Jeanette Joy Fisher asked:




Many Americans continue to find themselves in a credit muddle. For a variety of reasons, they can’t obtain credit while they try to rebuild a ruined credit rating. Here are some things that lenders look at, and some suggestions for how you can make yourself appear more creditworthy to potential creditors.

What Not to Do



Although many people think that the best way to begin rebuilding credit is to apply for many new credit cards, that practice may actually hurt your chances. The reason is that credit card companies may assume that since you’ve applied for many cards, you may have been issued a number of them, which could mean a potentially higher debt load in the future. On the other hand, they might look at the fact that many of the cards weren’t issued, which could mean the other companies didn’t trust you to make your payments. Either way, you lose, so be selective in applying for cards, and space out your requests rather than making a bunch of them in a short time.

Of course, creditors also look at the types of black marks that show up in your credit history. From best to worst, the things that will hurt you most are: payments that were late by 90 days, IRS liens, court judgments, accounts that were turned over to collection agencies, accounts that were charged off as uncollectible, repossessed goods or merchandise, real estate foreclosures, and bankruptcies.

What to Do



Creditors such as banks also look favorably at things like having a savings and/or a checking account with their institution, having a telephone in your own name, whether or not you own your home, and how long you’ve been at your current address. They’re looking for stability before extending credit.

Lenders also calculate your present debt ratio to see if you can take on more debt. They’ll generally add up all your monthly bills (not including rent/mortgage or utilities) and divide that number by your gross monthly income. If your ratio is more than 35%, they probably won’t extend you credit. You can help lower that figure by consolidating your debts, which will lower your monthly payment and decrease your debt ratio, which will give you a better chance to qualify for credit, even though it won’t reduce your actual overall indebtedness.

If you’re turned down for credit, you have the right to know why. The law says that creditors must provide specific reasons and the name and address of the credit bureau they used to make their decision. If the reasons your rejection doesn’t sound right, obtain a copy of your credit report from the bureau that the creditor used and check it for errors. You have the right to request a free copy of the report that caused you to be rejected. If you find errors, there are ways you can have them changed. Then contact the creditor again and explain the error. You just might be extended credit the next time.

Remember, lenders are in business to make a profit, so they must screen all potential borrowers carefully. However, once you know what they look for, you can make an effort to address those things in order to make yourself appear more creditworthy. Take one step at a time to rebuild poor credit.

Copyright

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Wesley Atkins asked:




Do you have a poor credit rating? If so, you are one of tens of thousands of Americans with the same problem. In fact, it seems that this has become a national ‘disease.’ And just what do people need that have a disease? They need a cure.

Here are some sure-fire solutions to ‘ repair bad credit ‘. Keep in mind, like most ‘diseases,’ credit repair can take some time, but complete healing is possible.

The First Step

The first thing you need to do is find out what is being reported about you. This is easy and inexpensive. For under $10, you can get your credit report from one of the three main credit reporting companies: Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion. Keep in mind however, that if you have recently been denied credit, you can get a free report from the same credit bureau the lender used to reject you as long as you do so within 30 days.

What You Don’t Need

You don’t need a repair clinic. Why? There is no legal way to ‘repair’ your credit. Those that claim to know loopholes and shortcuts are merely out for your money. They may even get you into legal trouble by having you fudge the facts or creating a whole new file for you. Anything legal that a clinic can do, you can do just as easily and without the cost of ‘professional’ help.

Further Steps to Take

1. Stop using your credit cards immediately. Put them somewhere where they will not tempt you. You may consider keeping at least one card for emergency purposes. Additionally, with poor credit, you may find it more difficult to get a credit card in the future. If you keep at least one account open, then you won’t have to worry about applying.

2. Be Honest With Yourself. Taking a good hard look at your financial situation, particularly if it isn’t good, can be very difficult. Yet, to get out debt you have to fully understand what the situation is.

3. Find the Errors. Believe it or not, up to 40% of all credit reports have errors in them. If you find that your credit report shows something that is not true, you need to write to them with all the details. Be sure to use certified mail so that you can keep track of who you wrote to, when you wrote, and who received the mail on the credit bureau’s end. Then ask the credit bureau to send a corrected report to anyone who has requested a report on you in the last 6 months.

