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5 Tips To Help You Deal With Credit Card Debt

5 Tips To Help You Deal With Credit Card Debt

Do you tend to be late in paying your credit card bills? Is your pile of notices from creditors getting higher and higher? Do you fear you might lose your properties because you can’t pay off your credit card debt?

Being in deep credit card debt is not a thing that can be easily brushed off or treated lightly. Anyone who’s been in this situation knows how terrible it feels. However, if you ever find yourself in deep credit card debt, there are things you can do to make your financial situation not worse than it already is.

Tip #1: Budget right away.

Don’t wait until you lose your house. As soon as you find yourself in a bad financial situation, make a budget right away. How much is your income? Does it cover your expenditures? Assess your situation and know which expenditures are vital and which are not. Do you really need to eat out three times a week? Do you truly need to have all the bells and whistles that come with your cellphone plan? Must you shop for clothes every week? Your budget needs to cover all your basic necessities: food, housing, clothes, basic utilities, and health-related costs.

Tip #2: Face your creditors.

Many deal with their creditors by avoiding them or running away from them. Dealing with creditors this way only leads to bigger and more serious problems. If you find yourself having a hard time paying off your debts on time, the best way to deal with it is to contact your creditors right away. Disclose to them your reasons for not being able to pay your debts and ask if they can come up with a revised payment arrangement. It’s important that you let your creditors know that, while you are in debt, you are very willing to pay it off. Face your creditors. Don’t let them reach a point where they pass your situation to a debt collection agency.

Tip #3: Deal with debt collectors.

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act is a federal law clearly stating that debt collectors cannot bug you, give false assertions or do anything that is not fair when they are trying to collect money from you. Read and understand this federal know so you can properly address debt collectors.

Tip #4: Consider credit counseling to get tips on how to get out of credit card debt.

There are groups and institutions that offer credit counseling for those who need help with their financial problems. A good credit counseling organization can help you come up with an improved payment arrangement for your credit card debts. You can present this plan to your creditors for their approval.

Tip #5: File for bankruptcy.

Filing for personal bankruptcy is a last resort to fixing — and the legal way of addressing — your credit card debt. However, keep in mind that if you file for bankruptcy, it will remain in your financial information report for years. Thus, you may find it difficult to get additional credit, buy a house, or even get a job with a bankruptcy on your financial information report.

Bad Credit Repair – Solving The Problem

Bad Credit Repair – Solving The Problem

It is possible to fix your bad credit, with time, patience, and determination. The first step to bad credit repair is fixing any problems you may have with money.

1) Get a credit report on yourself and check out what is on them. You are allowed by U.S. law to get a free copy from each of the three major credit companies once every 12 months.

2) Once you have your credit reports, check them for accuracy. If there are any errors or things you disagree with, you are entitled by the Fair Credit Reporting Act law to dispute anything in the report that is not accurate. Write to the credit reporting company and explain what the problems are. They will then investigate the matter and let you know what happens. If they find the information is not accurate, they will fix that on your credit report.

Unfortunately, you can’t remove anything negative that is accurate information about you. Only time can do that. But adding more good information does help.

3) If your credit needs repair, start work on it now. Start paying off old unpaid debts and loans, starting with the smallest ones.

4) Start paying more than the minimum payment on your current credit card payments.

5) Do not get into any new debt. This is essential. Make it a priority to get out of debt. Cut up (or lock up) the credit cards, if they are a problem for you. Make it a commitment to become debt-free.

6) Live within your means. Make a budget and live by it.

7) Start saving money. If you have poor credit, it is much easier to buy a home or a car with a cash down payment, than without one.

There are many sources of help available. Consumer Credit Counseling Service provides budget counseling, educational programs, debt management assistance, and housing counseling. There are also many local branches of this nonprofit organization, so check for one near your location.

There are many “for-profit” organizations that will help you with debt consolidation loans, but beware! They often are very expensive. You can get free reliable help that you can trust from a non-profit organization like Consumer Credit Counseling Service instead of paying hundreds of dollars to one of them. Or, you can educate yourself and do it for free.

Approved CSI is a good place to check out for more credit and financial advice!

