Ben Luthi

Ben Luthi is a personal finance writer based near Salt Lake City, Utah. He's covered just about every financial topic under the sun for a variety of online publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes Advisor, Kiplinger, Experian, FICO, and many others. When he's not yapping about money, he enjoys reading, watching movies, hiking, doing crossword puzzles, and hanging with his two kids.

Ben graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor's degree in Finance and a German minor. He's also spent time working in the financial planning, insurance, banking, and auto finance industries.

1st month disclaimer: Based on Kikoff’s analysis of Equifax VantageScore 3.0 scores, run October 21, 2026, 50% of Kikoff Credit Account customers who joined between September 1, 2024 and September 1, 2026, saw an average change of +26 points (median: +15) from their starting score to the highest score reached within 31 days after their first payment. This includes customers who made their first payment, had a score between 300 and 600 in the 30 days before that payment, and kept their account open with no missed payment through day 31. Results reflect each customer’s overall credit activity during the period and may not be attributable to Kikoff. Individual outcomes will vary and are not guaranteed. On-time payments may help your score, while late or missed payments may hurt it.

Individual results may vary. Subject to approval & identity verification. For Kikoff Credit Service, plans start at $5/month for 12 months, for a total of $60, billed monthly. Features may vary depending on the plan purchased. Kikoff tradeline available in Kikoff Credit Account is intended exclusively for financing credit-building purchases via the Kikoff Store. Additional terms and conditions may apply. Cancel anytime. Late or missed payments will have a negative impact on your credit. Make on-time payments to maintain account health.
45-day money back guarantee requires completing your cancellation of the Kikoff Credit Service and/or any other Kikoff store item(s) within 45 days, starting from the day of the first purchase of the Kikoff Credit Service or any Kikoff Store product(s). Guarantee is limited to up to one use per person.
Kikoff Inc. is a financial technology company “Fin-Tech”, not a bank. Banking Services provided by Coastal Community Bank, Member FDIC. FDIC insurance only covers the failure of an FDIC-insured bank. FDIC insurance is available through pass-through insurance at Coastal Community Bank, Member FDIC, if certain conditions have been met. The Kikoff Mastercard® is issued by Coastal Community Bank, pursuant to a license from Mastercard International Incorporated. Learn more by visiting Coastal Community Bank at coastalbank.com/privacy-center. Use of the Kikoff Secured Card is governed by the Kikoff Secured Credit Card Agreement. The Kikoff Secured Credit Card Merchant Cash Back Program is governed by the Kikoff Merchant Cashback Program Addendum and provided by Coastal Community Bank, Member FDIC. Direct deposit required to unlock overdraft protection. Overdraft limit is determined by card usage and other risk factors. Early access to direct deposit funds depends on the timing of the payer’s submission of deposits and is not guaranteed. Secured Credit Card reports payment history to Equifax, Experian and TransUnion on a monthly basis. Minimum deposit of $50 is required to be reported to the credit bureaus. Secured Credit Card does not report a credit limit.
New Mexico residents only – TO REPORT A PROBLEM OR COMPLAINT WITH THIS LENDER YOU MAY WRITE OR CALL Compliance Director at P.O. Box 40070, Reno, NV 89504; (775) 993-6992.; or at support@kikoff.com. This lender is licensed and regulated by the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, Financial Institutions Division, P.O. Box 25101, 2550 Cerrillos Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87504. To report any unresolved problems or complaints, contact the division by telephone at (505) 476-4885 or visit the website http://www.rld.nm.gov/financial-institutions/.
Your financial well-being is our top priority. We're dedicated to empowering you to make informed financial decisions. While we may not showcase every available option, our guidance, information, and tools are objective, independent, and free. To maintain transparency, we disclose that our partners compensate us. This may influence the products we review and where they appear on our site, but it never affects our recommendations or advice, which are based on extensive research. Our partners cannot pay us for favorable reviews.
1st year disclaimer: Based on Kikoff’s analysis of Equifax VantageScore 3.0 scores, run October 21, 2026, 17% of Kikoff Credit Account customers who joined in September 1, 2024 and September 1, 2025, saw an average change of +90 points (median: +86) from their starting score to the highest score reached within one year after their first payment. This includes customers who made their first payment, had a score between 300 and 600 in the 30 days before that payment, and kept their account open with no missed payment for the full year (365 days). Results reflect each customer’s overall credit activity during the period and may not be attributable to Kikoff. Individual outcomes will vary and are not guaranteed. On-time payments may help your score, while late or missed payments may hurt it.

Ben Luthi

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