Tag Archives: report

Filing for bankruptcy can be the first step to restoring your credit

So, a Fresno bankruptcy can actually start you on the way to good credit? This is a critical question to ask your Fresno Bankruptcy Attorney. First of all, you need to understand that the old adage: “the bigger they are – the harder they fall.” Comes into play here.

If your credit is in the 700’s or higher. It is true that your credit is going to take a significant drop after filing for bankruptcy. However, most people that file bankruptcy have been struggling to keep up their payments for a long time. So their credit is already in the 500’s or so.

The way credit companies rate your credit has to do with the high balances you carry on your credit cards and how many slow pays that show up on your credit report. Once you file for bankruptcy, the balances are wiped to zero and the credit companies can no longer report any late payments.

So your credit slate has been wiped clean. Typically a person will see a big drop in their credit for a short time, but as you start to make smart financial decisions your credit will begin to grow. Your late payments no longer appear and you don’t show high balances.

People often receive an offer for a credit card within 6 to 9 months of filing for bankruptcy. Of course the rates are very high. If you choose to to accept a credit card, be careful! Only use the credit card for gas and incidentals and pay it off every month.

After a year or so, you’ll be able to purchase a car on credit. But don’t run out and purchase the car of your dreams. Look at that car as a credit tool. Buy a car that represents very affordable monthly payments that you can pay off in three years. Remember, this car is not your dream car. It’s a car to get you back into the American Dream. It will help you re-establish credit.

In conclusion, people often ask if bankruptcy will ruin their credit. The true fact is, most people already have bad credit and the quickest way to start a new credit life is through a thoughtful bankruptcy.

Obviously, each person needs to make the decision to declare bankruptcy with caution and with sound legal advise. We suggest you contact a Bankruptcy Attorney in Fresno to explore all of your options.

You can contact the Winter Law Group at

Smart Tips for Subprime Loan Borrowers

After submitting a loan application to your chosen lender, you have been informed that you are not qualified for an approval due to a poor credit rating. Obviously, you have submitted your application to a lender that only accepts customers with good credit. Perhaps you thought that your credit rating is good enough to pass. Unfortunately, it wasn’t. So, what can you do?

If you really need to acquire a loan due to a financial emergency, then you can look for a lending company that extends loans for people with imperfect credit rating. These lenders are also called subprime lenders and they are more lenient in approving loans compared to other loan providers.

Thus, before submitting a loan application, check your personal credit report and if your credit score is 620 or below, you should look for loans in the subprime category. Nevertheless, some subprime loan companies may take advantage of your situation and charge you with high interest rates and expensive fees. If you’re not smart with choosing your lender, you could end up with an unreasonable loan deal.

Listed below are practical tips that are specially intended for people in search for a bad credit loan:

Check your credit report. Order a copy of your report from each of three major credit reporting agencies (Trans Union, Experian and Equifax ) so you can personally check your credit standing. Check your report for errors which can hurt your score even more. In case there are errors, send a letter of dispute to the credit reporting agency that issued your report to have the incorrect items corrected.

Compare bad credit offers. Of course, subprime lenders offer different rates and to find the most reasonable deal, you must spend time comparing your options. Use the internet to check out the available loan programs especially offered for people with bad credit history. Expect subprime loans to have higher interest rates than loans that require good credit. Nevertheless, you should never settle for an unreasonable deal. By investigating your available options, you can be assured that you can choose a bad credit loan with the lowest possible rate.

Carefully evaluate your loan contract. Spend time reading and understanding each and every statement in your loan contract. Check for hidden fees as well. If there are terms or phrases in the document that you do not fully understand, do not hesitate to ask for a clear explanation. If the lender cannot give you a straight and clear answer to your questions, it’s best to find another.

Improve your credit score. Use your subprime loan to work for improvement. By submitting your monthly loan payments religiously on time, you should be able improve your credit score within six month after your loan’s approval. Order a copy of your credit report from the three credit bureaus to make sure that you are doing progress. Continue with your good payment habits not only with your lending company but with all your other creditors as well. After a year of consistent payments, you should be able to regain good credit history and refinance your loan to enjoy lower interest.