{"id":6420,"date":"2026-07-08T18:52:13","date_gmt":"2026-07-08T18:52:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/?page_id=6420"},"modified":"2026-07-08T20:24:24","modified_gmt":"2026-07-08T20:24:24","slug":"understanding-credit-and-debt","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/understanding-credit-and-debt\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding Credit &amp; Debt"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"6420\" class=\"elementor elementor-6420\" data-elementor-post-type=\"page\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-935ae25 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"935ae25\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-fb841b8\" data-id=\"fb841b8\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-deb835a elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"deb835a\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-83fced5\" data-id=\"83fced5\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2d7a710 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"2d7a710\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Understanding Credit &amp; Debt<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-75344b3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"75344b3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Clear, honest answers about credit scores, credit cards, and debt \u2014 so you can make confident decisions.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-67df947\" data-id=\"67df947\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-82eb0da elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"82eb0da\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"304\" height=\"251\" src=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Credit-and-Debt.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-6416\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Credit-and-Debt.png 304w, https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Credit-and-Debt-300x248.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 304px) 100vw, 304px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-f84fdb6 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"f84fdb6\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-bdee80a\" data-id=\"bdee80a\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-1117f1a elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"1117f1a\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-031e94d\" data-id=\"031e94d\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-39c31fd elementor-widget-mobile__width-inherit elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"39c31fd\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Credit and debt are where a lot of financial stress quietly lives \u2014 and where misinformation runs rampant. Why is your score dropping? How much credit card debt is too much? How long will it actually take to pay off a balance? The answers matter, because understanding how these systems work is the first step to taking control of them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These guides break down credit and debt in plain language, with no judgment and no jargon \u2014 written and reviewed by our credentialed experts to give you information you can actually trust.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>And when the issue runs deeper than the numbers \u2014 when debt has become a weight you can&#8217;t seem to move \u2014 that&#8217;s exactly the kind of challenge Beyond Finance was built to help with.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Explore our credit and debt library to understand exactly where you stand and what to do next \u2026<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-85f467b\" data-id=\"85f467b\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-729511f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"729511f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3>Start With These Guides:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/why-is-my-credit-score-going-down\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why Is My Credit Score Going Down? Here&#8217;s What&#8217;s Actually Happening<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/4-common-debt-consolidation-mistakes-and-how-to-avoid-them\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4 Common Debt Consolidation Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/how-long-does-debt-consolidation-really-take\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How Long Does Debt Consolidation Really Take?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/know-your-rights-when-dealing-with-debt-collectors\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Know your Rights When Dealing with Debt Collectors<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-546caf8 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"546caf8\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-2973a41\" data-id=\"2973a41\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-53b49a2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-shortcode\" data-id=\"53b49a2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"shortcode.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-shortcode\"><!