward for being "responsible." It's a rules-based model that reacts to snapshots—sometimes in ways that feel disconnected from real life. | That's why someone can pay on time and still see big swings: a balance reported at the wrong moment, one card running hot, or an old account being closed. With the average APR on new card offers at 23.79% this month, even a temporary dip can show up in real dollars. |
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| | | | | Where Things Stand | Tripwire #1: Statement timing beats payment timing. Most issuers report balances shortly after the end of the billing cycle, not after you pay the bill. So a high statement balance can dent your score—even if you pay in full days later. | Tripwire #2: One maxed card can drag the whole score. Utilization is both "total" and "per card." And because amounts owed drive about 30% of a typical FICO score, a single near-limit card can read as stress. | Tripwire #3: Closing an old card can raise utilization overnight. If you cut available credit, your utilization ratio rises automatically. The CFPB notes that closing a credit card can hurt scores depending on your profile. | A simple monthly routine for stability: | Pay balances down before the statement closes. Keep any single card well below its limit. Put autopay on at least the minimum. Keep your oldest no-fee card open if it's well-managed. If you're applying for a loan soon, keep usage extra low for 60–90 days.
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| | | | | The Patriot Perspective | The credit system rewards consistency and low reported balances—not good intentions. In a high-rate environment, stability is a form of savings: fewer score surprises means fewer "penalty prices" when it matters most. | Stay steady,
Kenneth Boyd
Author, Finance Writer, Former Investment Advisor & CPA |
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