Tim Gorman asked:




Whether you know it or not, it’s not that difficult to actually raise your credit score naturally. It’s common knowledge that most lenders and lending agencies will provide people with a high credit score lower interest rates when they apply for car loans, credit cards and even mortgages. Having a high score is important because if your credit score sits below 620 then it becomes more difficult to obtain favorable terms for credit cards and loans.

Right now there is probably more than 35 million people within the United States that have a credit score that is under 620 and many of them are wondering what it takes or what they can do in order to raise credit score legally and quickly. Are you one of them? If so continue reading in order to find how to raise credit scores.

Step 1 – Obtain A Free Copy Of Your Credit Report.

Obtaining a free copy of your credit report is sound advice and should not be ignored. You want to obtain your report in order to make sure the information on it is correct because errors or inaccurate information can harm your credit score and keep it lower then what it truly could be. If you spot any errors you should immediately contact the three credit bureaus in order to dispute the information and have it removed. The three major bureaus are Experian, Trans Union and Equifax. You need to order your free credit report for all of the bureaus because each service will give you a different credit score.

Step 2 – Make Sure To Pay Your Bills On Time

It goes without saying but the mere act of paying all of your bills on time will significantly impact the score you receive for your credit history. Most experts agree that your payment history can account for as much as 35% of your credit score with your most recent payments carrying more weight on your score then payments you made 5 or more years ago. This is such a vital part to obtaining an maintaining a high score because as little as one missed payment can immediately lower your credit score by as much as 50 to 100 points. This is the single most important thing you can do in order to rebuild your credit worthiness in the eyes of the lending institutions.

Part 2 of this article will focus on three additional ways to raise your credit score in a natural manner that will significantly improve your overall financial health.

Douglas

Tim Gorman asked:




With many consumers continuing to hamper their ability to save money by falling deeper and deeper into debt due to relying on credit and overextending themselves learning how to raise their credit score by 100 points is becoming more important. Nationwide the average credit score is rapidly dropping and most lenders and loan providers are being forced to deny loan applications and requests for credit. Let’s be honest, the financial knowledge and money management skills of the common consumer is not where it should be causing turmoil and financial distress in many.

In order to raise a credit score prior to applying for a new loan there are a few things everyone should implement before allowing the lending agencies or institutions to conduct a credit check them. As you can expect, the first item up for grabs is to order a copy of your free credit report from the three major credit bureaus in order to review it for any errors or inaccurate data. Numerous studies have shown nearly 7 out of every 10 credit reports contain bad information which negatively impacts approximately 25% of today’s consumers.

Although it sounds bad there is actually a bit of good news. The credit bureaus are required by law (the Fair Credit Act) to review and respond to any inquiries or disputes you may have on your credit history or report within 30 days upon notification from the consumer.

With that said, once you have received your free annual credit report you will need to conduct a full review of your report in order to identify any inaccurate information or inefficiencies in your credit data in order to dispute these credit report errors with the credit bureaus.

The easiest way to perform this important task is to take out a highlighter and highlight any inaccurate information on your report making sure to annotate why the data is erroneous. This may include accounts marked as open when they are actually closed or vice-versa, late payments that never took place or in some extremes having the wrong account numbers or social security number on the file. You should also highlight any potential problem areas that you feel may be holding your credit score down.

Next you should start the dispute process with the credit bureaus. Because this action can require some time to complete (as long as 30 or more days) you should start this process immediately. Try to focus on the 2 or 3 items that you have deemed as the most harmful to your credit score and work to have them eradicated from your record first. While undergoing the dispute you can also see if you can increase your current amount of available credit by calling some of your lenders and asking to have your credit limit increased. This has the net effect of improving your credit to debt ratio which will immediately help improve your credit score.

George

Tim Gorman asked:




Because bankruptcies remain no more than 10 years, credit reporting agencies use the date of original delinquency or, in the case of public records, the date of filing to determine when negative information is deleted. This adheres to the fair credit reporting concerning unrelated bankruptcy. The trend from this group of cases is that the courts have not been receptive to overly creative arguments and have tried to remain faithful to the spirit of the means testing. The courts have managed to do this while pointing out specific instances in which the law is an ass. Proceeds from the sale will be used to settle remaining costs from the Chapter 11 case and fund the conversion, the Company said.

Banks and lenders use the middle score as the average because the credit bureaus report differently from time to time and a median score often serves as the best representation of your overall credit strength. Bankruptcy filing, liens, and collection activity also impact your history. Banks, credit card companies, and other lenders use your FICO score to determine whether they will lend you money and at what interest rate they are willing to lend it. In general, the higher (better) your FICO score, the lower the interest rate you will have to pay when you borrow money.

Bankruptcy is the wrong solution to a problem of the government’s own making. Bankruptcy is never a first option when it comes to dealing with your financial situation, but it is also not a final mark in your financial record. Even after you have filed for bankruptcy, it is certainly possible to redeem your credit score and even successfully get a new credit card.

This is because employee benefits are protected assets and cannot be touched for bankruptcy proceedings. But new legislation is making some retirement assets possible bankruptcy assets. However, bankruptcy is really only a suitable option for people with no or very few assets, as, apart from a few essentials, all your possessions, including property, can be sold to pay your creditors. If you own your own home, or part of it, that can be sold, too, to realize your share of the equity to meet your debts. The record will stay on your full report (which can be pulled in certain instances) pretty much forever.

Your high balances are removed as are any late payments or records of unpaid debts. Thus conforming to the fair credit reporting concerning unrelated bankruptcy. Instead, the accounts included in the bankruptcy will be marked as “Included in Chapter 7 Bankruptcy” or “Included in Chapter 13 Wage Earner Plan,” depending on which type of bankruptcy you filed. Document everything; keep good records. Remember, we are not victims.

These credit bureaus control vast databases that collect information about people which is furnished to them by creditors and from public records. The information is then provided in the form of a “credit report” to potential lenders and others for approved purposes authorized under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. I believe that if you declare bankruptcy, you won’t be able to buy a house until that is off your record (7 years). Since you’re already making inroads in your debt, I encourage you to stay the course. If you’ve got a bad record abroad expect it to follow you to Canada.

The purpose is to create a steady work record as soon as possible. Also, you have to obtain credit records from the three credit bureaus. Bankruptcies involve documents that are public record, and will always be available to anyone who looks for them. It should not, however, result in a bankruptcy notation in the non-filer’s credit record.

The courts will only verify such records in person. The credit bureaus will claim that they have a system to verify such records, but when it comes down to it, they don’t. Ensure that any creditors not listed in your bankruptcy and which you are paying regularly, have been reporting your good credit record to all three agencies. Contact any not reporting this and ask them to do so. Be aware that these agencies do not investigate public records and if it is up to the courts they only verify in person. It is important for you to know what your rights are and be able to act on them so that you will be on the winning side of this issue. It helps to understand the fair credit reporting concerning unrelated bankruptcy.

If you were able to remove even a couple of charge-off accounts from your record, it would boost your credit score. This option is only recommended to those who have a track record of making timely payments on all of their currently outstanding debts. If you happen to be a consumer in fair standing with a pretty solid track record for making your payments, your score could very easily jump by as much as 25 points under the new formula.

And lastly, in the public records section of your credit report, you need to verify that the statement of “discharged on date” is annotated in the “amount due” column. All other public record information typically falls off after seven years. When you have fresh credit, there is no track record how you will manage (or pay) this account. Therefore, it’s a higher risk which results in a minor drop in your credit score.

Jane