There are many reasons why you may have a poor credit history. Credit cards could have been your primary means of support while you were gaining an education, a passion for shopping may have gotten the best of you or the decline in the economy might have left you jobless for a time. There are some things you can do to turn your credit around.
If you don’t have very good credit, financing your home may not be easy. If your income is a factor you may qualify for a FHA loan, which has lower standards and makes the federal government your lender in a sense. Even if the applicant does not have money for closing costs or a down payment, an FHA loan is workable.
If you have credit that is not high enough for you to obtain a new credit line, sign up for a secured card. 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. Using this new credit card in a responsible manner will help to build back up your good credit rating.
Credit Score
If you credit score is good, you should have no problem purchasing a house and obtaining a mortgage. If you pay your mortgage as agreed, your credit score will rocket into the stratosphere. Owning a home provides financial stability which is backed by your asset, the home, and as such, results in great credit. Having a good credit score is important if you need to take out a loan.
In order to start repairing your credit, you need to start paying your bills. Your bills must be paid completely and on time. As soon as you have cleared those old debts, you will see an immediate improvement in your credit score.
When you are trying to fix your credit record, call your creditors and make payment arrangements that will benefit both of you. Doing so will help you to ensure that you do not go further into debt and make your credit worse. Talk to your credit card company about changing the terms of your monthly payment.
Do not get mixed up in things that may lead you to imprisonment. A common scam involves teaching you how to make a completely new, albeit fraudulent, credit file. These scams are not legal and there will be repercussions. Legal repercussions will cost you a lot of money, and you could go to jail.
Requesting that your credit card limits be lowered can benefit you. It will help to keep spending under control, and also sends a positive message to potential lenders. This means you might have a better opportunity of obtaining necessary loans in the future.
Joining a credit union is beneficial if you want to make your credit score better but cannot get new credit. Due to their focus on community finances rather than national ones, credit unions may provide better interest rates and more credit services than typical banks.
You should get all terms and conditions in writing if you choose to deal with a creditor. This will give you important documentation in case of an ownership change or if the creditor tries to back out of the agreement. If you manage to pay off your debt, make sure you receive proper documentation as proof to send to credit reporting agencies.
Doing this will ensure that you keep a solid credit score. Late payments are added to credit reports and they can damage your chances of getting loans or a home in the future.
Do not use your credit cards. Do all of your spending with cash or debit cards. If you do use a credit card, pay the full balance each month.
Repairing a poor credit score can seem like a daunting task, but improving your score is possible with guidance and knowledge. Utilize the above information to start the journey of improving your credit score.