Level 3
Member profile
Editor of the Mint and Turbo blogs. Been there done that with bad money decisions. I know what to do, but I still struggle with impulse purchases. That said, I worked too hard to rebuild my credit score to really mess it up (thanks Turbo!). Deeply passionate about sharing what I've learned through my experiences & living/breathing financial education to help others build confidence around their $$$$$. We got this!
Link to my Website
Link to my Twitter account
Link to my Blog
Activity Feed for jlohani
- Got Cheered for Getting Over Bad Money Decisions. September 23, 2020 12:09 AM
- Got Cheered for I want to celebrate your small $$ win!. April 1, 2020 10:24 AM
- Got Cheered for Getting Over Bad Money Decisions. March 31, 2020 6:48 PM
- Got Cheered for Getting Over Bad Money Decisions. September 27, 2019 3:52 AM
- Got Cheered for Getting Over Bad Money Decisions. July 3, 2019 1:44 AM
- Got Cheered for Re: Usher Voice: These Are My (I've Bought Something Really Dumb in the Last 60 Days) Confessions. April 18, 2019 9:16 AM
- Got Cheered for I want to celebrate your small $$ win!. April 18, 2019 9:15 AM
- Got Cheered for Re: I want to celebrate your small $$ win!. April 18, 2019 9:15 AM
- Got Cheered for Getting Over Bad Money Decisions. April 18, 2019 9:14 AM
- Got Cheered for Re: Upside down car loan. April 9, 2019 11:52 AM
- Posted Re: Upside down car loan on Debt management. April 9, 2019 11:20 AM
- Got Cheered for Re: I want to celebrate your small $$ win!. March 24, 2019 4:02 AM
- Got Cheered for I want to celebrate your small $$ win!. March 24, 2019 4:02 AM
- Got Cheered for Getting Over Bad Money Decisions. March 21, 2019 5:55 AM
- Got Cheered for Getting Over Bad Money Decisions. March 20, 2019 3:14 PM
- Got Cheered for Re: I want to celebrate your small $$ win!. March 15, 2019 8:01 PM
- Posted Re: I want to celebrate your small $$ win! on Your money stories. March 15, 2019 5:23 PM
- Got Cheered for I want to celebrate your small $$ win!. March 15, 2019 7:06 AM
- Got Cheered for I want to celebrate your small $$ win!. March 11, 2019 12:05 PM
- Got Cheered for Getting Over Bad Money Decisions. March 8, 2019 2:19 PM
April 9, 2019
11:20 AM
1 Cheer
Hi there - I know your question was a bit ago, but I wanted to let you know it inspired a blog post to go into more depth on what to do in this situation. It published today and you can find it here: https://blog.mint.com/consumer-iq/what-to-do-when-your-car-loan-is-higher-than-the-value-of-the-car/ I hope the article is useful to you!
... View more
March 15, 2019
5:23 PM
3 Cheers
Ha! I didn't know they had goals for being regulars - that's pretty smart of them! (...and smarter of you to curb the habit!) Way to go! 🙂
... View more
February 28, 2019
4:37 PM
Really do some research before filing for bankruptcy. Here's a good place to start: https://blog.mint.com/how-to/bankruptcy-a-to-z-when-to-file-and-how-to-recover/ Whatever you choose to do, just remember that it's a phase in your life. It will pass and it will get better (especially if you learn from it). Good luck to you!!
... View more
February 28, 2019
4:34 PM
Figure out how to increase your available credit. If that means paying it down, pay it down. If you are able to request an increase in credit limit (and know you won't rack up more debt), then increase your credit limit. Credit utilization (the % of your line of credit you're using) is a big factor! https://turbo.intuit.com/blog/credit-score/how-to-improve-credit-score-74/
... View more
February 28, 2019
4:32 PM
If you're looking to figure out where to start, I think take a look at the interest you're paying. Find the debt you have with the highest interest, and start trying to pay that down first (keep paying minimums on the others). Good luck!! https://blog.mint.com/credit/get-organized-to-get-out-of-debt04022016/
... View more
February 22, 2019
5:32 PM
1 Cheer
Ah, @JBJ , my heart! Nerdwallet? 🙂 I'm kidding... kinda. @Ana427 - JBJ is right on IMO We have a great article on Secured Cards on the Mint blog as well if you're looking to do more research on it! https://blog.mint.com/credit/rebuilding-your-credit-score-a-guide-to-secured-credit-cards/
... View more
February 22, 2019
5:26 PM
Whoohoo! Nice jump!! I went through a "growth spurt" with my score a little over a year ago and can attest that yes, the scores can vary for a while. They'll eventually even out if you stay consistent. My guess is it has to do with the fact that while the bureaus use similar (some may argue, the exact same just differently labeled) factors, the total weight of each factor is different across. Check out this article on the Turbo blog, it goes into more detail on this very subject! https://turbo.intuit.com/blog/credit-score/why-is-my-credit-score-never-the-same-480/
... View more
February 21, 2019
3:33 PM
1 Cheer
Do any of the bills have an account number on them? It looks like you can create an online account with AFNI using the AFNI account number and the last four of your social security: https://payments.afnicollections.com/AfniCollectionsPayments/login Good luck!
... View more
February 20, 2019
6:45 PM
The lowest score for FICO or Vantage score is 300, I believe. So, as I think you already know, there's definitely a problem. I don't have a lot of details from your post, so forgive me if I am repeating steps you have already taken. But one thing to keep in mind is sites that offer free credit scores (like banks, Turbo, CK, etc) are pulling your score (soft inquiries) from either one or more credit bureau(s). So if it's coming back "0" (which we know is an impossible score), it may actually just be a technical glitch. I'd recommend reaching out to customer support of the app/site you're using and/or check your score with a couple other free credit sites or apps to figure out if it's an issue that even needs to be addressed on the credit bureau level. Hopefully it's just a technical glitch with that particular site/app. But if you find its a consistent issue, you'll want to call the credit bureaus (TransUnion, Equifax & Experian) and let them know there is a problem. And honestly, I wouldn't waste a minute to get to the bottom of this. So sorry you are dealing with this! When you figure out what it is, let us know so we can all learn from it.
... View more
February 19, 2019
3:28 PM
10 Cheers
Last week, on the Turbo blog, we talked about ways to forgive yourself and move on from past financial mistakes. CFSW, Marsha Barnes, shared five key ways to move on and get better with your money: 1. Recognize previous spending behaviors and forgive yourself in the process 2. Create a tangible plan addressing one issue at a time 3. Remain dedicated to the process 4. Remind yourself often of your current goals and where you want to be in the future 5. Patience is a virtue; stay the course What do you think of these tips? Anything you would add from your own experience? Check out the full post here: https://turbo.intuit.com/blog/relationships/how-to-fall-back-in-love-with-yourself-after-your-financial-mistakes-2121/
... View more