4. Find the Omissions. By law, you are allowed to add information to your report that you believe will help your rating. This might be additional information about a repayment of a loan, good credit you have with companies that do not report to the credit bureau, or salary increases.

5. You Must Have a Plan. Whether you determine to pay your bills down little at a time, take a second job, go to credit counseling, or file bankruptcy, you need to make a plan and stick to it. In order for your credit to be improved, you have to have a plan and then take action!

6. Talk to those that you owe. Creditors want their money. They do not want you to default (quit paying). In fact, most creditors will work with you to get a reduced payment schedule. If you can keep them from reporting you to the credit bureau, then it won’t hurt your credit. The catch here is this: be sure to stick to the new negotiated plan – they won’t renegotiate if you fail to comply.

7. The Best Cure is Time. Have you ever heard the saying ‘time heals all wounds’? It also heals your credit. After 7 years, most items will be dropped. This is good news if you are working to correct your credit. As each year passes, more and more bad items will drop off and more and more good items will be included. Eventually, the disease will be cured.

Follow these steps and you will find that your credit looks healthier and healthier each day. Eventually this path will lead you to full recovery. Good Luck!

Juan

Conleth Onu asked:




Disputing negative entries on your credit report is the most effective method to delete unfavorable information and improve your credit rating.

Many people in America have negative information on their credit report. These derogatory items can be detrimental to your ability to obtain loans, credit cards and other financial services.

You have the right to dispute any inaccurate or incomplete information that is contained in your credit report. There is no charge for this.

If an account is not being reported 100% accurately, by law the credit bureau must remove it from your report.

Here’s How The Process Works.

1. You get a copy of your credit report from the credit bureaus.

2. When you get your reports you carefully review them and note any negative accounts and inaccuracies.

3. You then dispute the negative accounts. Submit the dispute in writing, along with any supporting documentation. If the credit bureau cannot verify the accuracy of any item you dispute, they must remove the item within the alloted time.

4. When the investigation is complete, the credit bureau must send you a free copy of your report if the dispute results in a change.

You can continue this process until you are satisfied with the outcome. Remember, if the negative item is not 100% accurate the credit bureau must remove it from your file.

Before you begin the process, it is essential that you have good information on how to go about restoring your credit.

Do you want to learn more about how to do it? I have written the ultimate guide to credit repair, “How To Clean Up Bad Credit And Establish AAA-1 credit Rating.” For free details, click the link below to visit my website.

Jimmy

Raj asked:


I am new to US. have been here for 2 months. so, I don not have any credit cards. When I see my credit report, I cannot see my employment records. I came to know that only credit card companies update the employment records with Credit Bureau. The other option is for the individuals to update it directly with Credit Bureau. I am not sure how to do this.

Terri

TC asked:


I need more open lines of credit but I don’t want to get a loan or do credit cards. What major stores or businesses report to the credit bureau?

Melvin

Adi Hart asked:




The demand for credit counseling services is booming with the recent economic recession. Credit card debt has soared to a record of 1 trillion dollars. As the economy begins to regain strength credit counseling services are receiving more business from the many Americans that are still struggling.

These services may be capable of repairing your dept to some extent. Yet with the credit counseling services being a $7 Billion a year industry, how do you know if they are legitimate businesses or a scam?

With the increase in availability of credit cards, and the vast number of consumers that have taken to their use, it is not wonder that so many services have begun to appear. There are now over one thousand credit counseling services that service nearly 400,000 consumers. This problem will continue to escalate as new legislation has cause many major credit card providers to increase their interest rates.

These increased interest rates will make it more difficult, and possibly impossible, for the already struggling consumers to handle their credit card debt. As more and more people begin to struggle, the credit counseling services will begin to increase in popularity amongst consumers.

As more consumers begin to move towards declaring bankruptcy, credit providers will be forced to be more willing to negotiate, as the declaration of bankruptcy would leave them with nothing.

