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Fixing Your Credit Yourself
Fixing your credit yourself doesn’t have to be as hard as it’s made out to be. If you’ve been turned down a few times because of your low score it’s easy to start feeling like you’re doomed forever, but the truth is that there are many small changes you can make that will have a huge impact.
Before you can do anything you need to get a copy of your credit report, which you can do free (once a year) online. Your score is calculated based on information in this report, so you’ll need this to know what you need to work on.
Probably the biggest thing you can do to help yourself, that takes a bit more effort and time for most, is to pay down any balances you have open. This will go a long way towards fixing your credit. Of course, many don’t have the option to do this immediately, but over time this is the best thing you can do to help yourself.
Once you have your report the first thing you’re going to want to do, because it is the easiest and fastest, is check over your report for mistakes. We’re not really interested in things like misspellings of your name, we’re looking for accounts you have paid off in full marked open, or overdue. An important factor in calculating your score is the ratio of the credit you’ve used, versus that which is available to you. Look at where your card limits are listed and check to see if they’re correct, if they are marked as lower you’ll want to have this fixed. Any mistakes you find you can call and ask companies to change them, if they’re unhelpful keep calling until it gets fixed.
As a general rule, on a month to month basis, I recommend using less than thirty percent of your limit on your cards, and paying them off in full each month. This will give you a healthy record of using your finances sparingly and carefully.
While there, of course, more things you can to help fix your credit yourself, these steps will give you a good running start.
Credit Card Counselor
Bad credit can be a tough thing to go through and fix. The main purpose of bad credit is due to a credit card or two. A credit card can damage your credit if you do not make your monthly payments on time. With a credit card counselor, you can get your credit back on track so you and your family can enjoy the things you love. It is hard to believe how much good credit can get you in life. If your debt is so bad that it is taking over your income then it is time to start talking to a credit card counselor.
When going to a credit card counselor they will first talk to you about your situation. After that, they will pull up a copy of your credit report to see what kind of problems are on there. They will look for errors that might be slowing you down and lowering your credit score. If there are any errors they can help, you to get them fixed.
After that, they will see what kind of debt you have and exactly how bad the debt is. If your debt is minor, you might be able to fix it all on your own. If you have bad credit card debt then the credit card counselor will talk to you about a one monthly payment. They set up a monthly payment to pay on all your debt. Therefore, instead of you trying to figure out what you can pay each week, they give you an amount to pay each month and then they pay on your credit card bills. This helps you out and you do not have to worry about the credit card bills so much.
After getting your credit score back up, you will want to make sure that all payments are made on time. Making payments on time will keep your credit score up and going. Then when you need a loan, house, or a car you can go out and get one. Getting your credit score fixed and your score back up, you can give your family what they want and deserve. Just make sure to keep up your credit score and you will never have to see a credit card counselor again.
If you want to have a credit card counselor to help you fix your debt than you will want to look for the right person to do it for you. Make sure you check out all the different credit card counselors out there to make sure you find the right one. You can look in your local yellow pages to find a close one nearby or you can go online and see what kind credit card counselors you can find there. If you are not sure about the ones you find you can give them a call and see what they have to say about your situation and what they can do to help you. This can give you a good idea on who can help you the best for your situation.