25:["$","$L26",null,{"category":"$27","relatedArticles":[{"id":"cG9zdDo2ODIzMA==","databaseId":68230,"postId":68230,"author":{"node":{"id":"dXNlcjo3NQ==","databaseId":75,"userId":75,"avatar":{"url":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/772aededd0a011cdb46e2aac7321981e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","size":96,"__typename":"Avatar"},"description":"Lucy Lazarony has been writing about personal finance for more than a decade. Lucy's a credit card expert. She is a freelance writer and award-winning journalist living in South Florida. Lucy earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Florida. Her work is featured on Credit.com, CardRatings.com, MoneyRates.com and Art Hive Magazine.","additionalMeta":{"expertise":null,"__typename":"User_Additionalmeta"},"email":null,"firstName":"Lucy","fullName":"Lucy Lazarony","lastName":"Lazarony","name":"Lucy Lazarony","postCount":{"pageInfo":{"offsetPagination":{"total":7,"__typename":"OffsetPaginationPageInfo"},"__typename":"UserToPostConnectionPageInfo"},"__typename":"UserToPostConnection"},"slug":"llazarony","__typename":"User"},"__typename":"NodeWithAuthorToUserConnectionEdge"},"categories":{"nodes":[{"id":"dGVybTo0NzIw","children":{"nodes":[],"__typename":"CategoryToCategoryConnection"},"databaseId":4720,"categoryId":4720,"link":"https://smartasset.com/credit-cards/articles","name":"Credit Cards","postCount":{"pageInfo":{"offsetPagination":{"total":89,"__typename":"OffsetPaginationPageInfo"},"__typename":"CategoryToPostConnectionPageInfo"},"__typename":"CategoryToPostConnection"},"slug":"credit-cards","ancestors":null,"parent":null,"__typename":"Category"}],"__typename":"PostToCategoryConnection"},"content":"$28","date":"2018-01-11T07:00:54","excerpt":"

The information that credit bureaus collect affects just about every aspect of your life. Whether you’re approved for a credit card, get a good mortgage rate, can rent an apartment or even get a job – they all can hinge …

