Buy now, pay later (BNPL) is likely the easiest borrowing experience most consumers will ever have. With an option at checkout to split your purchase into a down payment and subsequent installment payments every two weeks or so, you get the merch and an easy-pay plan all at once. It's a pitch that consumers are embracing. Adobe for Business reports that more than $10 billion in holiday purchases will be made with BNPL, up 9% from last year. Half of holiday shoppers said they'll use BNPL this year, accord ...

You can check your credit reports from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion for free at AnnualCreditReport.com.“The difference between having mediocre credit and good credit is about $150,000 over the life of the loan,” Carrie Joy Grimes, CEO of WorkMoney, told Consumer Reports.Of equal concern is that 27% of those errors were potentially damaging to participants’ credit scores — and that could end up costing them money, as in the case of a typical mortgage.This is surprisingly common. In 2024, Consumer Reports ...