Archive for February, 2010

Improve Your Credit Rating through Disputes

Your life is based very heavily on what is contained within your credit report.  That three digit number that credit bureaus slap on your social security number can mean the difference between landing that new job or not.  The sad thing is there is a pretty good chance your credit file contains information that may not be totally accurate.  Now, the good news is this gives you an opportunity to improve your credit rating through a dispute.

By law you are allowed to obtain a free copy of your credit report once a year.  Several companies have sprung up to take advantage of this.  One that comes to mine is freecreditreport.com.  The name itself implies its free but this is not the best way to get your free report.  Go directly to each of the credit bureau’s web sites.  You can quickly improve your credit rating simply by ensuring the information on your report is accurate.

The Credit Bureaus

Transunion – www.transunion.com

Equifax – www.equifax.com

Experian – www.experian.com

Each site is set up differently but they all have an option to file a dispute on your report.  Some credit bureaus will allow you to file a dispute online while others mandate you mail your dispute.  The process if fairly simple.  Once you file a dispute the credit bureaus are required by law to verify the authenticity of the information on your file.  If the information is found to be accurate it will remain but if it is not accurate or the information cannot be verified the credit bureau will remove it from your report.  This is one of the fastest ways to improve your credit rating and the best part is its absolutely free!

If you don’t feel comfortable filing your own disputes to improve your credit rating I recommend checking out the 37 Days to Clean Credit System.

CLICK HERE to Discover How to Instantly Delete Inquiries, Charge-offs, Late Payments, and Judgements From Your Credit Report

Leaving the Subprime World

There are a few different circumstances that make it difficult to receive new lines of credit.  You may be young and just starting out or you may have had a circumstance that caused you to fall behind on obligations.  Starting out is a bit easier than rebuilding credit but either way you can improve your credit rating fairly quickly.

When your rating drops below the 600 range most lenders are going to lump you into whats called a “subprime” group.  On the other hand you would be considered prime if you were above the 600 range.  Lower scores mean that you can expect to run into difficulty when applying for new lines of credit.  You may see some denial letters or you may see some higher interest rates.  No one likes paying high interest and I suggest you avoid it whenever possible but if you have make a purchase, a car for example, you may have to bite the bullet and accept rates as high as 20% or more.  If you do run into high interest rates make sure that you make all your payments on time.  Within a short period you will be able to improve your credit rating and refinance your loan.  The difference in a 20% loan versus a 7% loan can be thousands of dollars.

The best way to improve your credit rating without suffering the pains of high interest rates is going to be through secured lines of credit.  Most banks offer secured credit cards.  You don’t have to limit these to just your own bank either.  If you are not familiar with these its a pretty simple idea.  You basically give the bank a set amount of money to hold..say $300 and that is your credit limit on your card.  It works just like a normal card except the bank has your money in case you default.  If you grab a few of these and make your payments on time every single month for several months you will start to see a boost in your credit score.  You can improve your credit rating much more quickly that you think.  Just remember; consistent action plus consistent focus equals success.

CLICK HERE to Discover How to Instantly Delete Inquiries, Charge-offs, Late Payments, and Judgements From Your Credit Report

5 Tips for Improving Your Credit Score

After years in the credit industry there is one universal truth I can share with you.  Everyone wants to improve their credit.  You may be saying to yourself that can’t be true because some people have impeccable credit and you are partially right but even people I’ve worked with who ranked in the upper 700’s wished they could be in the 800’s.  Its just human nature to want to be the best and our credit says a lot about us in today’s world; too much if you ask me.  This is why it is so important that you work to improve your credit rating every day.

You can go for years paying everything on time only to have it all wiped out when you fall behind a few months after…say losing your job.  I have seen it happen to some of the best people I know and then I watched as others abused our system and walked away richer for it.  I know that you are looking for legitimate ways to improve your credit rating and so I’ve put together some simple tips for you.

  • Enroll in credit monitoring services or at least take advantage of your free credit report once a year
  • Establish revolving lines of credit aka credit cards
    • If you can’t get approved your an unsecured card you should be able to get a secured card from your bank to get you started.
  • Maintain good communication with your creditors if you are going to be late.  NEVER allow a debt to be turned over to collections.
  • Avoid excessive inquiries on your report.  Each time you apply for credit your credit score takes a hit.
  • If you can’t pay a bill such as a car payment request your credit to defer the payment.  Not all creditors will do this but many will allow you to skip up to two months of principle.

If you will follow these simple steps above you can take a giant leap in the start toward a better credit score.  You can’t improve your credit rating this way in one month but one year on the other hand can be a huge difference.  Even if you are currently unable to acquire lines of credit you should be able to climb your way back up saving yourself hundreds and maybe thousands of dollars in interest when you do get that next loan.

CLICK HERE to Discover How to Instantly Delete Inquiries, Charge-offs, Late Payments, and Judgements From Your Credit Report