\n","featuredImage":{"id":"cG9zdDoxNzA2MzQ=","databaseId":170634,"altText":"Contact a Credit Bureau","date":"2022-11-08T14:29:32","fileSize":32382,"mimeType":"image/jpeg","modified":"2022-11-08T14:29:32","sourceUrl":"https://smartasset.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/01/rsz_istock-866058264.jpg","__typename":"MediaItem"},"modified":{"datetime":"2024-12-6","readable":"December 6, 2024"},"multipleBylinesByRole":{"editedBy":{"id":"dXNlcjoxMzY=","databaseId":136,"userId":136,"avatar":{"url":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/1d295f71ad5f26fc505155b8d7e5e2a0?s=96&d=mm&r=g","size":96,"__typename":"Avatar"},"description":"Jeff is a Writer/Editor for SmartAsset. He's an expert in a variety of personal finance topics, such as investing, banking and retirement. Jeff has received his JD and MBA and has been featured in a number of publications, such as Investopedia, The Street, Forbes, Yahoo! Finance and more. He currently resides in Utah with his wife and five children, where they cheer for the Denver Broncos and make it to the water to sail whenever given the chance. Jeff currently holds the Certified Educator in Personal Finance (CEPF®) designation.","additionalMeta":{"expertise":"Financial Planning, Small Business, Retirement, Banking","__typename":"User_Additionalmeta"},"email":null,"firstName":"Jeff","fullName":"Jeff White, CEPF®","lastName":"White, CEPF®","name":"Jeff White, CEPF®","postCount":{"pageInfo":{"offsetPagination":{"total":16,"__typename":"OffsetPaginationPageInfo"},"__typename":"UserToPostConnectionPageInfo"},"__typename":"UserToPostConnection"},"slug":"jwhite","__typename":"User"},"reviewedBy":null,"writtenBy":null,"factCheckedBy":null,"secondEditor":null,"hideAuthor":null,"__typename":"Post_Multiplebylinesbyrole"},"adTargetingOverrides":{"fieldGroupName":"adTargetingOverrides","pageGroupNewKey":null,"__typename":"Post_Adtargetingoverrides"},"seo":{"canonical":"https://smartasset.com/credit-cards/how-to-talk-to-a-credit-bureau","metaDesc":"Equifax, Experian and TransUnion all use automated phone lines or online support. We provide the phone numbers and times to call to reach a live person.","metaKeywords":"","metaRobotsNofollow":"follow","metaRobotsNoindex":"index","readingTime":6,"title":"How to Contact a Credit Bureau and Talk to a Real Person","__typename":"PostTypeSEO"},"slug":"how-to-talk-to-a-credit-bureau","status":"publish","title":"How to Contact a Credit Bureau and Talk to a Real Person","uri":"/credit-cards/how-to-talk-to-a-credit-bureau","tags":{"nodes":[{"name":"news-sitemap","__typename":"Tag"}],"__typename":"PostToTagConnection"},"__typename":"Post","adPageGroupOverride":null,"bylines":{"writtenBy":{"id":"dXNlcjo3NQ==","databaseId":75,"userId":75,"avatar":"$29","description":"Lucy Lazarony has been writing about personal finance for more than a decade. Lucy's a credit card expert. She is a freelance writer and award-winning journalist living in South Florida. Lucy earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Florida. Her work is featured on Credit.com, CardRatings.com, MoneyRates.com and Art Hive Magazine.","additionalMeta":"$2a","email":null,"firstName":"Lucy","fullName":"Lucy Lazarony","lastName":"Lazarony","name":"Lucy Lazarony","postCount":"$2b","slug":"lucy-lazarony","__typename":"User"},"editedBy":{"id":"dXNlcjoxMzY=","databaseId":136,"userId":136,"avatar":"$2e","description":"Jeff is a Writer/Editor for SmartAsset. He's an expert in a variety of personal finance topics, such as investing, banking and retirement. Jeff has received his JD and MBA and has been featured in a number of publications, such as Investopedia, The Street, Forbes, Yahoo! Finance and more. He currently resides in Utah with his wife and five children, where they cheer for the Denver Broncos and make it to the water to sail whenever given the chance. Jeff currently holds the Certified Educator in Personal Finance (CEPF®) designation.","additionalMeta":"$2f","email":null,"firstName":"Jeff","fullName":"Jeff White, CEPF®","lastName":"White, CEPF®","name":"Jeff White, CEPF®","postCount":"$30","slug":"jeff-white-cepf","__typename":"User"},"reviewedBy":null,"factCheckedBy":null,"secondEditor":null},"category":{"id":"dGVybTo0NzIw","children":"$33","databaseId":4720,"categoryId":4720,"link":"https://smartasset.com/credit-cards/articles","name":"Credit Cards","postCount":89,"slug":"credit-cards","ancestors":null,"parent":null,"__typename":"Category"},"isModifiedBeforePublished":false,"contentBlocks":["

The information that credit bureaus collect affects just about every aspect of your life. Whether you’re approved for a credit card, get a good mortgage rate, rent an apartment or even get a job – they all can hinge to varying degrees on your credit score. So when a credit bureau has something wrong, you must tell them. The three major bureaus – Equifax, Experian and TransUnion – offer online services and prefer that you use their online forms instead of calling. But sometimes you need to talk to a live person, and below is how you can accomplish that.

","

If you want to build a long-term financial plan while you get your credit in order, consider speaking with a financial advisor.

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Why Would I Need to Contact a Credit Bureau?

","

The three big credit bureaus or credit reporting agencies – Equifax, Experian and TransUnion – create credit reports that reflect consumers’ creditworthiness. The reporting agencies are for-profit businesses and sell their reports to other businesses, such as insurers, credit card companies, banks and employers.

