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

Laura Evert asked:




Have you wanted to buy a house or a car but you have a low credit score? You can fix that by checking your annual credit report to see if all information is accurate. However, if you have been missing bill payments or have been going over your credit limit then you can consider counseling. Remember, the interest rate you will pay for the money that you borrow will be determined largely by the three-digit number generated from your report.

You are lucky if you have a good report and score from credit report companies but if you have a poor one, you will have big problems. Most lenders have rules that are carved in stones about handling out the best terms. These rules always place a major emphasis on your score. For instance, if their best rates are offered to borrowers with a score of 700 or higher and you have a score of 698, those two points could cost you thousands of dollars.

As FICO said, the interest rate difference between those two ratings is bout one-third of a percentage point. FICO or Fair Isaac Corporation created the FICO rating and is the most commonly used rating. You should consider understanding FICO if you want to know how to raise your credit rating. On 30-year fixed rate mortgage of $165,000, that third of a point could cost you more than $11, 172 in interest charges, assuming 629 percent is the lowest rate available. If you fall below 660, the rate goes up another.81 percent.

Of course, the numbers mentioned are averages. Today, most lenders practice tiered pricing with interest rates rising as ratings go down. You annual report should be monitored if you want your level not to go down. However, each ender chooses its own “break points” between tiers. While one lender may increase the interest if the level falls below 700, another lender might not charge higher rates until the level is 690 or lower. The picture being painted here is that if you stick with one lender whose break point is 700, raising your level from 698 to 701 can be vital.

This underscores the importance of not only doing means on how to improve credit level but also shopping thoroughly when looking for a mortgage. From a mortgage broker’s point of view, who can choose among a sea of many lenders, no sharp break points exist. As a consumer, you should do what a good broker does and look for a lender that offers the best rate to a specific level.

Henry

Naseem Sabir asked:




Hi guys, I just received my credit statement from the bank (would not disclose its name for confidential reasons) which claims that it is the minimum interest credit cards. I was going through the bank statement and merely checked few of my transaction that I suddenly received a SMS on my mobile phone from a competitive bank which was claiming that they have the low interest rate credits. I went through again all of my current credit card statements that I had received and found out that is not low interest rate credit cards. Obviously I was confused all of a sudden realised the fact that I was in utter dark and was actually paying the interest on the credit cards that I should have saved ages ago.

Well now I have decided and I am going to plan to change my bank and stop all my previous cards and go for the new bank which gives low interest rate credits. But before one of you guys wanna try this out let me tell you something about the tricky part of this situation -that always remember and keep in mind that it is not easy enough to just change your bank and go for a new one only because they are not providing low interest rate credit cards. Because I had to stop all my cards and had to pay all my debts till my balance is zero and then before selecting a new bank I had to keep in mind all other options also. So, it is bit tricky to select a perfect bank for you with low interest rate credit cards.

In pursuit of getting the best out of the best I have visited some websites which show perfect reviews on banks, credit cards and loans especially low interest rate credit. It was hard enough for me to make a choice but I did it and I made my choice clear. Although It wasn’t that tough for me to choose the right bank for me because nowadays most of the banks have pretty well designed tariff plans and policies explained on their websites respectively. So I had to go through the tariff plans and different features that the banks were offering (plus whether they are offering low interest rate credit cards or not) -found quite a few of the banks that really really impressed me and I had to then made the decision between the best banks. And I finally chose the bank that best befits under my needs and business requirements. I hope I won’t regret over my choice, besides I have nothing to lose as I have already chosen a service that gives low interest rate credit cards. So I am sure this act of mine will give me a positive and huge profit:)

I am really happy now with my new bank which provides me low interest rate credit but only normal and usual banking solutions.

Evelyn

David Patullo asked:




A good way to get the lowest credit card rates is to make sure that whatever purchases made using your credit card is included in your budget. When your billing statement arrives, you use the allocated money and pay the entire amount before the date due indicated in your billing.

If this is the way you regularly use your credit card, then card companies will not charge you for interest because full and prompt payments will not make you a creditor, and therefore your purchases will not be charged interest. Most of us, because all our money is already allocated to the household budget, pay for unplanned expenses using our credit cards. This is a problem because we have no way of paying for the entire amount when the billing comes.

What we can afford really is to pay for the minimum payment. If we keep on buying unplanned items without fully paying previous outstanding items, our credit piles up and soon, we approach our card’s maximum credit limit. The card company will charge us the maximum allowed interest rate and this will really make our budget awry.

If we just discipline ourselves and make as few unplanned purchases as possible, and make sure that we pay fully before making another unplanned shopping, we avoid piling up our bills and acquire higher and higher interest charges. If we cannot avoid these out of budget expenses, make sure to pay whatever the minimum amount is due and pay it on time.

Christopher

Max Maltz asked:


Why is it important you get your free annual credit report?