These companies are meant to thrive upon this new codependent relationship that the banks have with consumers. Without the banks willingness to negotiate, these companies would have no business.

These customers using the credit counseling services will normally go into business working with their own personal counselor. These counselors will not only work to negotiate terms with the banks but also to inform the customer of how better to avoid future problems.

Once the debtor has entered into one of these credit counseling services all of their previous bills are summed up into one monthly payment. This is then handled by the service and distributed out to the different creditors as needed.

However, during this time the debtor is effectively shut off from receiving anymore credit. This closed line of credit will be kept for the entirety of the program which can take roughly four to five years.

These services can provide many phenomenal benefits to struggling consumers, and can relieve much of the stress that is accompanied by debt trouble. However, even more stress can be created if you begin to deal with an illegitimate business.

With the recent increase in credit problems many start ups have been created in order to capitalize on the new emerging trends. These new companies were excellent advertisers in comparison to the already dominating Consumer Credit Counseling Services, but not all were as legitimate.

These companies are supposed to work with creditors to negotiate payment plans and reduce interest rates to help out those in debt.

Some of these illegitimate businesses would charge fees, to the tune of $3000 dollars, claiming that they would settle your debt.

However, these companies would often use the money to attempt and settle multiple debts, not just the customers, which would often lead to them owing substantially more money. Therefore it is a good idea to check with the Better Business Bureau before working with any of these credit counseling services /companies.

For the most part a legitimate company will not make you spend exorbitant fees to set up an account with them. As another sign of legitimacy you should also check to see if they are affiliated with the National Foundation for Credit Counseling or the Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies.

Even then if there are missing payments within the first few months, you have probably begun business with an illegitimate credit counseling service, and should immediately stop doing business with them.

Lorraine

Ann Richter asked:




Have you ever wondered just what kind of information is in your credit report? It’s a good idea to contact a credit bureau to get that free copy that each individual bureau is required by Federal law to supply you with each year. This is about the only way you have of finding out your credit score, or to see if anyone has tried to get a credit card in your name. In this age of identity fraud, this happens more often than you might think.

Where are the Credit Bureaus?

There are four major consumer credit reporting agencies that serve the entire United States. They are -

Equifax

1.800.685.1111

P.O. Box 740241

Atlanta, GA 30374

TransUnion

1.800.888.4213

P.O. Box 1000

Chester, PA 19022-1000

Experian

1.888.397.3742

P.O. Box 2002

Allen, TX 75013

Innovis

1.800.540.2505

P.O. Box 1358

Columbus, OH 43216 -1358

How do Credit Bureaus Work?

When you applied for your very first credit card or loan, one of these four credit bureaus started a file on you, which included where you work and how much your income was at that time. As you moved up in the world, accumulating more credit cards, mortgage and car loans, and possibly student loans as well, these have kept tabs on you, duly noting each salary increase, job change, each account and payment, and every purchase made on your credit cards. Whenever you applied for credit, the lender will get your information from the credit bureau.

How Do I Get My Information from a Credit Bureau?

By law, you have a right to see your credit file, and not just the once a year free report that each of the four major bureaus offer. If you have any of the following criteria, you should contact one of the four big guys above at any time.

Turned down for credit, or denied a job or insurance coverage because of something in your credit file If you are out of work, and will be searching for employment during the next 60 days. If you are on welfare If there are any errors in your file because of fraud or identity theft

If you have none of these problems, and just are curious as to what is in your file, the best way to keep a close check on what’s going on is to take advantage of the freebies offered by the big four. Each limits you to one report per year, but you can play the role of smart consumer, and use this rule to your advantage. Order a report from one company, then in a few months, order another from a different company. With the proper timing, you can end up with a free credit report four times a year if you contact a different company each time.

Whether you just are curious about what kind of information is in your file, or whether you suspect identity theft, start with any of these four major credit bureaus. In a world where very little is free, it’s nice to know that you can check up on something so important at no charge.