","

These businesses in turn factor in these credit reports when making decisions such as whether to offer you a credit card and at what interest rate. So it’s important to monitor your credit reports and make sure the information on them is correct. If you ever find a mistake, you should contact the credit bureau to correct the information.

","

You may also need to contact a credit bureau if you think that you’re a victim of credit fraud. That could mean placing a fraud alert on your account or freezing your credit so that no one can open a new line of credit in your name. Don’t forget that you can get a free copy of your credit report three times per year.

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How to Talk to a Real Person at Equifax

","

","

Equifax has multiple phone numbers that you can use to speak with a real person. The number that you use will depend on what you need help with. We recommend trying to contact the correct number. If you call the wrong number, they will simply say they cannot help you and then direct you to call another number. You can find all of Equifax’s contact information on its website, Equifax.com.

","

If you want to contact Equifax with a general inquiry, you can reach the company’s customer service via phone at the number (888) 378-4329. Just make sure to call between the hours of 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, or 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends.

","

In September 2017, Equifax announced that 147 million people had personal information exposed in a data breach. The company agreed to a global settlement of up to $425 million to help those affected by the breach. The time to file a claim has expired. For more information, you can call (833) 759-2982 or you can visit www.EquifaxBreachSettlement.com.

","

How to Talk to a Real Person at Experian

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Experian makes it relatively hard to talk to a real person on the phone. The company encourages people to use its website for most things. However, there are three main phone numbers that you should know if you want to talk to someone at Experian.

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Call (888) 397-3742 (1-888-EXPERIAN) if you want to order a credit report or if you have any questions related to fraud and identity theft. You can place an immediate fraud/security alert on your credit with this number.

","

If you have a question about something on a recent credit report (such as incorrect information), you will need to have a copy of the credit report. On the report, you will find a 10-digit number. This number is different for each credit report and you will need it for the representative to help with any issues related to your specific report.

","

If you need help with anything related to your membership account, you should call Experian’s customer service at (866) 617-1894. You will need to call while the Experian office is open to speak with someone. The hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. CT, Monday to Friday, and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT, on the weekends.

","

How to Speak With a Real Person at Experian

","

Reason for Calling	Phone Number
Buying a credit report or placing a fraud alert on your credit file	(888) 397-3742
Question about a recent credit report	Call the number on your document from Experian
Question about your Experian membership account	(866) 617-1894

","

How to Talk to a Real Person at TransUnion

","

TransUnion has one general support number that you can use to talk to a human. This includes help with your credit report (such as dispute information, freeze your account or report fraud), your credit score or any general questions. That customer support number is (800) 916-8800.

","

You will hear an automated service when you first call this number. Press 4 in order to speak with a representative. Then you’ll need to press 1 if you have a TransUnion File Number or 2 if you don’t have one.

","

A TransUnion File Number is a unique identification number that you can find in the top right of your TransUnion credit report. You do not need a number to speak with a representative. However, you will need it to do anything related specifically to your credit report. For example, the file number is necessary for disputing incorrect information.

","

Bottom Line

","

","

If you need a credit report or have an issue with your report, you’ll need to contact a credit bureau. Each of the three national credit bureaus has a website where you can do most things. They prefer that you use online forms instead of calling. But sometimes it’s comforting to speak with a real person who can answer your specific questions. You may have to wait quite a bit of time, but it’s important to have patience if you must talk to a live person.

