Home Loans ? Repair Your Credit Before You Buy
Before you take out a home loan or make any major purchase, you should be aware that any prospective lender will want to take a look at your credit report. Your credit report is a record of all of your past financial dealings, and any loans, credit cards, judgements, bankruptcies or other major financial transactions are listed there. Along with your credit report will come your credit score, which is a three digit number between 300 and 850 that represents a distillation of all of the above. That score represents your entire financial life, and your ability to obtain financing for any major purchase depends on having a good one. What if you don't have a good record? Should you go to one of those companies that promise to repair your credit? What you should do is repair it yourself.
The idea of credit repair is a myth. There is no magic solution to fixing problem credit, and any company that promises to do so is only interested in your cash. Your credit report and score are maintained by three separate credit bureaus that keep pretty accurate accounts of all financial dealings done under your Social Security number. There is no way to quickly "fix" a faulty credit report. You can, however, fix it yourself and fix it for free.
It just takes time. The way to repair your credit record is to start paying your bills on time and paying off your debt. More than one third of your credit score is determined by your past ability to pay bills and to pay them on time. Start doing so now. It may take a year or two, but steadily paying your bills without making any late payments goes a long way towards repairing a credit score.
Another third of your score is determined by your ratio of debt to available credit. If your credit cards are maxed out, you need to pay off or pay down your balances. It's tough to obtain a loan when you are already in debt to the gills. Stop using your credit cards, if possible. Don't cancel them; just stop using them, particularly if you have a balance to pay off.
You want to reduce your debt. Pay cash when you can. And check your credit report for problems. You can obtain a copy for free from the free credit report Website. Repairing your credit record takes time and discipline.
There is no quick solution other than paying your bills, paying them on time, and waiting for the damage to heal. After that, you should be in good shape to obtain your home or car of your dreams..
?Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing. Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including End-Your-Debt.com, a site devoted to debt consolidation and credit counseling, and HomeEquityHelp.com, a site devoted to information regarding mortgages and home equity lending .What Makes up my Credit Report?
Many of us may not know our credit score, some may not even be aware of a credit score, that is until they attempt to apply for credit of some sort, be it a credit card, mortgage or apartment rental. To most, they view our credit score as a one dimensional number, nothing more, hence the reason it is so important for us to become more aware of what our credit score is. People see our credit score as an indication of who we are as people. Frankly, I don't feel that I should be judged for not having paid a bi during my college years, but unless we become proactive regarding our credit report, that is how it will be.
Let's consider the elements that make up our credit report and ultimately decided our credit score. The first factor is payment history.
Basically do you pay your bills on time. The second factor they look at is your outstanding debt. How much do you owe and to whom do you owe it?
The third factor is length of credit history. I feel this category is...
Credit report > What Makes up my Credit Report?
Keep Your Credit History Clean. Remove A Negative Credit Record From Credit Report
The three major credit bureaus, Experian, Equifax and Trans Union are similar and feature a "Credit Score", which is created from credit report data submitted to them about you. But very often your credit report includes inaccurate, wrong or incomplete information (credit records).In this situation you have to prepare and send letters to each of the credit bureaus. Also learn your credit rights by familiarizing yourself with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).The FCRA gives you the right to dispute inaccuracies or omissions, and it requires credit bureaus to investigate your complaint (generally within 30 days), send you a prompt response and correct any errors. The law also requires the source of inaccurate information (such as a bank) to correct the record at the credit bureaus to which it initially provided the erroneous information.Consumers working on their credit reports say many times their letters are ignored by the credit bureaus. Consumer's say even with proof a credit record...
Keep Your Credit History Clean. Remove A Negative Credit Record From Credit Report
Credit report > Keep Your Credit History Clean. Remove A Negative Credit Record From Credit Report
Credit Reports and Credit Reporting Agencies
We all know that our financial transactions are reported to credit agencies that track how well and how quickly we pay our debts and that when we apply for a loan for one reason or another, those agencies report our credit history to prospective lenders.
However, most of us don't know a great deal about how that actually happens and how our credit is rated.
The fact is that credit reporting has evolved to an industry all of its own.
Just a few short years ago, when someone applied for a loan, he or she put down credit references ? retail stores, banks, or other people or places with whom they had done business in the past.
As a matter of course, the lender checked the references and decided whether or not to grant a loan based on an amalgamation of the responses from them.
That really isn't the case any more.
Instead, there are three major agencies that track everyone's credit and provide a credit rating when...
Credit report > Credit Reports and Credit Reporting Agencies
Blue Financial Promotes More Exposure for FTC's Free Credit Report Program
Phoenix, AZ (ContentDesk) October 23, 2005 -- Blue Financial says The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requiring each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies - Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion - to provide consumers with a free copy of their credit report is the best thing to happen for consumers in years.Hal Jolley, President Of Blue Financia says, "Your credit report includes information on where you live, how you pay your bills, and whether you've been sued, arrested, or filed for bankruptcy. Nationwide consumer reporting companies sell your information to creditors, insurers, employers, and other businesses that use it to evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment, or renting a home." "Every consumer should check their report for accuracy," Jolley says, "Every single consumer should order their free report online at annualcreditreport.com, by calling 1-877-322-8228, or by completing the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mailing it to: Annual Credit...
Blue Financial Promotes More Exposure for FTC's Free Credit Report Program
Credit report > Blue Financial Promotes More Exposure for FTC's Free Credit Report Program
Company Credit Report Repair Services
The steps taken by companies to repair their credit report are the same as everyone else. Companies who are in desperate need of money but cannot get a loan because of a bankruptcy or past problems with paying bills on time, may be tempted to use the services of a credit repair company.
The important thing you should know is credit repair companies cannot do anything legally that you cannot do yourself.
If your company has filed for bankruptcy in the past, those records can be reported by the consumer-reporting agency for up to ten years. If the information in accurate, there is nothing you or any credit repair service can do legally to have it removed.
Credit repair companies advertise that they can have negative information removed from your credit report, for a fee.
Usually, these companies will inform you of your rights to dispute the accuracy of your credit report. They can either dispute the negative information for you, or give...
Company Credit Report Repair Services
Credit report > Company Credit Report Repair Services
Big Brother knows what's in Your Credit Report. How about You?
Whether you are aware of it or not, credit bureaus have been keeping tabs on you and how you use credit. When it's time for you to apply for a mortgage, credit card, or personal loan, your credit report is what lenders look at to decide to approve you or not. Information about you is collected and stored in national repositories. Every time you apply for credit, whether it's a retail store charge account or an auto loan, the information you provide gets sent to the credit bureaus. When you are late paying a loan, it shows up on your report.
If you have ever been in a dispute with a merchant and you refused to pay them, the merchant can report your non-payment to the credit bureaus for all lenders to see.Your credit history is an important part of getting a loan. By getting a glimpse of how you handled debt obligations in the past, lenders can estimate the likelihood that you will pay back their loan in the future. What's in your credit report?Credit reports are chock full of goodies...
Big Brother knows what's in Your Credit Report. How about You?
Credit report > Big Brother knows what's in Your Credit Report. How about You?
Credit report
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