Credit nowadays is hard to come by. The world has been hit hard by the economic slump and more and more people are getting bad credit as they lose their jobs or have high medical costs. These things are unavoidable and do not make you a bad person; simply a bad situation. But there are alternatives when you have bad credit and need to get a loan.
The first step to repairing your credit is to get your credit report. Knowing your credit score, and how it affects your loan applications, is crucial before you can begin repairing it. Credit scores are based on a system called FICO. It is a scoring system which ranges from 350-950. While some credit reporting agencies have their own scoring system, the FICO system is the one most lenders use.
A FICO score is determined by the compilation of 35% credit history (past due payments etc), 30% current credit and the last 35% is a mixture of the type of credit you have, how long you’ve had credit and any current applications you have made towards getting more credit. A bad credit score starts at 620 and lower, anything higher and the interest rates start going down. Anything below 500 and you can probably forget getting any type of credit, even most secured cards.
Once you know your credit score it’s important to address any outstanding past due payments. Consider visiting a credit counselor if there are numerous past due creditors on your file. Once you have everything caught up it’s time to address what is affecting your credit most. If it is your previous past due, late or no payments, you’ll want to show you’re a good credit risk again by making payments on a loan. The best way to do this is through a secured credit card for people with bad credit.
A bad credit secured card is the perfect vehicle to repair credit. Basically it’s a credit card with collateral held as a deposit with the lender. Usually this ranges from $250-$500, although if your credit is borderline between fair and bad, you may find certain $99 partial secured cards.
Bad credit secured cards are the best way to show creditors you’re no longer a liability when it comes to loans. Using a secured card for 12 months, or more, will improve your credit score significantly. During the 12 month period be sure to pay off the entire balance every month and always on time. However, because the secured card often has high fees, and extremely high interest rates, as soon as your credit has improved it’s vital to apply for a better interest rate card, preferably unsecured.
Similar Content:
Leave a reply