","

Tips for Using a Credit Card Responsibly

","$35","

Photo credit: ©iStock.com/Milkos, ©iStock.com/sturti, ©iStock.com/fstop123

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\n","featuredImage":{"id":"cG9zdDoxOTIyOTU=","databaseId":192295,"altText":"Thanksgiving by the Numbers","date":"2023-03-21T02:12:15","fileSize":67914,"mimeType":"image/jpeg","modified":"2023-03-21T02:12:15","sourceUrl":"https://smartasset.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/rsz_istock_75244813_medium-1.jpg","__typename":"MediaItem"},"modified":{"datetime":"2023-3-21","readable":"March 21, 2023"},"multipleBylinesByRole":{"editedBy":null,"reviewedBy":null,"writtenBy":null,"factCheckedBy":null,"secondEditor":null,"hideAuthor":null,"__typename":"Post_Multiplebylinesbyrole"},"adTargetingOverrides":{"fieldGroupName":"adTargetingOverrides","pageGroupNewKey":null,"__typename":"Post_Adtargetingoverrides"},"seo":{"canonical":"https://smartasset.com/credit-cards/thanksgiving-by-the-numbers","metaDesc":"Thanksgiving is all about family, eating and now, thanks to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, shopping. We took a looked at Thanksgiving by the Numbers to see...","metaKeywords":"","metaRobotsNofollow":"follow","metaRobotsNoindex":"index","readingTime":4,"title":"Thanksgiving by the Numbers - SmartAsset","__typename":"PostTypeSEO"},"slug":"thanksgiving-by-the-numbers","status":"publish","title":"Thanksgiving by the Numbers","uri":"/credit-cards/thanksgiving-by-the-numbers","tags":{"nodes":[],"__typename":"PostToTagConnection"},"__typename":"Post","adPageGroupOverride":null,"bylines":{"writtenBy":{"id":"dXNlcjo1Nw==","databaseId":57,"userId":57,"avatar":"$37","description":"Derek Miller is a graduate of the University of Edinburgh where he studied economics. He is passionate about using data to help people make better financial decisions. Derek is a Certified Educator in Personal Finance® (CEPF®) and a member of the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing. He is a data journalist whose expertise is in finding the stories within the numbers. Derek's writing has been featured on Yahoo, AOL and HuffPost. He believes the biggest financial mistake people make is waiting too late to save for retirement and missing out on the wonders of compounding interest. Derek lives in Brooklyn.","additionalMeta":"$38","email":null,"firstName":"Derek","fullName":"Derek Miller, CEPF®","lastName":"Miller, CEPF®","name":"Derek Miller, CEPF®","postCount":"$39","slug":"derek-miller-cepf","__typename":"User"},"editedBy":null,"reviewedBy":null,"factCheckedBy":null,"secondEditor":null},"category":{"id":"dGVybTo0NzIw","children":"$3c","databaseId":4720,"categoryId":4720,"link":"https://smartasset.com/credit-cards/articles","name":"Credit Cards","postCount":89,"slug":"credit-cards","ancestors":null,"parent":null,"__typename":"Category"},"isModifiedBeforePublished":false,"contentBlocks":["

When people think about Thanksgiving, they may imagine an extended family enjoying a feast of turkey, squash, corn and pumpkin pie. That’s certainly a key part of the American tradition, but it doesn’t tell the whole story around the holiday weekend. With the advent of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, new Thanksgiving traditions have developed around shopping and consumerism in general.

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Check out the best rewards credit cards.

","

We dug into the data to highlight some of the most intriguing statistics surrounding one of America’s most beloved holidays.

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46 million turkeys – According to estimates by the National Turkey Foundation, 46 million turkeys are consumed on Thanksgiving. This means that 20% of the 228 million turkeys consumed in the U.S. each year are eaten on Thanksgiving. And 22% of the turkeys we eat come from Minnesota.

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$50 feeds an extended family – The American Farm Bureau Federation calculates that the average Thanksgiving meal costs about $50 for a family of 10, equaling about $5 per head. This meal includes turkey and stuffing, rolls, sweet potatoes, green peas, fresh cranberries, carrots and celery and pumpkin pie with whipped cream. That’s a pretty good deal considering Thanksgiving feasts typically result in plenty of leftovers.

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36% rise in dinner cost – At $5 per head it’s hard to be upset about the price of an average Thanksgiving meal but data shows the price has been climbing fairly fast. The American Farm Bureau Federation says that from 2005 to 2015, the average price of a family’s feast has risen from $36.78 to $50.11. That’s a 36% increase.