-- [element-6425] --><style>.kt-post-loop6425_933957-69 .kadence-post-image{padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.kt-post-loop6425_933957-69.kb-filter-enabled .kt-post-grid-layout-grid-wrap .kt-post-masonry-item{padding-left:20px;padding-right:20px;}.kt-post-loop6425_933957-69 .kt-post-grid-layout-masonry-wrap{margin-left:-20px;margin-right:-20px;}.kt-post-loop6425_933957-69.kb-filter-enabled .kt-post-grid-layout-grid-wrap .kt-post-masonry-item{padding-bottom:40px;}.kt-post-loop6425_933957-69 .kt-post-grid-wrap{gap:40px 40px;}.kt-post-loop6425_933957-69 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data-columns-md=\"2\" data-columns-sm=\"2\" data-columns-xs=\"1\" data-columns-ss=\"1\"data-item-selector=\".kt-post-masonry-item\" aria-label=\"Post Carousel\"><article class=\"kt-blocks-post-grid-item\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-grid-item-inner-wrap kt-feat-image-align-top kt-feat-image-mobile-align-top\"><div class=\"kadence-post-image\"><div class=\"kadence-post-image-intrisic kt-image-ratio-66-67\" style=\"padding-bottom:66.67%;\"><div class=\"kadence-post-image-inner-intrisic\"><a aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\" role=\"presentation\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/debt-payoff-calculator\/\" aria-label=\"Debt Payoff Calculator: See Your Timeline and Total Cost\" class=\"kadence-post-image-inner-wrap\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"575\" src=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Debt_Payoff_Calculator-1024x575.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Debt_Payoff_Calculator-1024x575.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Debt_Payoff_Calculator-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Debt_Payoff_Calculator-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Debt_Payoff_Calculator.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-grid-item-inner\"><header><h2 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/debt-payoff-calculator\/\">Debt Payoff Calculator: See Your Timeline and Total Cost<\/a><\/h2><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-top-meta\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-date\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-date-pretext\">Posted on <\/span><time datetime=\"2026-09-15T22:28:36+00:00\" class=\"kt-blocks-post-date\">September 15, 2026<\/time><\/div><div class=\"kt-blocks-meta-divider kt-blocks-meta-has-divider\">&#183;<\/div><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-author\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-author-pretext\">By <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/author\/smartin\/\" class=\"kt-blocks-post-author-link fn\">Stella Martin<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/header><div class=\"entry-content\">Enter your balance, interest rate, and what you pay each month to see your payoff timeline, total interest, and payoff date. Fill in both a set payment and a minimum-payment method and it&#8217;ll show you the two side by side \u2014 including how many years and how much interest the difference is worth. For multiple cards, it compares avalanche against snowball and shows the order each card clears.<div class=\"kt-blocks-post-readmore-wrap\"><a class=\"kt-blocks-post-readmore\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/debt-payoff-calculator\/\">Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> Debt Payoff Calculator: See Your Timeline and Total Cost<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><footer class=\"kt-blocks-post-footer\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-footer-left\"><\/div><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-footer-right\"><\/div><\/footer><\/div><\/div><\/article><article class=\"kt-blocks-post-grid-item\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-grid-item-inner-wrap kt-feat-image-align-top kt-feat-image-mobile-align-top\"><div class=\"kadence-post-image\"><div class=\"kadence-post-image-intrisic kt-image-ratio-66-67\" style=\"padding-bottom:66.67%;\"><div class=\"kadence-post-image-inner-intrisic\"><a aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\" role=\"presentation\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/credit-utilization-calculator\/\" aria-label=\"Credit Utilization Calculator\" class=\"kadence-post-image-inner-wrap\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"575\" src=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Credit-Utilization-Calculator-1024x575.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Credit-Utilization-Calculator-1024x575.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Credit-Utilization-Calculator-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Credit-Utilization-Calculator-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Credit-Utilization-Calculator.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-grid-item-inner\"><header><h2 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/credit-utilization-calculator\/\">Credit Utilization Calculator<\/a><\/h2><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-top-meta\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-date\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-date-pretext\">Posted on <\/span><time datetime=\"2026-09-07T18:36:56+00:00\" class=\"kt-blocks-post-date\">September 7, 2026<\/time><\/div><div class=\"kt-blocks-meta-divider kt-blocks-meta-has-divider\">&#183;<\/div><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-author\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-author-pretext\">By <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/author\/smartin\/\" class=\"kt-blocks-post-author-link fn\">Stella Martin<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/header><div class=\"entry-content\">Enter the balance and limit for each of your cards to see your utilization ratio \u2014 on every card individually and across all of them together. The calculator also tells you exactly what you&#8217;d need to pay down to reach a lower ratio, and flags any card sitting close to its limit, since FICO scores your cards separately as well as your total.