Have you been having a hard time as a result of your poor credit? In a tough economy, most people see their credit score go down. Thankfully, bad credit isn’t forever. Use these tips to learn how to repair your credit once and for all.
If your credit does not allow you to obtain new credit, getting a secured one is much easier and will help fix your credit. Most likely, you will not have a problem obtaining this type of card, but you must add funds to the account before you make any purchases to assure the bank that you will pay. If you use it correctly, a new card can help you fix your credit.
Make sure that you are never using more than 50% of your credit card’s limit. If you have a balance that is more than 50 percent, your credit score will drop. If you can, pay the balances on your cards; if not, do your best to pay as much as possible each month.
Interest Rates
Your low credit score will cut your interest rates. Lower interest rates make paying bills easier, and prevents you from incurring debt. Get a good offer along with good rates, and you’ll have credit that you can pay off easily, and improve your credit score.
An installment account is a great way to increase your credit score. An installment account requires a monthly payment, make sure you can afford it. Your FICO score will rise over time, if you responsibly manage this type of account.
As you work toward repairing your credit score, you should be willing to cooperate and work with your creditors. Maintaining contact shows your good faith and can help you minimize further debt. Do not be afraid to call your credit card company and ask if you can make changes to your due date or your minimum payment amounts.
If you are looking into a credit counselor, be sure to find out information about them before you choose to use them. Many companies are legitimate and hold your best interests as a priority, but some are outright scams. Some are not legitimate. To help protect yourself from fraud, investigate any credit counselors. One way to check an agency out is to check with the Better Business Bureau.
Call and request lower limits on your cards from the credit card companies. Doing this keeps you from overtaxing yourself. It also shows the lending company that you are responsible.
When attempting to improve your credit, you should go over any negative marks with a fine tooth comb. The debt itself may be legitimate, but if you find errors in its metadata (e.g. the date, amount, creditor name), you might be able to get the whole entry deleted.
Joining a credit union can give you opportunities to increase your credit score. Credit unions can often offer better rates and more alternatives than larger banks, because they base their decisions on the local economy instead of the national situation.
Check your credit card carefully each month to ensure that there’s no incorrect information. Should there be any mistakes, contact the company and talk to them to avoid being reported to the credit companies.
Timely payments will keep your credit status in good standing. Late payments to credit cards are reported to the major credit agencies and can hurt your chances for securing a new loan.
Collection Agencies
Debt collection agencies can be the most stressful part of a bad credit crisis. A consumer had the option of making use of cease and desist statements to persuade collection agencies, but remember that C&D statements only prevent them from harassing you. You may be able to stop the deluge of calls from a collection agency, but the debt must still be dealt with.
When you need to repair your credit score, be wary of lawyers and law offices that advertise instant credit fixes. Predatory lawyers have begun to prey on people with credit problems; they charge outrageous fees to repair credit. Get reviews on a lawyer before you go to them for help.
It is the worst when you have many debts that you are unable to pay. Be sure to give a portion of your spendable income to each of your creditors. Paying at least minimum payments prevents creditors from calling collection agencies.
If you need to rebuild your credit, you need to start establishing a history of responsible borrowing. Prepaid credit cards can be a good way to raise your FICO score, away from the dangers of late fees or charges for exceeding your credit limit. Potential lenders will see this as a positive thing as it will show you are a responsible person.
Put together a plan to pay off the collection account and past due accounts. They will likely still appear on the credit bureau report but having them marked as paid is a lot better than having them appear as outstanding balances.
Credit Score
If your low credit score has been a source of frustration and discouragement, implement this advice to change all that. These tips can help stop the free-fall of your credit score and start making your score rise.
