What You Should Know If You Have Bad Credit

In order for you to properly repair your credit, you need the correct information so you don't struggle more than necessary. This article will give you the information you definitely need to know about repairing your credit damage. As difficult as this process can be, it is manageable.

If your credit history has put you in the position where you are not able to obtain a regular credit card, you should try to get a secured credit card to begin rebuilding your credit. 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. Responsible use of any credit card can help your credit rating. However, never forget that irresponsible use will get you in trouble every time.


Always pay your bills on time. Not paying your bills on time will cause needless late fees. There's no need wasting money on fees by simply paying bills when they are due. Be in charge of your finances, pay your bills on time, and don't throw your money away on late fees.

With the new credit card laws in place, banks must now decline your card in the event of a possible overdraft. They will most likely try to get you to opt out of this, claiming that it is a service they provide to approve the purchase anyways, and then charge you a small fee. These fees are high. You will be much better off getting declined and using a different bank account or credit card for your purchase, than paying their fees.

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.

Paying your monthly bills in a timely fashion is a basic step towards fixing your credit problems. Letting bills go unpaid exposes you to late fees, penalties and can hurt your credit. If you lack the funds to pay all your monthly bills, contact the companies you owe and explain the situation. Offer to pay what you can. Paying some is much better than not paying at all.

When you need to repair your credit, pay more than the minimum monthly payment on your debts whenever you can. Paying beyond the minimum, cuts down debts faster. In the case of serious debts, the minimum monthly payment may do little more than negate the debt's interest. Paying off such debts on the minimum plan can take many years.

There are many books and websites about how to repair credit. Taking the time to learn how to go through this process will be quite beneficial to you. All of the information that you find will be quite valuable to you either now to repair your credit, or sometime in the future to avoid having to go through this again.

When contacting a company to obtain aid in fixing your credit, do not hire one that offers to help you by creating a false credit identity through an Employer Identification Number as a way to sidestep using your Social Security number. Not only is this illegal advice, you will be committing fraud and you might end up in legal hot water.

If you are trying to repair your credit report, remember that not all debts are considered equal, especially major problems like bankruptcies or forclosures. Once foreclosure proceedings finish, your credit score will immediately begin to improve, but most lenders will not give you another mortgage for at least two years after the foreclosure, no matter how good your credit score is.

Decide who you want to rent from: an individual or a corporation. Both has its advantages and disadvantages. Your credit, employment or residency problems can be explained more easily to a landlord than to a corporate representative. Your maintenance needs can be addressed easier though when you rent from a real estate corporation. Find the solution for your specific situation.


If you can afford to pay your credit card balance in full every month, you should. It shows the credit card company you are responsible, and could lead to credit limit increases later on. Even if you can't pay off the full balance, try to pay as much as you can.

You need to keep in mind that repairing your credit is a very long and tedious process, and it requires a lot of time and patience on your part. If any company contacts you and says they can solve all of your problems right away, they are being dishonest.

You should be sure to fix any information on your credit report that may be inaccurate. Every year there are many errors that are incorrectly reported to credit reporting agencies. You should carefully review your report, and contact the credit reporting agency to dispute any errors you find. Follow up to make sure proper corrections are made.

Don't ever pay a credit repair service anything, especially a large deposit, up front. The Federal Credit Repair Organizations Act actually prohibits any agency from accepting payment before the credit repair services are rendered. Any company demanding payment up front is by definition breaking the law, and is probably only a scam.

Remember that a secured card is better than nothing when it comes to rebuilding your credit. A secured card means that you've given the company the same amount of money that you will have a credit line for. This gives security to the lender in case of you defaulting and it allows you to start building a positive credit history. Save up your money and apply.

Since you know the stress of credit repair, it is time for you to find the stress relief of credit repair. Take the information you have learned about credit repair in this article, and apply it to your specific situation. With this, you should now be on the right track to repair in no time.