<div class=\"kt-blocks-post-readmore-wrap\"><a class=\"kt-blocks-post-readmore\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/credit-utilization-calculator\/\">Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> Credit Utilization Calculator<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><footer class=\"kt-blocks-post-footer\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-footer-left\"><\/div><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-footer-right\"><\/div><\/footer><\/div><\/div><\/article><article class=\"kt-blocks-post-grid-item\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-grid-item-inner-wrap kt-feat-image-align-top kt-feat-image-mobile-align-top\"><div class=\"kadence-post-image\"><div class=\"kadence-post-image-intrisic kt-image-ratio-66-67\" style=\"padding-bottom:66.67%;\"><div class=\"kadence-post-image-inner-intrisic\"><a aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\" role=\"presentation\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/debt-to-income-calculator\/\" aria-label=\"Debt-to-Income Calculator\" class=\"kadence-post-image-inner-wrap\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"575\" src=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Blog_Stella_Artboard-2-1024x575.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Blog_Stella_Artboard-2-1024x575.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Blog_Stella_Artboard-2-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Blog_Stella_Artboard-2-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Blog_Stella_Artboard-2.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-grid-item-inner\"><header><h2 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/debt-to-income-calculator\/\">Debt-to-Income Calculator<\/a><\/h2><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-top-meta\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-date\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-date-pretext\">Posted on <\/span><time datetime=\"2026-09-07T18:30:10+00:00\" class=\"kt-blocks-post-date\">September 7, 2026<\/time><\/div><div class=\"kt-blocks-meta-divider kt-blocks-meta-has-divider\">&#183;<\/div><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-author\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-author-pretext\">By <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/author\/smartin\/\" class=\"kt-blocks-post-author-link fn\">Stella Martin<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/header><div class=\"entry-content\">Enter your income and monthly payments to get your debt-to-income ratio, plus a housing-only figure. You&#8217;ll see where your number sits against the thresholds lenders actually use \u2014 and what it would take to move it.<div class=\"kt-blocks-post-readmore-wrap\"><a class=\"kt-blocks-post-readmore\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/debt-to-income-calculator\/\">Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> Debt-to-Income Calculator<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><footer class=\"kt-blocks-post-footer\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-footer-left\"><\/div><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-footer-right\"><\/div><\/footer><\/div><\/div><\/article><article class=\"kt-blocks-post-grid-item\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-grid-item-inner-wrap kt-feat-image-align-top kt-feat-image-mobile-align-top\"><div class=\"kadence-post-image\"><div class=\"kadence-post-image-intrisic kt-image-ratio-66-67\" style=\"padding-bottom:66.67%;\"><div class=\"kadence-post-image-inner-intrisic\"><a aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\" role=\"presentation\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/what-is-credit-utilization\/\" aria-label=\"What Is Credit Utilization, and Why Does It Matter So Much?\" class=\"kadence-post-image-inner-wrap\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"575\" src=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/what-is-credit-utilization-1024x575.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/what-is-credit-utilization-1024x575.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/what-is-credit-utilization-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/what-is-credit-utilization-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/what-is-credit-utilization-1536x863.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/what-is-credit-utilization.jpg 1552w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-grid-item-inner\"><header><h2 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/what-is-credit-utilization\/\">What Is Credit Utilization, and Why Does It Matter So Much?