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Edmonton Car Dealer Explains How to Get a Car Loan Approved (Page 1 of 2)

I meet Albertans every week who’ve experienced financial difficulties resulting in damage to their credit score. Although the stories about what lead to the problem have common themes, there is a lot of misinformation out there about what it takes to repair credit and get a loan for a car or truck.

In northern Alberta, having a vehicle is not a luxury. Most of us need a car to get to work, take the kids to hockey, ringette, figure skating, soccer, or just buy groceries. It is a matter of survival.

I understand how stressful it can be if you are having, or are worried about having, a problem getting a car loan. I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I wasn’t always a car dealer. My wife and I’ve had several car loans. We know exactly what it’s like to sit across the desk from a guy in a suit, anxiously awaiting the decision if we “qualified” for our loan, or not. It is a feeling I never particularly enjoyed, nor will I ever forget.

Here are few facts you may not be aware of…

As many as 20-30% of Edmonton families purchasing today may encounter difficulty in obtaining the credit approval they need for the automobile they want. A majority of people at some point in their lives will have an issue, be it missing a few credit card payments, slow repayment of student loans, excessive negative equity in their current car, divorce, sickness, or job loss. If it hasn’t happened to us personally, we all have a friend or relative who’s had financial problems. When someone has a credit problem, they are not as likely to shop around for the best deal because they assume their options are limited. This may have been the case five years ago, but not today.

What about all those ads?

There is no shortcut to repairing your credit. It is not easy. It takes work. It takes time. Beware of any company claiming otherwise. Beware of any company making statements that seem too good to be true. The newspapers are full of advertisements saying they can help you. Everyday I hear radio commercials claiming they can help “even if your mama wont loan you money.” Anyone responding to such an advertisement will soon discover, before “they” spend time with you, they want your social insurance number, date of birth, and work history so they can “run a credit check” or “credit bureau”. They do this so they can quickly qualify your application. They will rarely, if ever, spend the time required to actually help you if your application is not approved in the first 24 hours. It is more cost effective to advertise for new customers.

How can you protect your private information and why should you care?

Ironically, one of the problems we encounter when trying to help people repair their credit is the damage done by companies claiming they can help repair your credit. Every time you give out your social insurance number over a website or to an individual to “run a credit check” the inquiry is recorded on your credit file. When banks review your credit history and see several inquiries from different dealers, finance companies, and banks they assume all the other guys turned down your loan and label you a “credit seeker”. The more you try to get an approval, the harder it becomes. Most loan officers look very hard at any application they believe others have declined.

Tips on How to Rebuild Credit after Bankruptcy

Many consumers today are very conscious about their credit scores. This is because they know that their respective credit ratings directly determine the terms and rates of interest that will be imposed on the financing deals that they might be taking in the future.

These consumers are also well aware of the fact that a bad credit report can significantly reduce their chances of being granted low interest credit programs. They know that having bad credit marks such as tax liens, foreclosure, court judgments and of course bankruptcy can cause lenders to shy away from extending them the financing deals they need.

Let us consider the effect of bankruptcy. A bankruptcy record is usually retained on your credit file for a period of seven to ten years. This means that you will have a very difficult time searching for lenders, willing to provide you credit lines, for a very long time. You will have to wait for a minimum of seven years before your bad credit report will be dropped and before you can receive again offers for low interest credit accounts.

Still, this does not mean that you have to wait that long before you start repairing your credit history. It is possible to gradually rebuild your credit reputation even after your debts have been discharged under bankruptcy. But how can you do this? You will find the answer to this question in the succeeding paragraphs of this article.

Three Tips on Rebuilding Credit History After Bankruptcy

Even if you cannot eliminate bankruptcy from your credit records, you can do things that will help improve your credit score. Below, we have listed three tips that you can employ to do so.

1. Regularly check your credit report. Always obtain a copy of your credit file from the three credit reporting agencies -Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. You can do this by ordering your free annual credit report from Annualcreditreport.com.

Once you have received your credit report, you must carefully check the entries reflected on it. Scrutinize your personal information, as well as your existing credit accounts. In case you find an error or misprint, immediately file a dispute letter with any of the three credit reporting firms. This way, you can prompt them to investigate your credit records and verify your claim. Should they find your claim valid, they will issue you an updated and more reliable credit file.
2. Seek professional assistance. There are many non-profit organizations that provide free credit repair services. By enrolling in these programs you can certainly learn effective tips that you can use to gradually regain your credit reputation. Not only that. Credit repair guides also provide advice on how you can manage your finances as well as your credit accounts responsibly. This way, they can assist you to avoid falling into new debt traps and encountering bigger financial problems in the future.

3. Make a conscious effort to avoid debts. The two tips we have listed above will not work unless you resolve to change your spending habits. So, we encourage you to avoid incurring new debts. Apply the money-management tips that you have learned from your free credit repair sessions. This way, you can succeed in regaining your credit worthiness and in recovering your financial health.

Follow these three tips and for sure you can successfully rebuild credit even after you have filed for bankruptcy.