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For those hosting Thanksgiving dinner on a budget, consider keeping the number of sides down and only serving crowd-pleasers.

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46% increase in turkey price – Turkey is the big-ticket item and the pièce de résistance at most Thanksgiving feasts. The big reason the price of the meal has gone up so much is that the cost of turkey – which makes up over half the total cost – is rising. The price per pound of a whole frozen turkey increased 46% in a decade. It went from $0.97 in November 2006 to $1.42 in November of 2015, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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31% of Americans prefer mashed potatoes – There’s a battle in many people’s minds about what to spend their precious, limited stomach capacity on. According to a 2013 survey by Survata, 31% of Americans say mashed potatoes are their favorite Thanksgiving side dish. Green beans and corn aren’t nearly as popular. Only 5% of those surveyed said corn was their favorite, while 6% enjoy green beans the most.

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95% of Americans spend the holiday with family – While Friendsgiving may be trending on Venmo, data shows that Thanksgiving is still mostly about family. According to the Harris Poll, 95% of people surveyed in 2015 said they spend Thanksgiving with their families. It’s tied with Christmas for the most family-oriented holiday in America.

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46.9 million people hit the road – Any look at Thanksgiving by the numbers would be lacking if travel went unmentioned. Americans expend a lot of effort to get back home and spend the holiday with their families. According to the American Automobile Association, an estimated 46.9 million Americans traveled at least 50 miles to reach their Thanksgiving destination last year.

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32.5 million people watched the NFL – Last year, 32.5 million viewers tuned in to watch the Dallas Cowboys face down the Carolina Panthers on Thanksgiving Day, according to Nielsen.

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151 million people shopped – The National Retail Federation reports that 151 million people shopped online or in person on Thanksgiving weekend (Thursday-Sunday) in 2015.

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$320 spent per shopper – The average shopper spend $320 on holiday purchases over the Thanksgiving weekend (Thursday – Sunday), according to the National Retail Federation. This includes purchases like holiday gifts, toys, electronics and clothes. Men outspent women by $108 on average.

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40% of all holiday spending happens over Thanksgiving – For the entire holiday shopping season, from Thanksgiving to Christmas, the average American spends $802, according to a survey from the National Retail Federation. That means that 40% of total holiday spending happens over Thanksgiving weekend.

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$11.1 billion in record online sales – According to Adobe Digital Index, shoppers spent a record-breaking $11.1 billion in online sales from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday last year. Black Friday’s online sales alone were $2.74 billion. But Cyber Monday took the top prize, racking up a whopping $3.07 billion in online shopping and setting a separate record as America’s biggest day for online sales ever.

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$116 million raised for charity – For the past four years, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving has been dubbed Giving Tuesday and is viewed as a global day of charitable giving ahead of the holiday season. In 2015 an impressive $116 million was raised for charities worldwide on Giving Tuesday, according to GivingTuesday.org.

","

