Articles
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 […]
Wisconsin Earned Income Credit
The Earned Income Credit (EIC) is a tax credit for workers who earn low or moderate incomes. There are two types of Earned Income Credits: a federal credit that is claimed on your federal taxes, and a Wisconsin credit that is claimed on your state taxes. If you qualify for the EIC and file your […]
Federal Earned Income Tax Credit
The Earned Income Credit (EITC) is a tax credit for workers who earn low or moderate incomes. There two types of Earned Income Tax Credits: a federal credit that is claimed on your federal taxes, and a Wisconsin credit that is claimed on your state taxes. If you quality for the EITC and file your […]
Homestead Credit
The Homestead Credit is a state of Wisconsin tax benefit for renters and homeowners with low or moderate incomes. It is designed to lessen the impact of rent and property taxes. People who do not file Wisconsin state income taxes may still be eligible to claim the Homestead Credit. Am I Eligible for the Wisconsin […]
Money $mart in Head Start Newsletters
Sixteen monthly newsletters have been created and reviewed by UW-Madison Division of Extension educators based on evaluations and feedback from previous Head Start financial literacy project participants. Newsletter issues 1-8 are sequential, so that each topic builds on the information in the previous topic. Because many families are enrolled in Head Start for more than […]
