Credit reporting errors can have a negative effect on your credit score while making improvements difficult. The most efficient way to fix your credit is doing it yourself. Here are a few ideas for fixing your credit.
Look into government backed loans if you do not have the credit that is needed to go the traditional route through a bank or credit union. They are a big help in home owners that are looking for a second chance when they had trouble with a previous mortgage or loan.
Buy in cash. Credit and debit cards have made purchasing a thoughtless process. We don't often realize how much we have spent or are spending. To curb your shopping habits, only buy in cash. It will give you a visual to how much that item actually costs, and make you consider if it is really worth it.
Report older negative items even if you know they are correct. If you report an item, the agency will contact the owner of the debt to confirm that it is an accurate debt. Many agencies either do not have the time to respond or no longer have the records available. It's worth the time to see if you can get these removed.
Keep using cards that you've had for a while for small amounts here and there to keep it active and on your credit report. The longer that you have had a card the better the effect it has on your FICO score. If you have cards with better rates or limits, keep the older ones open by using them for small incidental purchases.
Read the Fair Credit Reporting Act because it can be of great help to you. Reading this bit of information will let you know your rights. This Act is approximately an 86 page read that is filled with legal terms. To be sure you know what you're reading, you may want to have an attorney or someone who is familiar with the act present to help you understand what you're reading.
An important tip to consider when working to repair your credit is to always consider credit counselling before making any drastic decisions. This is important because you may not know what is always best for you and it is sometimes best to leave it up to the experts. There are many free and government provided debt counseling agencies.
An important tip to consider when working to repair your credit is where the credit scoring system came from. It is important to know this because there is one main system that the biggest reporting agencies use, FICO, and this system was created in order to provide a more uniform method in judging one's risk for borrowing money.
When repairing your credit, look over your credit report for errors. Look for duplicity of information, accounts that do not belong to you, late payment reporting which are false (always keep record of payments for backup) and records that are older than seven years. Finding errors and alerting the credit bureaus is proactive in repairing your credit.
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.
Avoid filing for bankruptcy. Bankruptcy can make getting credit almost impossible for many years. Though the idea of ridding yourself of debt can sound appealing, the long term consequences just aren't worth it. It may be hard to get a credit card or a loan if you declare bankruptcy.
Pay for a credit monitoring service. These services will take a fee from you to report to you monthly on the activity on your credit, ways that you can improve your score, and also will alert you to any potential errors or omissions. If you are trying to rebuild your credit, these services can be very helpful.
If you are behind on some bills, catch up as soon as you can. The longer that you pay your bills on time, the higher your credit score will be. Don't beat yourself up if you are way behind right now, just budget your money so that you can have a time frame of when you will be caught up.
If you need to fix a bad credit history, a good first step is to get a handle on your monthly budget. Keep track of exactly how much money is coming in and how much is going out. Set up a schedule for your bills and make sure everything is getting paid on time. Understanding your finances is key to improving your credit.
If you want to remove inaccurate negative items from your credit report, file a dispute. You can do this yourself, for free, for any piece of information on your credit report that you believe is incomplete or inaccurate. You'll need to file the dispute in writing with the reporting company, and include copies of any documents you have that indicate why you feel an item is wrong or incomplete. (Don't send original documents!)
Help repair your credit by using a pre-paid credit or debit card. Unlike traditional credit cards which actually loan you money, the pre-paid card uses only money you have loaded onto it. This kind of credit card improves credit because there is no debt, or late payments. You can only spend what you have!
By now, you should be encouraged to know that there is much you can do to help repair your bad credit. Use the helpful tips in this article to help you raise your credit score. Repairing your credit on your own can work, and it's an excellent way of improving your record.
Orignal From: You Can Fix Your Credit With These Tips
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