Photo credit:© iStock/mediaphotos

"],"experts":null,"link":"/credit-cards/thanksgiving-by-the-numbers","published":{"datetime":"2016-11-21","readable":"November 21, 2016"},"shareInfo":{"title":"Thanksgiving by the Numbers","origin":"/credit-cards/thanksgiving-by-the-numbers"},"isNewsArticle":false},{"id":"cG9zdDo2NTg1Ng==","databaseId":65856,"postId":65856,"author":{"node":{"id":"dXNlcjo1Nw==","databaseId":57,"userId":57,"avatar":{"url":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/a4ba5699dffd6ba2dae17837c96b683a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","size":96,"__typename":"Avatar"},"description":"Derek Miller is a graduate of the University of Edinburgh where he studied economics. He is passionate about using data to help people make better financial decisions. Derek is a Certified Educator in Personal Finance® (CEPF®) and a member of the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing. He is a data journalist whose expertise is in finding the stories within the numbers. Derek's writing has been featured on Yahoo, AOL and HuffPost. He believes the biggest financial mistake people make is waiting too late to save for retirement and missing out on the wonders of compounding interest. Derek lives in Brooklyn.","additionalMeta":{"expertise":null,"__typename":"User_Additionalmeta"},"email":null,"firstName":"Derek","fullName":"Derek Miller, CEPF®","lastName":"Miller, CEPF®","name":"Derek Miller, CEPF®","postCount":{"pageInfo":{"offsetPagination":{"total":254,"__typename":"OffsetPaginationPageInfo"},"__typename":"UserToPostConnectionPageInfo"},"__typename":"UserToPostConnection"},"slug":"dmiller","__typename":"User"},"__typename":"NodeWithAuthorToUserConnectionEdge"},"categories":{"nodes":[{"id":"dGVybTo0NzIw","children":{"nodes":[],"__typename":"CategoryToCategoryConnection"},"databaseId":4720,"categoryId":4720,"link":"https://smartasset.com/credit-cards/articles","name":"Credit Cards","postCount":{"pageInfo":{"offsetPagination":{"total":89,"__typename":"OffsetPaginationPageInfo"},"__typename":"CategoryToPostConnectionPageInfo"},"__typename":"CategoryToPostConnection"},"slug":"credit-cards","ancestors":null,"parent":null,"__typename":"Category"}],"__typename":"PostToCategoryConnection"},"content":"$3e","date":"2017-06-08T13:00:17","excerpt":"

Most golfers have a course in mind when they think of their favorite place to hit the links. But what about certain cities? With plenty of warm sunny days, affordable housing and a wide range of golf courses, some cities are better suited for regular trips to the course. SmartAsset looked at these and other […]

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","

Compare the best rewards credit cards here.

","

In order to find the best cities for golfers to live in, we looked at data on factors relating to both golfing and livability. We looked at the density of golf courses and clubhouses, the number of rainy days and days with extreme temperatures, as well as unemployment rates, housing costs and income after housing costs. The idea was to find a city that someone could reasonably expect to have a job and decent disposable income, also with available golf courses and favorable playing weather. Read our data and methodology below to see where we got our data and how we put it together.

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Key Findings

","$46","

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1. Portland, Oregon

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Portland, Oregon tops our list for the best cities for golfers to live in. Surprised? With 4.48 golf courses per 100,000 residents, Portland leads the way in access to golf courses. While access to golfing is important, Portland also has high scores in a number of other categories as well. PDX scores in the top 25 for property crime, days with extreme temperatures and income after housing. The one concern is that it rains pretty often in Portland. In fact, only one city in our list sees more rainy days than Portland, but at least that means the course will be green!

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2. Gilbert, Arizona

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Gilbert beats out the other three Arizona cities on this list to snag the second spot. The difference between the four cities is not large. They share the same access to golfing (150 golf courses) and similar weather patterns (an average of less than 16 rainy days a year). The biggest difference between them – and why Gilbert comes out on top – is income after housing and property crime rate. Gilbert’s median household income after housing is $68,729 and its property crime rate is 1,320 per 100,000. It ranks in the top 10 for both of those metrics.

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3. Chandler, Arizona

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Chandler is home to some of the highest-earning residents in the country and has plenty of access to great golf courses. According to Census Bureau data, there are 150 golf courses and country clubs in the Chandler area. So if you’re a golfer who values variety and loves to switch it up, this city may be a good fit for you. Chandler also has the 17th-lowest property crime rate in our study, a score which beats neighbors, Mesa and Scottsdale.

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4. Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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For golfers who want to stay on the East Coast, Winston-Salem is your best bet. Winston-Salem has 3.25 golf courses and country club per 100,000 residents, the 14th-most in our study. Of the courses in the area, Olde Homeplace Golf Club may be the best. It has a 93% recommendation rate on GolfAdvisor.com. While this city is great for golfing, it may be even better for livability. It has some of the lowest housing costs in the study. Our data shows that the median housing cost in Winston-Salem is only $788 per month, seventh-lowest of any city we looked at.

