Saturday, July 14, 2012

Fix Your Credit History With These Tips

There are millions of bad credit scores out there today. It's no surprise, not with a poor economy, rising living costs, stagnant wages, and a nasty employment market. These tips can help you gain insight on how you can get a better credit score.

By paying all your bills off you are on a good start to repairing your credit. Often times credit counseling provides much needed help.

Financing a new home can be a challenge, especially if you have a history of bad credit. If you do have poor credit, try to get a FHA loan because there is a guarantee that it will be given to you. Even if an individual does not have money for the down payment to purchase real estate or pay closing costs, FHA loans may still work.

Check your credit report to see if there are any missed payments or outstanding debts you didn't remember. Pay particular attention to correcting any errors. Next, begin to improve upon your past mistakes. Pay off the highest interest debt first and completely, while staying current on the minimum payment of all other accounts.

Paying off extant debts is generally priority number one when it comes to credit repair. Your credit will get worst if you do not start taking action and paying off what you owe.

Your credit score is significantly affected every time a fresh line of credit is opened by you. It may be tempting to get a new account when there are bonuses offered at the check out, but you should stop and think about it first. After you open new credit, you will see your score drop.

You should make an effort to pay off past due accounts and accounts that have gone to collection. These things will still appear on a credit report, but they will be marked paid, which is better for your credit.

Build your credit back up if your current credit scores are low. Utilizing prepaid credit cards allows you to improve your credit score with no concerns about late payments or negative information ruining your credit report. Doing this shows lenders that you can be trusted with credit.

If you can't get a normal card due to low credit score, look into a secured card. In order to get the card, you will have to fund the account as sort of an insurance that shows the bank your debts are going to be paid. If you use it correctly, a new card can help you fix your credit.

Make sure the credit repair agency you are working with is legitimate. Just like any other field, credit repair has plenty of companies that do not provide what they promise. Unfortunately, there have been quite a few people who have been scammed by these companies. If you do some online research, you can find out what people really think about the various credit repair agencies. This will help tremendously in choosing a safe and effective company.

It is important for you to thoroughly look over your monthly credit card statements. Go through line by line for accuracy, and to prevent getting charged for an item or service you did not actually get. You bear the responsibility for looking after your own best interests, and you are the only person who will know if your statement is accurate.

Do everything possible to avoid bankruptcy. Filing bankruptcy negative effects your credit score for 10 years. It might seem like a good thing but you will be affected down the line. It may be impossible for you to get a loan or credit card in the future if you file for bankruptcy.

Now that we have gone over the different ways you can go about repairing credit, why not get started now? Be proactive and use the valuable tips you gained from this article, in order to boost your credit scores and, ultimately, increase your quality of life.