Credit repair is something anyone with a sub par score wants to undertake, but there is a lot of misinformation out there. In fact, an entire scam business preying on those who want to do credit repair exists. Read on for some actual facts and advice about credit repair that you can apply.
What is hurting your credit score? When you are repairing your credit, take a look at your credit report and figure out what is damaging your credit. Is it late payments, maxed out credit cards, collection accounts? Work on getting these things taken care of make sure you do not repeat these mistakes again.
It is easy to find a loan even if you have bad credit, but it isn’t all positive. If you have bad credit, you are forced to pay higher interest rates and it is hard to find fair companies, that don’t punish you for negative credit. It is much easier to legally clean up your credit than to pay thousands of dollars more for a loan.
An important tip to consider when working to repair your credit is to ensure that if you feel as though you do need close a credit account, that you make sure the company notes that it was closed by you on the record. This is important because when creditors check your record, they will much prefer that you chose to close the account as opposed to the credit grantor.
Limit the number of times that you have credit inquiries done for you. They have negative impact on your score, and will show for twenty-four months. These inquiries could cause lenders to deny the application that you have submitted for a new line of credit, so do not apply for credit cards or loans unless there is no other payment option.
When seeking outside resources to help you repair your credit, it is wise to remember that not all nonprofit credit counseling organization are created equally. Even though some of these organizations claim non-profit status, that does not mean they will be either free, affordable, or even legitimate. Hiding behind their non-profit mask, some charge exorbitant fees or pressure those who use their services to make “voluntary” contributions.
While patience is an important part of the credit repair process, you should always follow up on letters you send, no matter who the recipient is. It might be hard to believe but some credit bureaus and debt collectors use the ostrich’s strategy (i.e. burying their heads in the sand) to deal with debtor’s letters. Send more letters after unanswered ones until you get a reply.
If you are trying to raise your credit score as much as possible, spread out your balances across two or three cards. While the total amount of debt that you have counts against you, more weight is put on the percentages of your limits that are being used. It is better to have 20% of the balance used on three cards than 60% on one.
Late fees associated with monthly bills such as credit card bills and utility bills have a drastically negative effect on your credit. Bad credit due to late fees also takes a long time to fix; however, it is a necessary fix as it is impossible to have good credit without paying these basic bills on time. If you are serious about fixing your credit, paying bills on time is the first and most important change you should make.
Working with a good credit counselor can go a long way to improve a bad credit history. Before you hire one, though, make sure that you’ve done your due diligence in researching them. There are plenty of scammers and con artists out there who prey on unsuspecting people who need help with their poor credit histories.
One of the most important things to do when setting out to repair a poor credit history, is to get a copy of your credit report and carefully check it over to see if there are any errors. A surprising number of credit reports do contain errors and correcting these can quickly improve your credit score.
There are scams that offer to help you create a new credit file. It can be tempting to think of leaving your bad credit behind and starting over. But creating new credit files is considered credit fraud and is illegal! Be careful not to fall for this type of scam!
One of the largest causes of bad credit is fraud. Staying on top of your credit by obtaining free yearly credit reports from the three major credit agencies will alert you of any fraudulent activity early on. The most common thing to watch for is new credit cards issued through the theft of your identity. Taking preventative measures like this will help you maintain high credit and reduce the need for unnecessary credit repair.
One of the most important things for you to do in credit repair is bring all of your bills current and keep them that way. Being current on your bills is one of the most important factors in determining your credit score. If you have too many bills to pay them all on time consider getting a debt consolidation loan.
With employment at an all-time low, you may find yourself falling behind on payments for the first time in your life. If your credit score has taken a major dive because of a job loss, don’t despair for credit repair is possible. Many times calling your lenders and explaining your situation can help bring down your monthly payments, making it easier to pay your bills on time each month.
Now that you have read the advice and wisdom in this article, you can start down the road toward credit repair armed with some good pieces of knowledge to apply. Keep in mind the facts, and avoid temptations and myths, and you can raise your credit score to higher levels in the coming future.