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5. Fort Wayne, Indiana

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It may be surprising to see Fort Wayne atop a list of the best places for golfers to live in, as it is not quite as famous as say, Arizona, for golfing. But Fort Wayne does have the third-highest density of golf courses in the country, with 3.8 per 100,000 residents. That means less time waiting to tee off and more opportunity to golf at your preferred tee time.

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Fort Wayne is also the cheapest city to live in our top 10. The median home costs $734 per month. The city would be a great candidate for golfers looking to raise a family: In the past we have found Fort Wayne ranks very highly for best cities to raise a family.

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Golfing here may be more seasonal hobby however, due to cold winters (although winters in Fort Wayne are nothing compared to, say, Anchorage). Data from NOAA shows that there are almost 80 days per year where the daily high is lower than 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

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6. Mesa, Arizona

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What do retirees like to do? Golf. Where are retirees moving? According to our research, Mesa, Arizona. Regardless if you are retiree age or not, Mesa is a great place for golfers to live. The city has the third-most golf courses per 100,000 residents in the study and it almost never rains. But if you are thinking about making golf a full-time hobby, make sure to rent a golf cart. Mesa has an average of 170 days per year where the daily high is above 90 degrees.

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7. Scottsdale, Arizona

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With 150 total golf courses and country clubs in the area or 3.6 golf courses per 100,000 residents, Scottsdale offers a great amount of variety and access to golf courses to golfers who live in the area. One reason why Scottsdale ranks so high is that it’s relatively affordable. The median household in Scottsdale has just over $60,000 left over after housing. With all that leftover cash maybe one day you’ll be able to save up enough for a trip to play at Pebble Beach!

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8. Lincoln, Nebraska

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Lincoln, Nebraska has a similar profile to Fort Wayne. Both cities score high on livability and access to golf courses. Census data shows while that there are only 11 golf courses in the area, after taking population into consideration, Lincoln actually ranks well in this factor. There are 3.59 golf courses and country clubs per 100,000 residents, which is only 0.01 less than the Arizona cities ranked above. Mahoney Golf Course, located right in the city, is a good option for golfers who don’t want to travel too far to get 18 holes in. The course record is 62 for men and 68 for women. With enough practice, maybe you’ll be able to top it.

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Golfing is great but you don’t want to break the bank doing it. That is where Lincoln shines. We have found that you can live comfortably in Lincoln without being a millionaire. The city’s median monthly cost is $877.

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9. Riverside, California

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It may be a surprise to see only Riverside representing California, given the state’s famously great weather. But while cities like San Diego, San Francisco and Los Angeles all do score well in our weather metrics, they do not score as well in our golf metrics. Riverside bridges those two concerns. Riverside ranks 10th in the study for least number of rainy days and has the second-highest concentration of golf courses.

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10. Boise, Idaho

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Our top 10 ends in Boise, Idaho, a city with plenty of offerings for potential golfers looking to live in the area. Boise comes with 2.53 golf courses and country clubs per 100,000 residents and low cost of living. For example, you would need to spend 50% less on housing in Boise than you would in Riverside. If you’re serious about your golf, that 50% you saved on housing can go toward a lot of extra tee time.

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Data and Methodology

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In order to find the best cities for golfers we looked at data on the 100 largest cities in the U.S. Specifically we looked at data for the following six factors:

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We ranked each city in each of the six factors, giving a double weight to golf and country clubs per 100,000 residents and a half weight to our two weather metrics: average days with rain and average days with extreme temperatures. We then found the average ranking for each city. Our final score was based off this ranking. The city with the highest average ranking received a 100, while the city with the lowest average received a 0.

