Repair Your Own Bad Credit With These Tips
Are you struggling with your bad credit? A lot of credit scores are going down during this difficult economic time. Luckily, you can improve your score and start now with the tips in this article.
An imperfect credit rating can make financing a home even more difficult than normal. There is, however, alternative types of funding available that are offered by the banks. FHA and USDA are two such agencies who offer finance to those with lower credit scores, sometimes with low down payment and closing cost clauses. You might be able to get an FHA loan even if you cannot afford closing costs or down payments.
Credit Card
If you are unable to get an unsecured credit card due to your low credit rating, consider a secured card to help reestablish your rating. This card is very easy to get, because you put money into an account ahead of time and then spend from that, so the bank doesn’t have to worry about not getting their money. If you use a credit card responsibly, you will go a long way in repairing your credit.
Try to keep a balance of less than 50% of your available credit on all of your cards. Creditors like to see you using your accounts, but still keeping your balances under 50% of your allotted credit.
Opening up an installment account will help you get a better credit score and make it easier for you to live. You have to keep a monthly minimum on an installment account, so make sure you open an account that you can afford. By successfully handling the installment account, you will help to improve your credit rating.
Legitimate negative credit problems can not be easily wiped away from your credit rating, so be wary of companies that promise they can do so. It seems unfair, but accurate negative information will stick around for seven years. Incorrect information may be erased though.
When starting to repair your credit, pay your bill on time from now on. However, it’s not enough to just pay your bills; you need to make your payments on time and in full. After you have paid off some old bills, you will see an immediate improvement in your credit rating.
Contact your creditors to request a reduction in your credit line. It will keep you from overextending yourself financially, it sends a great signal to the credit card companies that you are a responsible borrower, and you will have an easier time getting credit in the future.
Credit Score
Before going into debt settlement, find out how it will affect your credit score. Some agreements cause less damage to your credit score than others, and each should be considered prior to making an arrangement with a creditor. The creditor does not care what happens to your credit score, as long as they get their money.
You should look over all negative reports thoroughly when attempting to fix your credit. You could find mistakes in dates and other factors which can cause the whole item to be removed from the report.
If you find any errors in your credit reports, you should dispute them. Send a letter to all agencies involved. Include the errors you noted along with supporting documents that prove that the information on file is erroneous. Your letter should be sent with a request for return receipt, so you can have a record that it was received by the reporting agency.
Live within your means. This might be a tough thing to get your head around. In the not too distant past, credit was easy and people could stretch themselves too far, but now the economy is paying the price of those days. Take a realistic look at your financial situation and determine how much you can actually spend.
Credit Score
Use these tips to change your credit score and make it better. The helpful tips help stop your credit score from falling and make it go up instead.