Five Tips For Building A Good Credit Score

Five Tips For Building A Good Credit Score

Improving yourself is always a good thing. If you thrive hard to become a better public speaker, you can might yourself a promotion. Exercising and going to the gym can help you lose weight and have the figure you have always wanted. But the best thing of all is improving and building your credit score. This can help you save hundreds and thousands of dollars on your biggest purchases.

For some, it may be hard to keep up a good credit score but actually, improving credit is not that hard to achieve. You just need to be patient and learn a little bit about the credit scoring system and how it works.

A person who is patient and willing to improve their credit profile can do it easily. There are five things that they can follow in order to boost their credit scores.

1. Check your own credit report from time to time. It is necessary to regularly check your credit and take the steps to remove any inaccuracies in your credit report. Sometimes bad credit is caused by simple inaccuracies in the report. If you see something, contact your creditor immediately, and work to correct the error as soon as you can. Leaving an inaccuracy on your report counts against you.

2. Be on time with payments. Literally, it means that you have to pay all your bills on time. If you are always late with your payments, it will affect your credit report and score. Also, collections and bankruptcies have the most negative effect on your credit report. All reports including the late payments are noted and written in your credit report.

3. Learn how to manage your debt. You must maintain the balance of your credit report to 35% of your available credit limit. Make sure that you always watch your accounts and estimate if you can still handle the using more credit.

4. Avoid unnecessary inquiries. Every time you make an inquiry, it is written in your credit report. Even if you have no plan to open a credit account, your inquiry records will show how often someone has looked at your report and will cast doubt on your ability to pay. So as much as possible, do not make an inquiry into your credit report unless it is important.

5. Give yourself time. Time is considered one of the most significant aspects that can help improve your credit score. Time management is important to get yourself on the right track and show that you can handle your credit responsibly. You can also keep even the oldest account open in order to help make your credit use look longer.

Credit Score/FICO Report – 5 Steps To Improvement

Credit Score/FICO Report – 5 Steps To Improvement

Your credit score or FICO report can determine your eligibility for loans, what interest rate you pay for loans, and even whether you get a job to which you are applying. With every incentive to improve your score and nothing to lose, it should be a priority step in getting your financial life on track.

Here are 5 steps to improve your credit score.

Tip #1: Pull your FICO report for free:

The first step in fixing your credit is to get a handle on your current score. The Federal Trade Commission has an agreement with the Big Three credit reporting agencies to provide every U.S. citizen with a free credit report every 12 months. To get your free copy, go to the official Annual Credit Report Request Service website, and follow instructions for requesting your report.

Tip #2: Pay your bills on time:

A full 35% of your FICO score is determined by how timely you pay your bills. If you have missed any payments in the past few years, it will likely help your score significantly to go back and fix your past-due status with the creditors involved. By paying your overdue bill, your creditors will remove these glitches from your report from each reporting agency. Hint: go back and pull your report again later to make sure that all three of the agencies have actually removed the problem from your records as promised. Need help in finding blemishes on your credit report? Get a custom plan to help rebuild your credit.

Tip #3: Get the balance (of credit types) right:

10% of your FICO report reflects the specific diversity of types of debt you have and the credit lines you have available to you. Make sure you have the right balance of auto or home loan, department store cards, charge cards, and credit cards. This healthy mix shows potential creditors that you know how to handle different types of debt.

Tip #4: Reduce your debt:

Your debt-to-credit ratio is the ratio of the amount you owe versus the amount of credit extended to you. It determines a full 30% of your credit score. There are three ways to reduce your debt: 1. Make more money; 2. Put more of your current income toward paying off your debt; 3. Reduce the cost of your debt. One great way to reduce the cost of your debt is to transfer your current credit card balances to credit cards with lower interest rates. Doing this can save you $100s per month in debt payments if you have large credit card balances.

Tip #5: Open more lines of credit:

You can also improve your debt-to-credit ratio by actually increasing the amount of credit extended to you. The key here is to do so while avoiding actually using these new credit cards. To avoid using the cards extensively, make a purchase or two with them each month and then hide them so they are not readily accessible. Also: if you do open more lines of credit, do so over a period of a few months since having too much new credit can actually hurt your score.

There are many straightforward ways to improve your credit score. So, pull your free FICO report, assess your situation, and start taking steps toward a healthier financial life.

