Your credit report is what financial institutions use to get a window into your past and your present financial situations. If you are currently suffering through bad credit rating due to a job loss or any other unfortunate situations, there are ways you can re-establish your credit worthiness and start over.
The first step to raising your credit score is getting a copy of your free triple score report. Once you have copy of your report, it is important to examine your report thoroughly for mistakes. You should never assume that you report is accurate. You will be surprised at the amount of mistakes on your report. Some of the most common errors may include: reporting late payments erroneously, listing the same negative account multiple times, and reporting a family member’s account on your bureau. The best way to deal with mistakes on your report is to consult with a credit attorney.
The second step in the process of improving your credit bureau involves putting some positive items on your report. Your credit report may be clean as a whistle but without some positive accounts, you will not be able to generate a credit rating.
One way of getting positive credit is by applying for a secured Visa or Mastercard. There are many companies that are willing to open credit card accounts with a security deposit. A Secured card is backed by your deposit which will then become your spending limit. In some cases, the secured card company may even start you off with a limit that is $100 dollars higher than your deposit. Make sure you find a company that reports your on time payments to all 3 credit reporting agencies.
The third step is a little trick which is only possible if you know someone close to you who is willing to add you on as a co-borrower. The issues with using this trick is that you must make sure that the person you ask is reliable. If your sponsor misses a payment or stops paying, your credit will also be affected.
The last step should be the first step and it is also the one that involves the most discipline. Paying your bills on time is the single most important aspect in deciding your credit worthiness with creditors. You current status is the deciding factor on whether creditors give you a second chance or disregard all your hard work.
The credit bureaus will also continuously raise your credit score a few points for every month of timely payments. If you can afford to continuously make 2 years of on time payments, you will have succeeded in improving your worthiness with the financial institutions.
As you can see the formula to getting back on you feet and regaining your credit worthiness is as easy as getting a copy of your report, disputing negative items, adding new positive credit, and making on time payments. Once you have re-established yourself, you should also consider getting identity protection to prevent others from destroying your creditability.
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