Archive for the ‘Credit’ Category

Chances are if you are like many than you didn’t even know you had a bad credit score until you applied for a car, mortgage, ect. and then got that dreaded pit in your stomach when you were denied because you did not have a good credit score. Lenders look at this simple three digit number to see if you qualify because this credit score number lets them know how trusted you can be with money. In order to remain in good standing do make sure you never miss a credit card payment and as a general rule of thumb try to keep your credit card debt under 35% of your total credit line. A couple missed payments can really start to lower your score in increments of 20 at a time. It pays to pay your bills!

One reason in which peoples credit score go south in a hurry is bankruptcy. In fact, if you have ever filed for bankruptcy chances are you are in need of credit repair for your bankruptcy. Did you know that bankruptcy can take up to 7 years to get off your credit score. This could seem like forever when you are applying for a new mortgage or car.

It does not mean that when you have bad credit, you are already doomed for life. True enough, one of the major things you should avoid when you enter the world of credit is your credit score dropping. Since your credit score is what lenders use to help them decide on credit card or loan applications, you should consult different ways to improve your credit standing and build your credit score.

However, there are really some unavoidable circumstances that cause bad credit. If you are in this situation where your credit score is at the lowest and no creditor wants to do business with you, here are some tips you can use to repair your bad credit:

Avoid using your credit card
Many consumers rely much on their credit cards as it is a convenient way to purchase things. However, not very many people know that the credit card, if not used properly, could cause numerous financial problems. Tips on building credit score advice consumers to avoid using the credit card when they are already in great debt. In contrast to this, if you want to get drowned in more debt, you should increase your credit card use.

Be updated with your credit report
An immense decrease on your credit score should tell you to start getting a copy of your free credit report since it determines your score. You can’t really repair your credit unless you know what makes it bad. Checking your credit report will help you know what exactly needs improvement.

Do a credit-report-clean-up
Another benefit of being updated with your credit report as soon as you realize your credit needs fixing is that you are able to keep an eye out for inaccuracies. You should know that credit bureaus are also prone to recording erroneous information. The sooner you dispute such data, the sooner you can see improvement on your credit score.

Pay off delinquencies
The major determinant of a credit score is credit history. If you have failed to make payments on time, your credit will definitely look bad. There are many negative repercussions in this, that’s why it is always advised to get current on all delinquent accounts. It is the first step in repairing bad credit.

Don’t push it
You know that you are already in a bad situation with a broken credit and a low credit score. The last thing you would want to do is to worsen your bad reputation to creditors. Credit repair means improving on your bad credit, not escaping it. Pushing for more credit applications when you are doing credit repair sends unwanted signals to creditors.