Credit Repair Services! When Debt’s Bogging You Down, A Repair Service Can Help

Credit Repair Services! When Debt’s Bogging You Down, A Repair Service Can Help

For some reason debt seems to creep up on many individuals, and when you’re credit line is about to be yanked, and the bills are piling so high that you can’t see the kitchen table anymore, then seeking reputable credit repair services in your community or online is a step in the right direction!

When you start searching for the right credit repair services, you have to determine what really needs repairing. If your credit is just starting to slide in the early stages, and you’re still making the payments on your bills barely, then you may only need to negotiate a consolidation loan to lower your monthly payments.

However, if you’re credit situation has become extremely poor and out of control, and you have already missed several necessary payments, then you may be in need of counseling, or a necessary debt management service to help you fix your credit, and bureau reports!

Determine Whether You Need Credit Repair, Or Solutions To Save Your Credit!

Only you will know prior to contacting a financial assistance company, what your current financial standings are, and how much help you will need to get back on your feet again.

To clarify this a little further is that you’re hopefully out of your denial stage, and you have finally come to grips with where you actually stand with your finances. Many individuals that spiral into serious debt, and eventually into possible bankruptcy, are ones that believe they don’t need the help, they have too much pride to ask for the help, and by that time it’s too late to get the important financial assistance.

Once you determine where your finances are positioned, then it’s time to contact debt management organizations, or loan services to start improving your personal or business finances immediately. If budget advice and financial restructuring are beyond your reach, then you need to contact a good debt counseling company in your community or online, and whichever makes you feel more comfortable, allow them to design a plan to work with your current creditors so you can quickly get out of debt.

Credit Repair – Maintain the Correct Debt To Credit Ratio

Credit Repair – Maintain the Correct Debt To Credit Ratio

Many people believe that paying off their credit cards every month is a good idea. And if you are trying to stay out of debt, then I would have to agree with you. If you are trying to build credit and look good to your creditors, then paying off your credit cards every month is actually a bad idea. Let me explain by giving you examples of how to calculate the debt to credit ratio.

Creditors and lenders don’t make their money from annual fees on credit cards. They make their money on the interest that you pay each month. If you are paying off your balances each month, the creditors and lenders aren’t making any money. Creditors want to see someone that can maintain a balance each month and make payments on time. This goes a long way in showing your creditworthiness and actually is built into the algorithm that calculates your credit score.

Your debt to credit ratio is very simple to calculate. Suppose you have a credit card with a $10,000 limit. If your balance on this card is $2500 then your debt to credit ratio would be 25%. A good ratio to maintain to help raise your score would be between 30-35%. Your ratio is based on all your credit card limits and balances and combined. This actually gives you some flexibility. Read on if you need more help understanding the debt to credit ratio.

If you had a limit on one card of $5000 and a balance of $3250 then your debt to credit ratio would be around 75%. To fix this you could pay off a big portion of your balance or you could ask the creditor to raise your limit to $10,000. The latter costs you no money but alters your ratio to around 35%. With multiple cards, there are many combinations to achieve a good credit ratio by upping the limits on some cards and paying down others. I think you get the idea.

It may not be necessary to maintain this high ratio on your credit cards all the time. Use this technique to build your credit fast. If you will soon be in the market to get a home loan or auto loan, perhaps begin moving towards this ratio several months before shopping for a loan. Once you get a loan you can let this ratio go down to something more manageable.

This is just one little technique that can have huge ramifications on your credit score. I hope it helps. And remember to make all your payments on time. This can’t be stressed enough. Those 30 and 60 day late payments will kill your credit faster than you can repair it. Good luck!

Making A Debt Management Plan For Credit Repair

Making A Debt Management Plan For Credit Repair

The best solution to credit problems is to exercise a debt management plan and pay your bills as on-time as possible while avoiding spending money on items you do not really have a need for. Since it has become very difficult to purchase anything without a credit card, one consideration to helping raise a credit score, and ultimately a credit rating when you are having trouble getting a credit card is to get a pre-paid card.

Many lenders offer a pre-paid Visa or Master Card, which for all purposes looks and works just like credit cards. The main difference is, instead of purchasing things strictly on credit, you make a deposit into a bank account that secures the amount of the card limit. Often there is a deposit fee required for opening a pre-paid credit account, and your limit is based upon the size of the deposit that has been pre-paid. The advantages of prepaid cards include that they really can help with credit repair; and, if in fact, your credit is really in bad shape, they may be your only option for repairing it.

