Five Sercrets to Improve and Maintain Good Credit
I will provide you with 5 basic very important steps to repair and maintain good credit.
#1) Never make the minimum payment on your credit cards!!!
Don’t fall into this trap! Once you get into this habit it will be very difficult (if not impossible) to get out of. If you paid a minimum payment (roughly around $250) on a total of $10,000 in credit card debt with and average interest rate of 9.99% it will take approximately 20 years to pay the debt off and paying an extra $5,000 in interest. The solution is to add an additional $100 a month to the minimum payment. It will not only save you about $3,500 of interest, you will also pay off the debt in less than 3 years. Obviously if you cannot afford to pay an extra $100 on top of your minimum payments you just have to pay what ever you income situation allows you to pay. Essentially you will save a ton of money on interest, and will be debt free a lot sooner.
#2) Trim the fat!!!
What I mean by “Trim the Fat” is keep five trade lines open and close any other remaining trade lines. Here is what you should have… Example: a mortgage, a car loan (if needed), and 3-4 credit cards. The credit cards you should keep are ones with low interest rates, can earn reward points, and preferably credit card companies that have good customer service departments. Try to stay away from the ones that charge an annual fee. I’ve found that credit cards from your personal credit union or bank are optimal because you can manage them easier and do it with free online banking.
#3) It is good to use credit, just Don’t abuse it!!!
By making purchases and paying it off at the end of the month to avoid interest and finance charges. A good rule of thumb is to try and keep the balance below 33% of the limit. That way your credit score will stay in good standing and your payments won’t get out of control. It will also allow you to stay away from the credit trap. So if your limit is $1,000 keep you balance under $330 if possible.
#4) Debt consolidation and Consumer Credit Counseling is Bad News!!!
No matter how good the sales pitch is stay away from it. It doesn’t repair your credit or improve your score; on the contrary it actually lowers your score. I would recommend going to a Debt Settlement company to negotiate your balances and interest rates for you. That would ultimately lower your outgoing payments and your total debt. That in turn will raise your credit score over time as well. I would shop around first because it could be pricey.
#5) Dispute, Dispute, Dispute!!!!
There are hundreds of millions of social security numbers issued in America. There are only three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Trans Union, and Experian) to collect all of our data and credit information. They are bound to make mistakes and errors on your credit report. The only way to remove them is to dispute them in writing to the creditor and all three credit bureaus. The trick is to send a letter with a return receipt to the creditor and all three bureaus. The Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act allows 30 days for them to respond back. If the bureaus can’t verify your debt in that time frame then it will be permanently removed from your credit report.
My Mission is to help as many people (with GOOD motives and intentions) build, and maintain a lifetime of wealth. God Bless!
For more information please visit:
[http://www.doityourselfcreditfix.info] or http://www.pngfinancialgroup.com
#1) Never make the minimum payment on your credit cards!!!
Don’t fall into this trap! Once you get into this habit it will be very difficult (if not impossible) to get out of. If you paid a minimum payment (roughly around $250) on a total of $10,000 in credit card debt with and average interest rate of 9.99% it will take approximately 20 years to pay the debt off and paying an extra $5,000 in interest. The solution is to add an additional $100 a month to the minimum payment. It will not only save you about $3,500 of interest, you will also pay off the debt in less than 3 years. Obviously if you cannot afford to pay an extra $100 on top of your minimum payments you just have to pay what ever you income situation allows you to pay. Essentially you will save a ton of money on interest, and will be debt free a lot sooner.
#2) Trim the fat!!!
What I mean by “Trim the Fat” is keep five trade lines open and close any other remaining trade lines. Here is what you should have… Example: a mortgage, a car loan (if needed), and 3-4 credit cards. The credit cards you should keep are ones with low interest rates, can earn reward points, and preferably credit card companies that have good customer service departments. Try to stay away from the ones that charge an annual fee. I’ve found that credit cards from your personal credit union or bank are optimal because you can manage them easier and do it with free online banking.
#3) It is good to use credit, just Don’t abuse it!!!
By making purchases and paying it off at the end of the month to avoid interest and finance charges. A good rule of thumb is to try and keep the balance below 33% of the limit. That way your credit score will stay in good standing and your payments won’t get out of control. It will also allow you to stay away from the credit trap. So if your limit is $1,000 keep you balance under $330 if possible.
#4) Debt consolidation and Consumer Credit Counseling is Bad News!!!
No matter how good the sales pitch is stay away from it. It doesn’t repair your credit or improve your score; on the contrary it actually lowers your score. I would recommend going to a Debt Settlement company to negotiate your balances and interest rates for you. That would ultimately lower your outgoing payments and your total debt. That in turn will raise your credit score over time as well. I would shop around first because it could be pricey.
#5) Dispute, Dispute, Dispute!!!!
There are hundreds of millions of social security numbers issued in America. There are only three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Trans Union, and Experian) to collect all of our data and credit information. They are bound to make mistakes and errors on your credit report. The only way to remove them is to dispute them in writing to the creditor and all three credit bureaus. The trick is to send a letter with a return receipt to the creditor and all three bureaus. The Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act allows 30 days for them to respond back. If the bureaus can’t verify your debt in that time frame then it will be permanently removed from your credit report.
My Mission is to help as many people (with GOOD motives and intentions) build, and maintain a lifetime of wealth. God Bless!
For more information please visit:
[http://www.doityourselfcreditfix.info] or http://www.pngfinancialgroup.com
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