Free From Broke

A Personal Finance Blog for Regular Folks

Kevin Mulligan

The Difference Between a Hard Credit Pull and a Soft Credit Pull

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Your credit score is an incredible tool that can build up your life if used properly and tear it down if abused.

The difference between a great credit score and an okay credit score might be the difference in 0.5% interest on a home or auto loan and thousands of extra dollars of interest paid.

If you’re looking to protect your credit score you need to be aware of the difference between a soft credit pull and a hard credit pull.  One can damage your credit score while the other is mostly harmless.

Do you know the difference?!?

Keep reading and you’ll learn the difference between a soft credit pull and a hard credit pull.  You’ll see which one is relatively harmless while the other can affect your credit score.  This is extremely important stuff to know, especially if you need a great credit score for an upcoming loan.

Two Types of Credit Inquiries: Soft Pull and Hard Pull

Here’s a look at the two types of credit report pulls.

What is a Soft Credit Pull?

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Loyal3 Review – Is Fee Free Investing for Real? Maybe

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How do you pick a brokerage firm?

Is it based on a funny commercial or the latest print ad you saw?  (I hope you take your retirement more seriously than this!)

Or it is based on a careful analysis of costs, investment options, and overall value?

Here’s the deal: Not all brokerage accounts are the same. Many are similar in investment options and cost leaving only marketing to differentiate them.  Every once and a while you run across a new brokerage that really is running their business significantly different than their competitors.

Loyal3 is one of those firms.  Read on and find out what they are all about and if they are for real in our Loyal3 review.

What is Loyal3?

Loyal3 is a brokerage firm with a different take on investing.
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TurboTax Online Review 2013 Return

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We’re in the middle of tax season and one of two major problems is about to happen to every single one of you:

  1. Either you think your taxes are simple so you file the most basic return and miss out on getting a better tax refund, or
  2. You think your taxes are so complicated you spend hundreds of dollars paying a CPA to prepare them for you.

Both situations are costing you money.

Here’s what you need to know: filing your tax return yourself doesn’t have to be complicated, doesn’t have to result in you leaving money on the table, and doesn’t have to take ten hours.

How can you get the best of both worlds?  TurboTax online tax software.

TurboTax is the nation’s best-selling, #1 rated tax software.

The company offers 100% accurate calculations, guarantees you will receive your maximum refund, and provides free audit support in the unlikely event the IRS wants to dig deeper into your tax return.

Let’s dig a little deeper ourselves to see how TurboTax works and what to expect.

TurboTax Online and Mobile App Tax Software Review

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Review of Quicken 2014 for Windows – Get Your Finances In Order and On Track

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How much time do you spend each month going through receipts, bank account transactions, and credit card statements?

Staying on top of your finances is wise, but spending hours upon hours doing it makes the task seem like a waste.

Thankfully there are many great tools available to help you automate and streamline the process of staying on top of your finances.

Today we’re going to take a look at Quicken 2014 Deluxe for Windows.

How You Can Take Charge of Tracking Your Money – Quicken Deluxe 2014 for Windows Review

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Government Shutdown Ends While Healthcare.gov Woes Continue and More

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The government shutdown has ended, the debt ceiling catastrophe narrowly avoided, and the can firmly kicked down the road by about three months.

Yet the woes of the Healthcare.gov website continue on.

The government has dropped over $400 million on the website and associated processes.

$400 million.

And yet a relatively small percentage of people have been able to sign up.  Those that have signed up have had their information sent to the wrong insurance company or had to have their policies manually adjusted (which eliminates the benefit of the website).

To top it off… despite having spent $400 million on the mostly non-functional website, the government is going to be sued for licensing infringement. The site uses a script that requires copyright information to be used which was subsequently removed at the code level.

Another amazing project by the federal government.

Looking to avoid burning through all your cash excessively (hopefully not $400 million!)? Yea, these reads can help you do that:

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