<\/a><\/h2><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-top-meta\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-date\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-date-pretext\">Posted on <\/span><time datetime=\"2026-08-31T17:35:53+00:00\" class=\"kt-blocks-post-date\">August 31, 2026<\/time><\/div><div class=\"kt-blocks-meta-divider kt-blocks-meta-has-divider\">&#183;<\/div><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-author\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-author-pretext\">By <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/author\/smartin\/\" class=\"kt-blocks-post-author-link fn\">Stella Martin<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/header><div class=\"entry-content\">Credit utilization is the share of your available credit you&#8217;re using, and it&#8217;s the fastest-moving factor in your credit score. Two things most advice gets wrong: FICO scores each card separately as well as your total, and the &#8220;under 30%&#8221; rule isn&#8217;t actually a threshold. Lower is simply better \u2014 though zero isn&#8217;t ideal either.<div class=\"kt-blocks-post-readmore-wrap\"><a class=\"kt-blocks-post-readmore\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/what-is-credit-utilization\/\">Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> What Is Credit Utilization, and Why Does It Matter So Much?<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><footer class=\"kt-blocks-post-footer\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-footer-left\"><\/div><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-footer-right\"><\/div><\/footer><\/div><\/div><\/article><article class=\"kt-blocks-post-grid-item\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-grid-item-inner-wrap kt-feat-image-align-top kt-feat-image-mobile-align-top\"><div class=\"kadence-post-image\"><div class=\"kadence-post-image-intrisic kt-image-ratio-66-67\" style=\"padding-bottom:66.67%;\"><div class=\"kadence-post-image-inner-intrisic\"><a aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\" role=\"presentation\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/debt-to-income-ratio-mortgage\/\" aria-label=\"DTI and Getting a Mortgage: What Lenders Actually Look For\" class=\"kadence-post-image-inner-wrap\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"575\" src=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/DTI-and-getting-a-mortgage-1024x575.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/DTI-and-getting-a-mortgage-1024x575.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/DTI-and-getting-a-mortgage-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/DTI-and-getting-a-mortgage-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/DTI-and-getting-a-mortgage-1536x863.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/DTI-and-getting-a-mortgage.jpg 1552w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-grid-item-inner\"><header><h2 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/debt-to-income-ratio-mortgage\/\">DTI and Getting a Mortgage: What Lenders Actually Look For<\/a><\/h2><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-top-meta\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-date\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-date-pretext\">Posted on <\/span><time datetime=\"2026-08-31T17:35:49+00:00\" class=\"kt-blocks-post-date\">August 31, 2026<\/time><\/div><div class=\"kt-blocks-meta-divider kt-blocks-meta-has-divider\">&#183;<\/div><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-author\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-author-pretext\">By <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/author\/smartin\/\" class=\"kt-blocks-post-author-link fn\">Stella Martin<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/header><div class=\"entry-content\">The debt-to-income ratio a mortgage lender uses isn&#8217;t the one you calculated \u2014 it includes the mortgage you&#8217;re applying for and leaves out what you pay for housing now. A comfortable 34% can become 49% the moment the new payment goes in. Here&#8217;s what the real thresholds are, and how to work out what you can afford.<div class=\"kt-blocks-post-readmore-wrap\"><a class=\"kt-blocks-post-readmore\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/debt-to-income-ratio-mortgage\/\">Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> DTI and Getting a Mortgage: What Lenders Actually Look For<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><footer class=\"kt-blocks-post-footer\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-footer-left\"><\/div><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-footer-right\"><\/div><\/footer><\/div><\/div><\/article><article class=\"kt-blocks-post-grid-item\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-grid-item-inner-wrap kt-feat-image-align-top kt-feat-image-mobile-align-top\"><div class=\"kadence-post-image\"><div class=\"kadence-post-image-intrisic kt-image-ratio-66-67\" style=\"padding-bottom:66.67%;\"><div class=\"kadence-post-image-inner-intrisic\"><a aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\" role=\"presentation\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/how-to-lower-debt-to-income-ratio\/\" aria-label=\"How to Lower Your Debt-to-Income Ratio\" class=\"kadence-post-image-inner-wrap\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"575\" src=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/how-to-lower-your-dti-1024x575.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/how-to-lower-your-dti-1024x575.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/how-to-lower-your-dti-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/how-to-lower-your-dti-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/how-to-lower-your-dti-1536x863.