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Questions about our study? Contact us at press@smartasset.com

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When you go shopping for a credit card, one of the most important factors you should consider is the amount of interest you’ll pay on outstanding balances. How is credit card interest calculated? To find out, you need to know your current annual percentage rate, or APR, and your average daily periodic balance. You could do the figuring using an online credit card interest calculator, a spreadsheet or a good old pencil and paper. Let’s go over some basics before we see how to apply the credit card APR formula.

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Use our tool: credit card interest calculator

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Credit Card Interest Basics

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Nominal and Effective APR

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Credit cards advertise their nominal APR, which is the simple interest you would pay on your credit balance, in percentage terms, if compounding didn’t occur. It does not include fees. The more realistic interest cost is called the effective APR, which includes the effects of compounding and may include fees that are not paid separately. For instance, if you pay an annual fee up front, it is not included in the APR, but would be if it was paid gradually throughout the year. Late fees and over-the-limit fees are not included in effective APR since they are separately tacked on to the monthly amount due.

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To see the difference between the two, consider a credit card with a nominal APR of 12.99%. If the credit card performs daily compounding, the effective APR would be 13.87%. Monthly compounding would result in a slightly lower rate, 13.79%. (Source) The differences are more pronounced for higher interest rates. For example, a 29.99% nominal APR equals a 34.96 effective APR when compounded daily, and 34.48% if compounded monthly, assuming a daily rate based upon 365 days and 12 billing cycles per year.

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Calculating Your Monthly Interest Charge

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Naturally, your monthly credit card bill shows your monthly interest charges. If you’d like to check the calculation, you can do the following:

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1. Find the daily periodic rate (DPR) listed on the credit card statement. Note that this is your compounded effective APR divided by the number of days in the year used by the card issuer, 360 or 365.

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2. Find your average daily balance that is subject to finance charges. The average account balance has been the calculated by summing each day’s account balance subject to finance charges and dividing by the number of days in the monthly billing period.

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3. Calculate your monthly interest by multiplying your daily interest rate by the average daily balance and by the number of days in the period.

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For example, assume your DPR is 0.04% (based on an effective APR of 14.6%), and that your average daily balance subject to finance charges (that is, a balance carried beyond the grace period) is $750. Further, assume that the card issuer uses 30-day billing cycles. The amount of interest you owe is:

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$750 average daily balance * 0.0004 DPR* 30 days = $9

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Minimum Payments

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Avoiding interest on credit card purchases is simple, just pay off your balance every month. But what if you can’t? If that’s a chronic problem, you are spending too much relative to your income. But life is full of surprises, and you may indeed have to spread out your payments over several billing cycles. The least you can pay each month is called, not surprisingly, your minimum payment. Your credit card statement must reveal to you the minimum payment, how long it would take you to pay off your balance making minimum payments, and how much interest you would pay if you took the maximum time to pay off your balance. For example, suppose your credit card issuer requires a minimum payment equal to 4% of your balance.

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From our example above, you owe $750, and you decide to stop using the card while making minimum payments until the card is paid off. Using our online credit card payment calculator, we find that your minimum monthly payment would be $30, and it would take you 54 months to repay the balance. Your total payments would be $1,739, of which $988 would be interest. Clearly, making minimum payments is extremely costly in the long run, even if you owe a modest amount.

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Lowering Your APR

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The most effective way of lowering your APR is to raise your FICO® credit score. Consumers with excellent credit scores pay the lowest APRs and have the highest credit limits. Check out these five tips on how to raise your credit score.

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Update: Have more financial questions? SmartAsset can help. So many people reached out to us looking for tax and long-term financial planning help, we started our own matching service to help you find a financial advisor. The SmartAdvisor matching tool can help you find a person to work with to meet your needs. First you’ll answer a series of questions about your situation and goals. Then the program will narrow down your options from thousands of advisors to up to three registered investment advisors who suit your needs. You can then read their profiles to learn more about them, interview them on the phone or in person and choose who to work with in the future. This allows you to find a good fit while the program does much of the hard work for you.

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