The Credit Show Podcast with Harry Jacobs Your credit report is your adult report card—and on The Credit Show Podcast, Harry Jacobs shows you how to rewrite it. Each episode breaks down real-world credit problems in plain English: collections, charge-offs, late payments, medical debt, student loans, bankruptcy, identity theft, and more. Harry walks you through what actually works with creditors and the credit bureaus, how to avoid the traps that ruin scores, and the simple habits that build…
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Most people who think their credit is protected aren't as protected as they believe. Harry Jacobs explains the critical difference between a fraud alert and a credit freeze — why one is a suggestion lenders can ignore and the other is a full lockdown that stops identity theft cold. Including a real case where a fraud alert failed and a fraudulent credit card was opened anyway — and how a credit…
A collector is calling about a debt from 2011. What they're hoping you don't know could cost you thousands. Harry Jacobs explains zombie debt — old debt past the statute of limitations that collectors can no longer use to sue you, but will still aggressively pursue — and the single most important thing you must never do when they call. Including a real case where a $50 "good faith" payment reset…
"Charged off" sounds like the debt is gone. It isn't. Harry Jacobs breaks down one of the most dangerous misconceptions in consumer credit — what a charge-off actually means, why it often results in two separate derogatory marks on your report for one original account, and what the "re-aging" trick is that some collectors use illegally to extend the damage. Learn the charge-off takedown plan: how…
Good intentions, bad outcomes. Harry Jacobs runs through the five most common credit mistakes he sees from people who are genuinely trying to do the right thing — and explains exactly why each one backfires. Closing old cards to simplify. Cosigning to help a family member. Paying off a credit card without thinking about timing. Applying for too much credit at once. Settling a debt without a…
You've heard it from a friend, a forum, maybe even a financial advisor: you need to carry a balance to build credit. You don't. Harry Jacobs dismantles this expensive myth completely — explaining why the credit bureaus don't see your interest payments, only your behavior, and how you can build and maintain an excellent credit score without owing a dollar to anyone. Including a woman in her 60s…
Cosigning a loan feels like a simple act of generosity. It isn't. Harry Jacobs explains why "lending your name" is the most misleading phrase in personal finance — because when you cosign, you are co-borrowing the debt, with 100% liability and no control over how it gets managed. Every late payment, every default by the primary borrower lands on your credit report with the same force as if you'd…
Good intentions, bad outcomes. Harry Jacobs runs through the five most common credit mistakes he sees from people who are genuinely trying to do the right thing — and explains exactly why each one backfires. Closing old cards to simplify. Cosigning to help a family member. Paying off a credit card without thinking about timing. Applying for too much credit at once. Settling a debt without a…
You've heard it from a friend, a forum, maybe even a financial advisor: you need to carry a balance to build credit. You don't. Harry Jacobs dismantles this expensive myth completely — explaining why the credit bureaus don't see your interest payments, only your behavior, and how you can build and maintain an excellent credit score without owing a dollar to anyone. Including a woman in her 60s…
You bought a new car, made your first payment on time, and your credit score dropped 20 to 30 points anyway. What went wrong? Nothing. Harry Jacobs explains the two-part reason every new auto loan temporarily drops your score — the hard inquiry and the new account impact on your average credit age — and more importantly, why the score almost always fully recovers and surpasses its starting point…
"Let's just see what you qualify for" is one of the most expensive phrases in personal finance. Harry Jacobs explains exactly what happens to your credit score every time a dealership runs your credit — and why casual browsing across multiple lots over several months can cost you a better interest rate when you actually buy. Learn how hard inquiries work, what the FICO rate-shopping buffer really…