 

to ensure you are protected from identity theft and fraud to help you attain the mortgage you need to insure you receive the lowest possible interest rate on a vehicle or consumer purchase to make sure a potential employer or landlord sees accurate information of how you handle money

 

The three major credit bureaus – Equifax, Experian and TransUnion – are required by Federal law to provide you as a consumer with a free annual credit report. According to the FCRA upon your request once a year, you can receive your credit score at no cost.

This is good news for those consumers who are on a tight budget and can’t afford the fee the credit bureaus normally charge. The credit bureaus do typically charge a fee, under other circumstances.

It’s important to know you may only request a free annual credit report every 12 months.

Consumers beware… There are many websites offering a free report, but you may find out some will require you to buy something in order to get it.

It’s a good idea to investigate websites that may be questionable about getting something for free, especially if there’s a stipulation that goes with it.

The fastest and simplest way you can get your free annual credit report is to request it online.

With this request, you will have to enter your personal information. Although it varies by website you will typically be required to provide the following:

 

full name address social security number

 

If you have resided at your current address for less than two years, a former address is requested. This information helps to establish stability within the past several years. Once you have submitted your information and request, you will receive your credit report instantly.

It’s your responsibility to ensure the data on your report is accurate. Even if your credit is bad, knowing what’s on your report is the #1 step to repairing your credit. I hope you have found this information helpful about understanding and obtaining your free annual credit report.



Nicholas

Tom Tessin asked:




Applying for a credit card is a very easy process! It doesn’t take much work, and can be done at any time. If you’re not sure how to get your hands on a card, be sure to take these steps to make it a little easier.

First of all, you want to figure out which kind you want. Do you want a bank credit card, retail/grocery card, or a specific kind like a gas card, business, airline, etc?

Once you figure out that question, you can either apply in store/bank or online. I recommend doing it online because it’s much easier.

All you need to do is simply type in what kind of credit card you’re looking for in the Google search engine and you will have results that pop up. Click on the one that seems to be the most helpful.

Now, look over all the information about the card. Are you happy with the interest rate, credit limit, fees that it may have, rewards, etc?

If so, you will then want to apply for the card. Simply hit apply, and fill out all the information is asks for. Fill it out honestly, and then hit submit.

You will then receive an e-mail shortly after letting you know if you were approved or not. If you were, it will give you details about when you will receive your card in the mail. If not, you may tell you the reasons why you weren’t able to be approved.

Applying for a credit card isn’t hard to do! It takes these few and quick steps and anyone can do it as long as you are 18 years or older!

Cody

Gary Bunn asked:




Your credit report is the one piece of financial information on which you will be judged on forever! This is the one piece of personal information that will determine if you are accepted or turned down for every credit application you make in your entire life. Its not surprise then that having a poor or damaged credit report can be a real worry.

Its not only used in the decision to grant you credit, but it also effects the terms of your agreements. For example do you have to pay a deposit? What interest rate will you be offered? Will you qualify for a better deal? Do you need a second person to be a guarantor? Almost every decision regarding financial credit facilities is decided using the information on your credit report.

Even though most of us understand just how important our credit rating is, sometimes we still end up in difficult situations which reflect badly on our credit files. That’s just life and sometimes it’s simply unavoidable. Perhaps you’ve noticed errors on your credit report or maybe there’s incorrect information recorded against your name? Damaged credit can happens due to a huge variety of reasons, so it’s not something you ought to be ashamed of. What’s important now is getting your report back on track..

The first step you must take to begin repairing your credit file is to get hold of a current copy of your credit report. You can get a free copy of your credit report from all 3 major companies here. You’ll then need to spend some time reading through your file and highlighting any errors or information you think might be incorrect or misleading. This may take an hour or so, so grab a coffee, sit down and get to work!

Next you’ll need to make the credit referencing agencies aware that you are disputing some of the information on your report. You’ll find contact details for each agency on the credit report itself. It’s really simple to contact them and you can normally do this online. They will then be obliged to investigate the issues you’ve highlighted. Normally these agencies are quite helpful. After all it’s in their best interests to have the most accurate information possible.

Now it’s time to contact the companies on your file that claim you owe them money. This may be a debt from years ago or it could be a more recent debt, for this purpose it doesn’t matter, anything that shows as a debt needs to be addressed. Write a short letter to the companies shown on your file asking them to validate your debt with them. They are legally obligated to send you proof of this within 30 days. Make sure you keep copies of the letters you write for future reference. If they cannot or do not comply within the allotted 30 days, they are legally required to delete you from their systems and the credit referencing agencies will remove the entries from your file. You’d be surprised how many companies can not provide you with this proof because of poor record keeping!

Now you will be in a position to see exactly how much you owe and to whom. Contact the outstanding creditors and make offers on repayments, you do not need to clear the debt in full in one go if you do not have the cash available. Companies are very helpful when it comes to arranging repayments you can afford. Your payments will then begin to show on your credit report within a month or so, instantly beginning to strengthen your report. Keep making repayments you can afford and stay in touch with the companies you owe, this way your report will reflect on time payments, your debt will decrease and most importantly your credit rating will improve with every passing month!

