If you've got holiday credit card bills lurking in your mail, you might want to get to them quick, considering that some banks are charging late fees of up to 30 percent -- even to those with good credit.

Sure, a low credit score can cost you more when paying off a mortgage, a car loan, or credit cards. But there are other places where the personal cost of bad credit goes beyond simply dollar and cents. It can affect your job, your housing, and even your health. See the aspects of your life where it can do the most damage.

What is your personal net worth? If you don't think it matters much, think again. More than once in our lives we need to look to a lender to borrow money either towards a mortgage, auto loan, or even small business loan. Once of the first things lenders look at is personal net worth and if in turn you are a liability. In this article we've put together a simple diagram to help you estimate your net worth.

A federal lawsuit against Atlanta-based CompuCredit accuses the card issuer of cutting credit lines when customers used their cards at bars, massage parlors, and even to pay for marriage counseling. The company's lawyer calls the practice "commonplace across the industry."

Have you looked at your credit report lately? With identity theft on the rise, it’s important to review it at least annually. Don’t be lured into free credit report scams; go with one of the top mentioned firms in this article and save yourself a headache later on.

Overnight, credit ratings for about one million student loan borrowers plunge 100 points due to an error in reporting by the lender to Equifax. The problem should be cleared up in a few days.