156 short video courses across 16 categories — from reading your first credit report to dispute strategy, business credit, and your legal rights. Every course ends with a quiz; finish a category to earn a certificate.
Browse the credit courses without an account. Create a free account only when you're ready to watch courses, save progress, take quizzes, earn badges, or download certificates. Business, insurance, and markets courses are in the app under Learning.
156 courses140 free courses with an accountQuizzes, streaks, badges & certificates
Learn how your credit report and credit score differ, where to get each, and why errors are fixed on the report, not the score.
Lesson 2 of 10 3 min
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 850 University free?
Most 850 University courses are free with an 850ai account (no credit card required). Some advanced courses are marked Premium and are included with paid 850ai plans.
What topics does 850 University cover?
Credit foundations, reading your credit report, DIY credit repair, dispute strategies, negative items, credit building, business credit, financial strategies, advanced techniques, your legal rights under the FCRA and FDCPA — and even credit basics for kids.
How long are the courses?
Courses are short-form video lessons, typically 3-10 minutes each, followed by a quiz. Passing quizzes earns XP, streaks, badges, and category certificates.
Do I get a certificate?
Yes — completing all courses in a category earns a category certificate, and progress tracking (XP, streaks, badges) is built into your 850ai account.
Start learning — and fixing — today
850 University is built into 850ai: learn how credit works while the AI analyzes your report, finds errors, and generates your dispute letters.
Learn the difference between hard and soft inquiries, how rate shopping is often counted, and how to check your inquiry list for names you don't recognize.
Learn what remarks and dispute comments on your report mean, why they matter to lenders, and how to catch a dispute comment that stayed after it should have cleared.
Identify what makes an item negative and what hurts your credit the most.
1
What Makes an Item Negative
Learn what counts as a negative item, how it differs from things that are only unfavorable, how long accurate negatives can report, and when a dispute fits.
Late Payments: How One Missed Payment Changes the Story
Learn when a late payment usually gets reported, how lates step up from 30 to 120 days, why their weight fades, and what goodwill letters and disputes are for.
Learn the two common types of bankruptcy, how long each can report, how included accounts should look, and how to check them against your court papers.
Medical Collections: Why Medical Bills Need Extra Care
Learn why medical bills need extra care, what the bureaus changed about reporting medical debt, and how to check the bill, the insurance, and your report.
Learn where rental problems show up, how a tenant screening report differs from a credit report, what a rental collection is, and how to protect yourself at move-out.
Utility, Phone, and Subscription Collections: Small Bills, Big Credit Damage
Learn how utility, phone, internet, and subscription bills can reach your credit report through collections, the final-bill trap, and what proof to keep.
Paid, Settled, and Unpaid Negatives: What They Really Mean
Learn what paid in full, settled, and unpaid mean on a negative account, how lenders may read each, the tax side of settling, and how to check your report after.
Learn how negative items age on a credit report, why the date of first delinquency sets the clock, and how the reporting period differs from the statute of limitations.
Pull your reports, find what's hurting you, gather evidence and run your own disputes step by step.
1
How to Pull All Three Reports for Free
Learn how to pull your free reports from all three bureaus on the official site, save dated copies, and read each report in the same order.
Lesson 1 of 13 3 min6-question quizStudy guide
2
Revolving Accounts vs. Installment Loans
Learn how to read revolving accounts and installment loans on your report, why card balances drive utilization, and how cost can guide which debt to pay first.
Lesson 2 of 13 3 min6-question quizStudy guide
3
How to Find What's Actually Hurting Your Credit
Learn how to triage your credit report: read key factors, sort items into five bins, separate errors from accurate items, and rank what to work on first.
Lesson 3 of 13 3 min6-question quizStudy guide
4
What Are Data Furnishers
Learn what data furnishers are, how they send your information to the bureaus, what the law expects of them, and why disputing at the source matters.
Learn the main rights the Fair Credit Reporting Act gives you over your reports, from free copies and disputes to freezes, fraud alerts, and time limits.
Learn why disputing accurate accounts can backfire, how to sort your accounts into three piles, and the three questions to answer before you send a dispute.
Learn to tell authorized hard inquiries from unauthorized ones, research names you don't recognize, and dispute only the inquiries you never authorized.
Learn the bureaus' medical collection reporting policies, common medical billing errors, the proof each one needs, and when to leave an accurate bill alone.
Learn how federal student loans move between servicers and collections, where handoff errors hide, and how to dispute only the lines that don't match your records.
Learn how a bankruptcy shows up in two layers on a credit report, which errors to check in each, how to prove them with the court file, and where to send disputes.