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/how-to-lower-your-dti.jpg 1552w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-grid-item-inner\"><header><h2 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/how-to-lower-debt-to-income-ratio\/\">How to Lower Your Debt-to-Income Ratio<\/a><\/h2><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-top-meta\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-date\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-date-pretext\">Posted on <\/span><time datetime=\"2026-08-31T17:35:45+00:00\" class=\"kt-blocks-post-date\">August 31, 2026<\/time><\/div><div class=\"kt-blocks-meta-divider kt-blocks-meta-has-divider\">&#183;<\/div><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-author\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-author-pretext\">By <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/author\/smartin\/\" class=\"kt-blocks-post-author-link fn\">Stella Martin<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/header><div class=\"entry-content\">There are only two ways to lower your debt-to-income ratio, and which debts you target matters more than how much you pay. Because DTI counts monthly payments rather than balances, clearing a small loan can move your ratio fourteen times as much as putting the same money toward a big credit card.<div class=\"kt-blocks-post-readmore-wrap\"><a class=\"kt-blocks-post-readmore\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/how-to-lower-debt-to-income-ratio\/\">Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> How to Lower Your Debt-to-Income Ratio<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><footer class=\"kt-blocks-post-footer\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-footer-left\"><\/div><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-footer-right\"><\/div><\/footer><\/div><\/div><\/article><article class=\"kt-blocks-post-grid-item\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-grid-item-inner-wrap kt-feat-image-align-top kt-feat-image-mobile-align-top\"><div class=\"kadence-post-image\"><div class=\"kadence-post-image-intrisic kt-image-ratio-66-67\" style=\"padding-bottom:66.67%;\"><div class=\"kadence-post-image-inner-intrisic\"><a aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\" role=\"presentation\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/debt-to-income-ratio\/\" aria-label=\"Debt-to-Income Ratio: What It Is and What&#8217;s Considered Good\" class=\"kadence-post-image-inner-wrap\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"575\" src=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/whats-a-good-debt-to-income-ratio-1024x575.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/whats-a-good-debt-to-income-ratio-1024x575.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/whats-a-good-debt-to-income-ratio-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/whats-a-good-debt-to-income-ratio-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/whats-a-good-debt-to-income-ratio-1536x863.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/whats-a-good-debt-to-income-ratio.jpg 1552w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-grid-item-inner\"><header><h2 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/debt-to-income-ratio\/\">Debt-to-Income Ratio: What It Is and What&#8217;s Considered Good<\/a><\/h2><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-top-meta\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-date\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-date-pretext\">Posted on <\/span><time datetime=\"2026-08-31T17:35:41+00:00\" class=\"kt-blocks-post-date\">August 31, 2026<\/time><\/div><div class=\"kt-blocks-meta-divider kt-blocks-meta-has-divider\">&#183;<\/div><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-author\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-author-pretext\">By <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/author\/smartin\/\" class=\"kt-blocks-post-author-link fn\">Stella Martin<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/header><div class=\"entry-content\">There&#8217;s a number that explains why you can earn a decent living and still feel like you&#8217;re barely getting by. Here&#8217;s how to calculate your debt-to-income ratio, what counts as good \u2014 and why the 43% cutoff you&#8217;ve seen everywhere is out of date.<div class=\"kt-blocks-post-readmore-wrap\"><a class=\"kt-blocks-post-readmore\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/debt-to-income-ratio\/\">Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> Debt-to-Income Ratio: What It Is and What&#8217;s Considered Good<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><footer class=\"kt-blocks-post-footer\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-footer-left\"><\/div><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-footer-right\"><\/div><\/footer><\/div><\/div><\/article><article class=\"kt-blocks-post-grid-item\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-grid-item-inner-wrap kt-feat-image-align-top kt-feat-image-mobile-align-top\"><div class=\"kadence-post-image\"><div class=\"kadence-post-image-intrisic kt-image-ratio-66-67\" style=\"padding-bottom:66.67%;\"><div class=\"kadence-post-image-inner-intrisic\"><a aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\" role=\"presentation\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/emergency-fund-vs-debt-payoff\/\" aria-label=\"Emergency Fund vs. Paying Off Debt: Which Comes First?