Making wise decisions about spending and considering the implications of the decisions from all perspectives will help you make better overall spending decisions. Sure, bad credit is a tough hurdle to get over once you have developed bad spending habits, but it, like bad spending habits, can eventually be overcome. If you need help formulating a working plan that you can stick with on a long term basis, consider credit counseling as an option.

Credit Reports

Taking charge of your credit reports can really help you reclaim your life. There is no reason to let bad credit ruin your plans, but in order to repair your credit, it is very important to know what your credit report status really is. After all, if you know what you owe, you can take the necessary steps to repay it. Also, it is very important to keep in mind that although the three credit bureaus (Equifax, Trans Union, and Expedient) may seem all-knowing and all-powerful, the information they have on you may contain mistakes. It has been known to happen to others.

Obtain a copy of your report from each of the bureaus, but don’t do what everyone says and just apply for a loan in order to get a free report. Every time you apply for a loan there is a mark made against your credit rating and points accumulate. Instead, just pay the fees attached, it will save you money in the long run, probably a lot more than the fees to get the reports.

As you formulate your debt management plan be sure to consider long and short term steps that you can take. For example, prepaid credit cards will help in the short-term as they allow you access to purchases that can only be made with a credit card. However, they offer little in the line of long term credit restoration. While they are used as a credit card, the contribution that they have toward building or repairing credit is so small, that it is not really distinguishable on the credit reports.

Other cards will claim they can help restore your creditworthiness by offering you a larger balance card. Of course, they want a fee of $200-300 upfront. Be warned, some of these companies are scams and should be avoided. When in doubt as to whether or not an agency is offering you a legitimate offer, check with the Better Business Bureau to see if they have any complaints on file.

Building New Credit Habits

Building New Credit Habits

Repairing your credit entails getting rid of the negative credit report information and catching up on your overdue bills. This could raise your credit score but might not be enough to make you creditworthy again. However, to raise your credit score high enough to entitle you to a loan, you have to rebuild your credit habits. Doing so would only prove that you have the capability to handle credit responsibility.

Although it might be difficult to start, once you achieve that momentum you need, you will be sashaying to a good credit score. You can always begin by developing the required credit habits.

The Do’s of Using Your Credit Card Wisely

Although many people are born without the skill it requires to use credit cards, it is important to learn the rules of the game. All you need to do is to remember simple do’s and don’ts of credit card usage and in time, you would welcome healthy spending habits in your financial life.

The first thing you want to do is to use your credit card to make your everyday purchases, especially food, gas, and clothing. It is bad enough not to have cash-on-hand but buying simple everyday items can develop into a habit wherein you may tend to substitute a credit card with cash. It is always advisable not to take your credit card out of your wallet for everyday purchases but instead use your cash or a debit card.

The next thing you do not want to do is develop a habit of making minimum-only payments. If you make minimum payments each month, you are only increasing the length of time it will take for you to pay off your debt. Additionally, it will also increase the amount of interest you could end up paying.

If you are one of those people who usually buy things that are way off-budget, remember not to use your credit card to buy things you cannot afford. One way to get into debt is living off borrowed money. You might end up waking one day realizing you are so much indebted that you wish to return your expensive purchases back to wherever you bought them from.

The Do’s of Using Your Credit Card Wisely

Learn how to make correct decisions when it comes to buying items you need against those you simply want. Everybody knows what a “need” is and what a “want” is. Remember not to substitute need from the want and vice versa. If you are using your credit card wisely, it only means that you are being responsible in recognizing what things you need and which you only want.

Next, always let your creditor know in advance if you would not be able to pay your monthly payment on time. Since most creditors offer assistance with your payment if you give them a heads up, it is important not to simply forget about the payment for no reason at all. You can do this by simply calling your creditor, explain the situation, and ask if they allow late fees to be waived.

Lastly, do not exceed your credit limit. The safest is to stay within at most 30% of your credit limit. Because the major part of your credit score reflects on the quantity of debt you actually have, it is important to keep your balance low in order to preserve a good credit standing.