Learn where the personal information on your report comes from, which fields to dispute or leave alone, the proof for each, and why you fix the source too.
Learn the trade-offs of disputing online, by phone, or by mail, how to match each problem to the right channel, and how to save a record of what you sent.
Learn how disputes travel through e-OSCAR, how to lead with one clear fact, dispute directly with the furnisher, compare reports, and escalate in order.
Learn five credit card patterns underwriters tend to notice, why lenders read the whole report and not just the score, and calmer habits to build instead.
Learn the basic business structures, why an EIN and business bank account matter, and how matching records and licenses help a business stand on its own.
Learn how business credit cards work, what a personal guarantee means for you, how reporting can reach your personal file, and what to read before signing.
Learn what underwriters generally weigh in a business funding decision: time in business, revenue, cash flow, credit, collateral, and honest documents.
Learn five habits that keep a business credit card useful: separate spending, pay in full when you can, watch utilization, space applications, and use rewards wisely.
Loan types and down payments, the documents to save, underwriting exceptions, credit and DTI prep, down payment help and every step to closing.
1
Your Mortgage Roadmap: From Planning to Keys
The whole path from planning to keys: the seven steps of a home purchase, what prequalified and preapproved letters really mean, the five things lenders weigh, why no single number decides, how to shop lenders without stacking inquiries, budgeting for the whole payment, and which lesson in this course fits your situation.
Lesson 1 of 9 4 min6-question quizStudy guide
2
Loan Types and Down Payments
Twenty percent down is a myth for many buyers. Compare conventional 3% options, FHA's score tiers, VA and USDA zero-down loans, how mortgage insurance works and ends, the 2026 loan limits and jumbo loans, and why the smallest down payment isn't always the cheapest loan.
Lesson 2 of 9 4 min6-question quizStudy guide
3
Documents You'll Need
The papers lenders usually ask for, so you can start saving them now: identity and residency proof, pay stubs and W-2s, self-employed tax returns and the IRS transcript form, full bank statements with every page, gift letters with a paper trail, housing and family papers, and letters of explanation.
Lesson 3 of 9 4 min6-question quizStudy guide
4
Underwriter Questions: Deposits, Gifts and Job Changes
The money and job questions underwriters ask most: why they read every statement line, what counts as a large deposit, how sourcing and seasoning work, who can give you a gift for each loan type, why cash at home and split deposits cause trouble, and how lenders look at work gaps and job changes.
Lesson 4 of 9 4 min6-question quizStudy guide
5
After Bankruptcy, Foreclosure or a Short Sale
Waiting periods after a Chapter 7, a Chapter 13, a foreclosure or a short sale differ by loan program. Learn when the clock starts, what counts as extenuating circumstances, why waiting isn't approval, how lenders treat collections, judgments and inquiries, what manual underwriting is, and why the dates on your reports matter.
Lesson 5 of 9 4 min6-question quizStudy guide
6
Getting Your Credit and DTI Mortgage-Ready
Learn how mortgage lenders read your credit and debts: the middle of your three scores, score bands and pricing, debt-to-income limits by loan program, fixing report errors early, what a rapid rescore can and can't do, and keeping things quiet until closing.
Lesson 6 of 9 4 min6-question quizStudy guide
7
Down Payment Help and First-Time Buyer Programs
Learn how real down payment help works: why a fee to unlock a "HUD grant" is a red flag, where to start (your state housing finance agency), grants vs forgivable, deferred, and repayable second loans, local and employer programs, HUD's Good Neighbor Next Door, who counts as a first-time buyer, homebuyer classes and free or low-cost HUD-approved counselors, and the strings that often come with help.
Lesson 7 of 9 3 min6-question quizStudy guide
8
Beyond the Bank: Other Ways to Buy
Learn the paths to a home beyond a standard mortgage and how to tell the ones that can fit from the traps: non-QM and bank statement loans, hard money, seller financing, contracts for deed, rent-to-own, assumable loans, the red flags of loan scams, and what to check before you sign.
Lesson 8 of 9 4 min6-question quizStudy guide
9
From Offer to Closing
Follow the path from an accepted offer to the keys: earnest money and contingency deadlines, the Loan Estimate and rate lock, inspection vs appraisal, title and escrow, the Closing Disclosure and its 3-day review, closing costs and cash to close, how to stop a wire-fraud email, and which papers to keep after closing.
When you can sue a credit bureau, creditor or collector, how a lawsuit works and what it costs, what it can and cannot do, and what to do if you are sued.
1
Can You Sue Over Your Credit Report?
Learn when federal law may let you sue a credit bureau, creditor, or debt collector, which law applies, what you can recover, and the filing deadlines. Education, not legal advice.