Ruby

Ali Zane asked:




Kelly is a middle class blue collar Californian, who has made a conscious effort to keep a positive credit standing with all his creditors, ranging from his mortgage lender to his credit card company.He has prided himself in making prompt payments to all his creditors and not incurred a single late payment in his entire life. However, much to his horror he got turned down for a $300 limit Sears store card, the reason being a mere 589 Fico Score.

Credit scores also known as Fico Scores range between 300 and 850, with scores over 700 being considered respectable scores, score below 660 would find it difficult to get approved for even small credit cards , similar to the one Kelly applied for. Keep in mind that 58% of Americans have a Fico Score exceeding 700, 27% fall between 600 and 700, with the remaining 15% scoring below 600 *.

Now what caused Kelly to have a mediocre credit score despite having a flawless credit history?In order to answer this question we will look into how Fico Scores are calculated. Below are five factors that are used to derive your Fico Score:

Payment History – 35% Credit Card Capacity (Amount You Owe, compared to credit limit) – 30% Length of Credit History – 15% Types of Credit – 10% New Credit – 10%

Since 30% of your credit score is calculated by factoring in the percentage of your available credit being utilized, it is possible to have a poor credit rating despite having a good payment history by keeping your credit card balances close to maximum limits, which is what happened in Kelly’s case.

Now let’s study these five categories closely and figure out what you need to do to optimize your credit score.

Payment History-35%

This is the most self-explanatory category, simply pay your bills on time and do not be more than 30 days late on any bill, as creditors start reporting late payments on your credit at that time.

If you do foreseeing yourself being late on a bill , you are better off notifying the creditor in advance as some installment loans might allow a special 30 day forbearance without any adverse affect on your credit.

A recent late payment affects your credit more adversely than an older one, so do not be surprised to see a drop of 60 odd points on a new late you incur if you currently have a flawless credit history.

Credit Card Capacity-30%

It is not how much money you owe, but what percentage of your available credit limit you are using up. You are going to affect your score more adversely if your combined credit card limits are $500 and you are using $400 of it, as compared to using up $50,000 of $100,000 available credit.

Therefore you should carry balances on not more than a couple of credit cards and preferably keep their balances at 10% utilization of the credit limits of those accounts. Doing so can result in an increase of over 60 points.

Length of Credit History-15%

The older your credit history is the higher your credit gets propelled by this factor. You can expect someone with a 20 year old credit profile to have a relatively higher Fico Score than compared to someone that has had a credit profile for 10 years, considering all other factors are similar.

Types of Credit – 10%

This factor pertains to the assortment of the credit accounts found on your credit profile. In order to satisfy this category, one is expected to have open and active at lease one of each of the different credit accounts: a) Mortgage Account b) Installment Account c) Revolving/credit card account.

Of the three different types of accounts above, not having an open credit card account will affect your credit the most. So for those who do not have an open credit card, simply by acquiring one will result in a Fico Score boost of up to 30 points.

New Credit – 10%

Your score is also calculated by factoring in the average length of time accounts have been open on your credit report. Opening a new account contributes negatively to this factor, also it is not wise to close old accounts as they will lower this average. Therefore you will notice as accounts become more seasoned your credit score will propel provided no new accounts have been opened.

Also factored into this category are recent requests for your credit reports made by prospective lenders and the number of recently opened accounts you have. It is advisable to keep both at a bare minimum.

Now that you are able to better comprehend the computation of your credit score, let’s do a recap of what steps you can take to ensure the optimal Fico Score.

Ensure credit bureau data is accurate and dispute legitimate errors. Pay down the credit cards first that are near their limits (assuming interest rates are close to the same). Pay down total revolving balances, but do not close these accounts. (i.e. keep balances low and limits high). Move revolving balances to installment debt; but again, do not close the revolving accounts. Minimize new accounts, do not open any credit accounts unless necessary or if you are looking to diversify your mix of credit accounts. If you are transferring balances due to an offer from a new credit card company, a better strategy than getting a new credit card is to ask your current credit card lenders if they have any existing offers, rather than opening a new credit card. If you have closed some revolving accounts recently, a better strategy than opening up new accounts would be to call the lenders where he or she closed the account and see if they can re-open the same accounts and are able to keep the original open date.

Jennifer