\" class=\"kadence-post-image-inner-wrap\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/emergency-fund-vs.-debt-payoff-1024x683.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/emergency-fund-vs.-debt-payoff-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/emergency-fund-vs.-debt-payoff-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/emergency-fund-vs.-debt-payoff-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/emergency-fund-vs.-debt-payoff-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/emergency-fund-vs.-debt-payoff-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-grid-item-inner\"><header><h2 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/emergency-fund-vs-debt-payoff\/\">Emergency Fund vs. Paying Off Debt: Which Comes First?<\/a><\/h2><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-top-meta\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-date\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-date-pretext\">Posted on <\/span><time datetime=\"2026-08-25T15:10:17+00:00\" class=\"kt-blocks-post-date\">August 25, 2026<\/time><\/div><div class=\"kt-blocks-meta-divider kt-blocks-meta-has-divider\">&#183;<\/div><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-author\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-author-pretext\">By <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/author\/smartin\/\" class=\"kt-blocks-post-author-link fn\">Stella Martin<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/header><div class=\"entry-content\">You&#8217;ve got a limited amount above your minimum payments, and two things competing for it. Both sides have a real argument, which is why you&#8217;ll find confident answers pointing in opposite directions. Here&#8217;s the sequence most approaches land on, and what it means if neither is possible right now.<div class=\"kt-blocks-post-readmore-wrap\"><a class=\"kt-blocks-post-readmore\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/emergency-fund-vs-debt-payoff\/\">Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> Emergency Fund vs. Paying Off Debt: Which Comes First?<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><footer class=\"kt-blocks-post-footer\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-footer-left\"><\/div><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-footer-right\"><\/div><\/footer><\/div><\/div><\/article><article class=\"kt-blocks-post-grid-item\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-grid-item-inner-wrap kt-feat-image-align-top kt-feat-image-mobile-align-top\"><div class=\"kadence-post-image\"><div class=\"kadence-post-image-intrisic kt-image-ratio-66-67\" style=\"padding-bottom:66.67%;\"><div class=\"kadence-post-image-inner-intrisic\"><a aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\" role=\"presentation\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/minimum-payment-trap\/\" aria-label=\"The Minimum Payment Trap: Why Your Balance Barely Moves\" class=\"kadence-post-image-inner-wrap\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"575\" src=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Minimum-payment-trap-1024x575.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Minimum-payment-trap-1024x575.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Minimum-payment-trap-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Minimum-payment-trap-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Minimum-payment-trap.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-grid-item-inner\"><header><h2 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/minimum-payment-trap\/\">The Minimum Payment Trap: Why Your Balance Barely Moves<\/a><\/h2><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-top-meta\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-date\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-date-pretext\">Posted on <\/span><time datetime=\"2026-08-18T23:12:54+00:00\" class=\"kt-blocks-post-date\">August 18, 2026<\/time><\/div><div class=\"kt-blocks-meta-divider kt-blocks-meta-has-divider\">&#183;<\/div><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-author\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-author-pretext\">By <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/author\/smartin\/\" class=\"kt-blocks-post-author-link fn\">Stella Martin<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/header><div class=\"entry-content\">You pay your credit card every month, and the balance barely moves. That&#8217;s not a discipline problem \u2014 it&#8217;s how the minimum payment is built. Depending on your card&#8217;s terms, $30,000 paid at the minimum takes 18 to 35 years and costs $51,000 to $104,000. Even the best of those is nearly double what you borrowed.<div class=\"kt-blocks-post-readmore-wrap\"><a class=\"kt-blocks-post-readmore\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/minimum-payment-trap\/\">Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> The Minimum Payment Trap: Why Your Balance Barely Moves<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><footer class=\"kt-blocks-post-footer\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-footer-left\"><\/div><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-footer-right\"><\/div><\/footer><\/div><\/div><\/article><article class=\"kt-blocks-post-grid-item\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-grid-item-inner-wrap kt-feat-image-align-top kt-feat-image-mobile-align-top\"><div class=\"kadence-post-image\"><div class=\"kadence-post-image-intrisic kt-image-ratio-66-67\" style=\"padding-bottom:66.67%;\"><div class=\"kadence-post-image-inner-intrisic\"><a aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\" role=\"presentation\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/pay-off-debt-tight-budget\/\" aria-label=\"How to Pay Off Debt on a Tight Budget\" class=\"kadence-post-image-inner-wrap\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"575\" src=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Pay-Off-Debt-Tight-Budget-1024x575.