Employers can consider a lot of things when deciding whether to hire you — including your credit report.
But if you're close to landing your dream job, will poor credit be the thing that stands in your way?

When people develop bad credit, a common reaction is to get off the credit horse entirely and stop using credit. But that's exactly what you don't want to do. To get out of hardship, you have to go through hardship. And to rebuild credit, you have to use it first.

Adding a spouse or other family member as an authorized user on a credit card can often boost that person's credit within a very short period of time. But there are also significant pitfalls to the practice — which is why it pays to know what you're getting into.

If you're one of the millions of Americans struggling with credit card debt, take heart. A slew of online services offer helpful tips and tools to pare down your credit card debt faster. Here are CreditCardGuide.com's picks for four of the most useful financial management Web sites.

It is easier than ever to begin to build a credit history, and you could see results in as little as 6 to 12 months. Here are some of the steps to take to start building your credit report and develop an excellent credit score.