Bad credit hurts you in nearly all your financial dealings, especially those that involve extending credit to you. Poor credit impacts your ability to move forward with your life. You can repair your credit to cause more opportunities to open to you. Read the following tips if you have bad credit and want to repair your reputation.
For those with imperfect credit, it can be hard to secure financing for a home. Federally guaranteed loans (FHA loans) may be an option. FHA loans even apply for someone who doesn’t have closing costs or the funds that are needed for down payment.
Installment Account
If you want to boost your credit score and earn a decent living, open an installment account. You have to keep a monthly minimum on an installment account, so make sure you open an account that you can afford. Keeping an installment account will help your credit score.
As you work toward repairing your credit score, you should be willing to cooperate and work with your creditors. If you do this you will not go into debt more and make your situation worse than it was. Call them and see if you can change the payment terms. They may be willing to change the actual payment or move the due date.
Call your credit card companies and request that they lower your limit on your cards. Not only will this prevent you from owing more, but it will be reflected in your credit score because it shows that you are responsible with your credit.
When looking over your credit report, look closely at the negative report that are listed. Even if the negative credit item itself is not erroneous, if any of the data pertaining to it is, then you may be possible to have it removed from your credit report.
Take the necessary steps to fix any mistakes that you see on your credit reports by filing an official dispute. Contact the credit agency in writing, with documentation to support the errors that you are disputing. Make sure that you ask for a return receipt so that you know your letter makes it to its intended destination.
A first step in fixing your credit is to close all credit card accounts that are unnecessary. Aim to only have one account. You should arrange to make payments or make a balance transfer to your open account. You will be able to pay one bill instead of a plethora of small ones.
Credit Card
It is crucial that you review credit card bills on a monthly basis to check for errors. Contact the credit card company right away if there are incorrect fees, so that they won’t be on your credit report.
Always get a plan in writing if you are going to do a payment plan that deals with creditors. This provides you with documentation that an agreement is in place in case the company changes hands or the creditor tries to change the terms of the agreement. You also want it in writing if it gets paid off so you can go ahead and send it to credit reporting agencies.
Try not to file for bankruptcy. This will have damaging consequences to your credit score for ten years. Although it seems like the wise thing to do at the time, it will bring you negative consequences in the long run. You may never get a line of credit for any purchases you might need to make if you go ahead, give up on repairing your credit and file for bankruptcy.
To show that you are serious about improving your credit, start systematically lowering all of your account balances. First work on the cards with the steepest balances or interest rates. This will show future creditors that you take your debts seriously.
If you are late with your payment, your credit status will suffer. 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.
Defending Statement
Our initial inclination is to defend ourselves, but in truth, lenders will not even glance at your defending statement. Inclusion of the defending statement could actually have the opposite effect as it brings more attention to the fact that you have a negative mark on your report.
Give yourself more opportunities by fixing your bad credit and making it good. Many credit repair strategies don’t cost a dime and can have immediate effects on your credit. Use the tips offered in this article and you can find the success you’ve been looking for.