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Pay-Off-Debt-Tight-Budget-1024x575.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Pay-Off-Debt-Tight-Budget-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Pay-Off-Debt-Tight-Budget-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Pay-Off-Debt-Tight-Budget.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-grid-item-inner\"><header><h2 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/pay-off-debt-tight-budget\/\">How to Pay Off Debt on a Tight Budget<\/a><\/h2><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-top-meta\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-date\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-date-pretext\">Posted on <\/span><time datetime=\"2026-08-18T23:12:51+00:00\" class=\"kt-blocks-post-date\">August 18, 2026<\/time><\/div><div class=\"kt-blocks-meta-divider kt-blocks-meta-has-divider\">&#183;<\/div><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-author\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-author-pretext\">By <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/author\/smartin\/\" class=\"kt-blocks-post-author-link fn\">Stella Martin<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/header><div class=\"entry-content\">Most debt advice assumes you have money to work with. &#8220;Pay more than the minimum&#8221; isn&#8217;t useful if your budget is already stretched to the edge. Here&#8217;s the honest version: how to protect your footing first, where to find extra money in small places, how to be strategic with the little you have \u2014 and what it means when the numbers genuinely don&#8217;t work.<div class=\"kt-blocks-post-readmore-wrap\"><a class=\"kt-blocks-post-readmore\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/pay-off-debt-tight-budget\/\">Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> How to Pay Off Debt on a Tight Budget<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><footer class=\"kt-blocks-post-footer\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-footer-left\"><\/div><div class=\"kt-blocks-post-footer-right\"><\/div><\/footer><\/div><\/div><\/article><\/div><div class=\"kt-blocks-page-nav\">\n\t<nav class=\"navigation pagination\" aria-label=\"Posts pagination\">\n\t\t<h2 class=\"screen-reader-text\">Posts pagination<\/h2>\n\t\t<div class=\"nav-links\"><span aria-current=\"page\" class=\"page-numbers current\">1<\/span>\n<a class=\"page-numbers\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6420\/page\/2\/\">2<\/a>\n<a class=\"page-numbers\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6420\/page\/3\/\">3<\/a>\n<a class=\"page-numbers\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6420\/page\/4\/\">4<\/a>\n<span class=\"page-numbers dots\">&hellip;<\/span>\n<a class=\"page-numbers\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6420\/page\/6\/\">6<\/a>\n<a class=\"next page-numbers\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6420\/page\/2\/\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Next Page<\/span><svg style=\"display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kt-blocks-pagination-right-svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 320 512\" height=\"14\" width=\"8\" fill=\"currentColor\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M285.476 272.971L91.132 467.314c-9.373 9.373-24.569 9.373-33.941 0l-22.667-22.667c-9.357-9.357-9.375-24.522-.04-33.901L188.505 256 34.484 101.255c-9.335-9.379-9.317-24.544.04-33.901l22.667-22.667c9.373-9.373 24.569-9.373 33.941 0L285.475 239.03c9.373 9.372 9.373 24.568.001 33.941z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/a><\/div>\n\t<\/nav><\/div><\/div><!-- .wp-block-kadence-postgrid --><!-- [\/element-6425] --><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Understanding Credit &amp; Debt Clear, honest answers about credit scores, credit cards, and debt \u2014 so you can make confident decisions. Credit and debt are where a lot of financial stress quietly lives \u2014 and where misinformation runs rampant. Why is your score dropping? How much credit card debt is too much? How long will&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"hide","_kad_post_layout":"fullwidth","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"unboxed","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"hide","_kad_post_feature":"hide","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-6420","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Understanding Credit &amp; Debt - Beyond Finance<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/understanding-credit-and-debt\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Understanding Credit &amp; Debt - Beyond Finance\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Understanding Credit &amp; Debt Clear, honest answers about credit scores, credit cards, and debt \u2014 so you can make confident decisions. 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