Lesson 1 of 4 3 min6-question quizStudy guide
2
How a Lawsuit Works
See how a consumer lawsuit over credit reporting or debt collection generally works: getting a lawyer, choosing a court, filing costs, serving the company, arbitration, changing your mind, and showing up. Rules vary by state and court; education, not legal advice.
Lesson 2 of 4 3 min6-question quizStudy guide
3
Winning, Losing, and What a Lawsuit Can't Do
Learn what it generally takes to win a credit reporting case, the evidence that matters, what happens if you lose, what a lawsuit can't do, and how valid debts and shared accounts are treated. Education, not legal advice.
Lesson 3 of 4 3 min6-question quizStudy guide
4
What If a Creditor Sues You?
Learn what to do if a creditor or debt collector sues you: respond on time, file an answer, raise common defenses, consider a counterclaim or other options, and always show up. Education, not legal advice.
Everything your home can do for you: what equity is and how much you can borrow, home equity loans, HELOCs and cash-out refinancing, dropping PMI and refinancing, reverse mortgages, home equity agreements, how to qualify, where to apply, documents, waiting periods, and protecting your equity.
1
Your Home's Hidden Value: What Equity Is and How Much You Can Use
Learn what home equity is, whose value lenders use, how LTV and combined LTV work, why you can't borrow all of your equity, and how to do the math on how much you might be able to borrow.
Lesson 1 of 13 4 min6-question quizStudy guide
2
Home Equity Loans: One Lump Sum, Fixed Payments
A home equity loan is a second mortgage paid out as one lump sum, usually with a fixed payment. Learn how much you can get, how to compare terms, the costs and disclosures, prepayment penalty limits, and the risks.
Lesson 2 of 13 4 min6-question quizStudy guide
3
HELOCs: A Credit Line Backed by Your Home
A HELOC is a credit line backed by your home. Learn the draw and repayment periods, how variable rates and the lifetime cap work, why the payment can jump, which fees to check, when a lender can freeze your line, and which disclosures you get.
Lesson 3 of 13 4 min6-question quizStudy guide
4
Cash-Out Refinancing: Conventional, FHA and VA
A cash-out refinance replaces your mortgage with a bigger one and pays you the difference. Learn the 2026 limits for conventional, FHA, and VA loans, the closing costs and fees, and how to compare it with keeping a low rate and adding a second loan.
Lesson 4 of 13 4 min6-question quizStudy guide
5
Save Money With Your Home: Refinancing, Dropping PMI and Recasting
Learn four ways to save money with your home without borrowing more: canceling PMI under the Homeowners Protection Act or on today's value, FHA mortgage insurance rules, refinancing with a break-even test and FHA or VA streamlines, recasting, and lowering property taxes.
Lesson 5 of 13 4 min6-question quizStudy guide
6
Reverse Mortgages: Options for Homeowners 62 and Older
Learn how FHA-insured reverse mortgages (HECMs) work for homeowners 62 and older: counseling, payout choices, the 2026 limit and costs, what you still must pay, when the loan comes due, heirs' options, protections for a younger spouse, and red flags.
Lesson 6 of 13 4 min6-question quizStudy guide
7
Home Equity Agreements, Sale-Leasebacks and Other Newer Options
Learn how home equity agreements and sale-leasebacks work, what they can really cost, what the CFPB found, and safer options to compare before you trade away part of your home's value.
Lesson 7 of 13 4 min6-question quizStudy guide
8
How to Qualify: Credit, Income, DTI, Equity and Occupancy
Learn what lenders check before you tap your equity: credit score floors and lender overlays, debt-to-income limits by program, combined loan-to-value, income history and reserves, occupancy and property type, and recent payment history.
Lesson 8 of 13 4 min6-question quizStudy guide
9
Where to Apply for Home Equity and How to Compare Offers
Learn where to apply for a home equity loan, HELOC, or cash-out refinance, how brokers are paid, and how to compare offers without getting fooled by the rate. It also covers how shopping affects your credit and the red flags to walk away from.
Lesson 9 of 13 4 min6-question quizStudy guide
10
Documents to Gather and the Timeline From Application to Cash
See the documents lenders commonly ask for when you borrow against your home, and each step from application to funding. Learn how the three-business-day right to cancel works and why the money doesn't arrive at the closing table.
Lesson 10 of 13 4 min6-question quizStudy guide
11
Waiting Periods: How Long Before You Can Tap Your Equity
Learn how long you may have to wait before tapping your home's equity with a conventional, FHA, or VA cash-out refinance, a HELOC, or a home equity loan. It also covers key exceptions and the rule for homes listed for sale.
