Articles
Tax Credits for Wisconsin Families
Low and moderate income Wisconsin residents can take advantage of a variety of tax credits. These credits can bring thousands of extra dollars to individuals and families, but an estimated 20% of people who are eligible for these tax credits do not claim them every year. Here’s a breakdown by state. These credits include the […]
Check Your Free Credit Report for Signs of Fraud and Identity Theft
In 2022, there were over 20,000 reports to the Federal Trade Commission from Wisconsin residents. The top complaints involved fraud, most often related to imposter scams, identity theft, credit bureaus and financial services, and online shopping. Reports of fraud have increased over recent years as scammers used the pandemic to come up with new ways […]
Tools to Cope with the Financial Impact of COVID-19
COVID-19 has impacted our lives in many ways. View and download the Tools to Cope with the Financial Impact of COVID-19 guide. Find more answers to Frequently Asked Questions about financial resources on our webpage.
2023 Tax Credits: Get the Credit You Deserve
Tax time is upon us. View this chart about tax credits to learn about tax credits available to Wisconsin families.
Check Your Free Credit Report
By law, everybody can obtain free credit reports each week at annualcreditreport.com. The information in your credit report affects your life in important ways—your ability to get a loan, how much you pay for credit and insurance, securing a job, renting a house or apartment, and preventing identity theft. It is important to check your […]
Credit Report vs Credit Score
Many people use the terms “credit report” and “credit score” interchangeably, but they are not the same. Your credit report is a detailed account of your credit history, while your credit score is a three-digit number signifying your credit-worthiness. You are entitled to three free credit reports per year, but you generally have to pay to view your score.
Order Your Free Credit Report
By law, you are entitled to three free credit reports every 12 months–one each from the three credit reporting bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
Read Your Credit Report
Information in Your Report Video Introduction to a Credit Report Sample Reports Identifying Potential Errors Dealing with Errors Monitoring Negative Information Information in Your Report Once you order a credit report from one of the three agencies, your report will appear on screen. We recommend printing your report (it might be long!) and saving it […]
Fix Errors on Your Credit Report
The credit bureaus maintain tens of millions of reports, so they cannot verify the accuracy of the information in everybody’s reports. Fortunately, there are ways to identify and dispute errors in your credit report.
Money As You Grow – Resources for Educators
Many libraries and youth programs across the United States are using books from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s “Money as You Grow” Bookshelf for their children’s reading programs. Free resources to support your local program can be found on the CFPB’s website. UW-Madison Division of Extension also has materials around children and money created especially […]