You can get hold of your Free Instant Credit Report here today if you’d like to know what’s on your file.

Jane

Tim Gorman asked:




If you are concerned about your credit reports then it is a good idea to check them regularly. One source has reported that up to seventy percent of all credit reports have errors on them. These errors could mean that you do not get the credit cards or loans that you apply for. A bad credit report can even affect your employment prospects as many employers check them now. And even if your credit report is not affected enough for you to be turned down for a loan, it can mean that you are offered a loan for a much higher interest rate than you would otherwise have been.

You do have the right to see your credit reports and the company must send them to you if you ask for them. It is essential to check them regularly so you can make sure that the information on it is correct. If there are errors on your report and you do not check it then you will not know. Many in the industry recommend that you check your credit report at least every six months. It is not always the fault of the credit report companies. The financial companies sometimes give them incorrect information.

It is also possible that the errors were caused by payments that you have made being shown as coming from someone else’s account, mistakes in spelling or numbers, reading information incorrectly even bills that are posted to an old address. There are any number of reasons that you can have bad credit report, but you need to know that it has happened and how to fix it. One way is to employ a credit repair consultant. They know the system really well and will help you to sort out what has gone wrong if you do not have the time to. A credit repair consultant will also know the best way to get the company to act quickly so that your credit is not affected for too long.

If you do not have the time to do the work yourself, then employing a credit repair consultant can be a very good way to make sure that everything is ok. Although it will cost you extra to employ a credit repair consultant if it is important that your credit history is good then it might be worth the extra cost so that you know that it is all right.

Debbie

David Patullo asked:




Credit card debt reduction is vital when credit card bills have piled up and you can no longer afford to pay the interest and the balances on them monthly. By reducing credit card use, you take the first step in reducing debt. Stop using your credit cards and focus on paying on them rather than spending. When you have cash on hand it is advisable to use cash instead of using your card. By using cash you will avoid all the interest charges that will be charged when you use your card.

Always be aware of what interest rates you are being charged on each card. This will help you decide whether or not it is worth charging purchases on it. When receiving your bills, pay your bills on time to avoid late charges and other defaulting fees. Always pay higher than the minimum amount due. If you find you can afford to pay the full amount, then do so by all means to prevent additional interest charges that will bloat your credit or bank card debt.

A great way to rid of credit or bank card debt, if you already have it, is to look out for bank promotional offers that will allow you to transfer your card debt to their bank and consolidate it as one amount to pay at a lower interest rate. By availing of such offers you will find that it will be easier to keep up with monthly payments with just one bill to manage.

Rose

Tim Gorman asked:




Consumers with scores below about 620 will pay significantly higher rates and fees to obtain a loan. At a time when financial literacy is a major public policy issue, the educational factor alone warrants a price most favorable to consumers. Consumers will also be entitled to receive from a CRA one free credit report in a 12-month period. The CRA will be required to provide the report within 15 days of the consumer’s requesting it. Consumers’ ability to obtain scores easily and at a fair price will further all three of these objectives.

Consumers should not be concerned about inquiries they make, such as ordering a credit report. Self inquiries don’t affect the credit score. Consumer reporting agencies and other companies sometimes use an estimated score to illustrate a consumer’s general level of credit risk. Consumers should pay their bills on time every month. Remember that 35% of the credit score is comprised of payment history. The Equifax range of possible scores for credit is somewhat flexible.

Consumers with scores in the 800 range get reason codes just as consumers with scores in the 500 range. The reason codes may be used in describing to the consumer the reason for adverse action.

Lenders will use your credit score to determine if you are likely to pay your bills and also help them place you with the appropriate repayment plan. For example, if you have claimed bankruptcy in the past, they might place you at a significantly higher interest rate. Lenders studied the relationship between credit scores and mortgage delinquencies. There was a definite relationship. Lenders use FICO scores to predict what kind of borrower you’ll be. Scores range from 300 to 850; the higher, the better.

Lender or credit card companies set multiple cutoff points. For example, if you are above 800, you might be offered the Platinum card. Lenders realize that many people occasionally pay late. Therefore, being late with a single payment is typically not as harmful as being late with two or more consecutive payments. This will be reflected in the Equifax range of possible scores for credit that you need to obtain your loan. Lenders may consider employment, income, expenses, assets and other factors when making credit decisions. Also, different lenders may weigh some of these factors more heavily than other lenders.

Lenders review credit scores along with the additional applicant information to decide whether they want to extend credit to borrowers who represent a particular level of risk. Typically, credit points range from 330 to 830.

Without a sufficient credit score, you either can’t get loans or you are paying higher interest rates for the loan you have. We have found that NFC(TM)/American Credit(TM) is the best choice for improving your credit report and obtaining a loan at the lowest possible rate. At what point can you expect to pay a higher interest rate? Check with your Equifax range of possible scores for credit to obtain your loan.

It does not mean that you cannot get a loan. Experts say that a person with a low credit score , say, below 600, will likely receive mortgage interests rates that are nearly 3% higher than someone with a score above 700.

Jack