Lender provides free, unlimited views of credit scores - 2004-02-22
Home mortgage and credit industry experts say it could be the beginning of something huge: lenders providing free, round-the-clock access to your current credit score, plus practical advice on how to improve it.

Providian Financial Corp., a large credit card issuer, plans to give all of its customers unlimited views of their credit scores, anytime they choose, at no charge.
Read the full story at San Francisco Chronicle

Vaulting to No. 1, a Truism at a Time - 2004-02-22
On a recent Saturday morning, David Bach ate what he regarded as a debtor's breakfast, and it bothered him all day. This was the problem: the Ritz-Carlton had charged him $6 for a muffin.

Everybody should buy a house and pay off the mortgage ahead of schedule. Everybody should cut back on mindless, chronic purchases - he has coined the term "latte factor" - sock the money away and take advantage of the "miracle" of compounded interest.
Read the full story at New York Times