You have most likely done damage to your credit, whether you got a card from friends, went on too many shopping trips or were hit by economic pressures. Fortunately, there are actions you can partake to reverse this.
Financing homes can be made more difficult when your credit score is low. Try to secure an FHA loan; these are federal government guaranteed. FHA loans can even work when someone lacks the funds for down payment or closing costs.
If you can’t get a normal card due to low credit score, look into a secured card. Most likely, a secured credit card will be easy for you to get, but you have to fund the credit account before you purchase so the bank knows that you won’t miss any payments. Even though this card will be secured by your own money, you will make payments and manage it as if it were unsecured. This will improve your credit as you show yourself able to make the payments on time.
If you have credit cards where the balance is more than half of your credit limit, pay these down right away. Any balances that are over half your limit drag your credit rating down. So be sure to pay your credit card down or, if you can not, try to use another credit card.
Credit Score
If you make a decent income, consider an installment account when you want to give your credit score a boost. When opening an installment account, you need to make a monthly payment, so get something you can afford. Your credit score will significantly get better if you get an account.
Avoid paying off high interest rates so that you don’t pay too much. The incredibly high interest rates can get challenged and reduced in some situations. Remember you agreed to pay any interest that accrued over the life of the account. You need to be able to prove the interest rates are too high if you want to sue your lenders.
Begin paying your bills to repair your credit. You should pay your bills in full each month. Do not let them fall behind again and get yourself in trouble. When you pay off past due lines of credit your credit score will go up.
Don’t do anything illegal. Scams abound on the internet that show you how to change your credit file. This is illegal and you will most certainly get caught. You could go to jail if you have a lot of legal issues.
Credit Unions
Credit unions are an option for those who have run out of options. Local credit unions might have different credit products than national banks, because they can focus on local market conditions.
If you are currently spending more than you earn, you need to quit that immediately. This will require a change in your thinking. For a while, the easy availability of credit encouraged people to buy more than they could afford. We now must pay for that. Be honest with yourself about what you can truly afford.
If you and a creditor agree on a payment plan, make sure the agreement is committed to paper. This is for your protection. It allows you to have valid documentation of the terms in the event that a creditor reneges on its offer or changes owners. As soon as you get it paid off, have that in writing so you are able to inform the credit reporting agencies.
Do everything you can to avoid filing bankruptcy. Bankruptcies appear on credit reports for ten years. While getting rid of your debts all in one go seems like an excellent idea, your credit will be affected by it for a long time to come. You may not qualify for auto financing or a credit card after filing for bankruptcy protection.
This helps you retain a proper credit status. Whenever you fail to make your payments on time, your credit report is affected negatively. This can make it very difficult for you to take out a loan in the future.
Carefully read all of your credit statements. Look for any changes that have happened, and make sure they are correct. You do not want to end up paying for a purchase that you did not make. You are the person responsible for checking that there are no errors.
At first, it may seem impossible to repair your damaged credit. However, with some effort and the right advice, you can start to improve your credit rating and eventually regain a credit score that will instill faith in any lender. Use the information gleaned from this article to fix your credit and improve your life.