Lesson 11 of 13 3 min6-question quizStudy guide
12
Using Equity Wisely: Good Uses, Risky Uses and Taxes
Learn which uses of home equity tend to protect your home and which put it at risk, including the math and the trap in debt consolidation. It also explains when home equity interest is tax deductible under the rules for 2026 and later.
Lesson 12 of 13 4 min6-question quizStudy guide
13
Protecting Your Equity: Scams, Red Flags and Help If You Fall Behind
Learn to spot foreclosure rescue scams, deed fraud, predatory high-cost loans, and pushy contractor or grant offers. Then see what federal rules require if you fall behind, where to get free help, and a game plan for the whole course.
Become an informed buyer before you visit a dealer: budget for total cost, research the car and its depreciation, understand J.D. Power, Black Book and Kelley Blue Book values and loan-to-value, get pre-approved, spot rate markups and payment games, negotiate the out-the-door price before any credit pull, handle back-end products and your trade-in, and read every line of the contract.
1
The Right Way to Buy a Car: Your Game Plan
Learn the right order of steps for buying a car, why the monthly payment question is a trap, and the four places a deal can hide money.
Lesson 1 of 13 4 min6-question quizStudy guide
2
How Much Car Can You Afford? Total Cost and Loan Term
Learn how to budget for a car from its total cost of ownership, how the loan term changes the interest you pay, and why a down payment helps.
Lesson 2 of 13 4 min6-question quizStudy guide
3
Research the Car: Reliability, Recalls, History and Inspection
Learn how to research a car before you buy: free recall checks, NMVTIS title history, the FTC Buyers Guide, odometer disclosure, the test drive, and an independent inspection.
Lesson 3 of 13 4 min6-question quizStudy guide
4
Depreciation: How to Research What a Car Will Be Worth
Learn why depreciation is often the biggest cost of a car's first few years, how to research a model's future value yourself, and how fast depreciation and long loans can leave you owing more than the car is worth.
Lesson 4 of 13 4 min6-question quizStudy guide
5
Book Values Decoded: J.D. Power, Black Book and Kelley Blue Book
Learn what J.D. Power, Black Book and Kelley Blue Book are, the different kinds of value each guide publishes, and how to use them as a range when you trade in or buy a car.
Lesson 5 of 13 4 min6-question quizStudy guide
6
Loan-to-Value: How Lenders Decide How Much to Lend on a Car
Learn how lenders figure loan-to-value on a car, what goes into the amount financed, how lender limits work, and why the book sheet a dealer sends the lender must match the real car.
Lesson 6 of 13 4 min6-question quizStudy guide
7
Get Pre-Approved Before You Shop
Learn what an auto loan pre-approval is and isn't, how credit scores treat several auto loan inquiries, how to compare offers, and how to use a pre-approval at the dealership.
Lesson 7 of 13 4 min6-question quizStudy guide
8
Dealer Financing: Buy Rates, Rate Markups and Fair Lending
Learn how dealer-arranged financing works, what buy rates, contract rates and dealer reserve mean, how markups have been limited, and what fair lending law says about how you're charged.
Lesson 8 of 13 4 min6-question quizStudy guide
9
Negotiate the Out-the-Door Price Before Any Credit Pull
Learn what the out-the-door price includes, how to get written quotes from several dealers, where extra charges hide, and why you agree on price before any credit application.
Lesson 9 of 13 4 min6-question quizStudy guide
10
Payment Games: How Term, Rate and Add-Ons Hide the Real Cost
Learn how the same monthly payment can hide a longer term, a higher rate or packed add-ons, and how to compare offers using the Truth in Lending numbers instead of the payment.
Lesson 10 of 13 4 min6-question quizStudy guide
11
Back-End Products: GAP, Service Contracts, Maintenance, Tire and Wheel, and Bundles
Learn what GAP, service contracts, prepaid maintenance, tire and wheel coverage and product bundles are, how they raise your loan, and your options to compare, negotiate, decline or cancel them.
Lesson 11 of 13 4 min6-question quizStudy guide
12
Your Trade-In: What It's Worth and How to Get It
Learn how to find your payoff and your trade's value, collect written offers, negotiate the trade after the price, and compare offers after your state's sales tax rules.
Lesson 12 of 13 4 min6-question quizStudy guide
13
Read Every Line: The Contract, Your Rights and the Questions to Ask
Learn how to read a car contract's Truth in Lending box and itemization, what to do about spot delivery and yo-yo financing, the truth about cooling-off periods, lemon law basics, and where to complain.