Credit Repair Works, But…
Credit repair can do more than clean up your credit reports. It can raise your scores, help you prevail against collectors, guide your debt negotiations, and transform your financial life. But you must do it right. Too many people jump into the process head first without taking time to learn the rules. As powerful as credit repair is, an uninformed effort is almost guaranteed to produce disappointment. Here are the three most common blunders you must avoid if you want awesome life-changing results.
Don’t Believe Your Eyes
Shake off any ideas that you have about the infallibility of the credit bureaus. Your credit repair effort will start with a detailed examination of all three credit bureaus, and you better approach this task with a critical eye. Almost three-quarters of all credit reports contain mistakes. Look very carefully. Expand your area of focus. Score damaging errors include underreported credit card limits, accounts reported as open with balances that are really closed and paid, duplicate accounts that overstate your debt load, and collections illegally reported by collectors that have sold the debt. Your mission is to hunt down and dispute everything that does not look right. Give yourself the benefit of the doubt. Every point matters.
Don’t Wait to Open New Accounts
Many people are puzzled by the injunction to open new accounts now. Your credit repair effort is destined to fail unless you have open accounts in good standing. You need to act today. But there are caveats. Not all forms of credit are useful for improving your credit scores; stick with MasterCard and Visa. In the current credit environment it is likely you will not be approved for regular credit cards. This is not an obstacle. Secured cards are ideal for credit repair; they are inexpensive to open and you will not be denied. Small secured cards are every bit as valuable as high limit cards. But you must manage them right. Here’s how.
Watch Those Credit Cards
The FICO credit scoring model puts so much emphasis on the relationship between your card balances and their limit that a lapse can cost you over 100 points. It does not matter if your limit is high or low, if you let your balances approach the limit your credit repair project will suffer. The FICO scoring software measures your card usage ratios and adjusts your scores accordingly. The lower your balance relative to your limit, the higher your score will be. So get those balances down. And don’t make the mistake of thinking that it is sufficient to pay the cards off at the end of each month. The creditor is unlikely to report to the bureaus at the exact moment that your balance has been paid. If you need your credit scores to be good in the next 60 days get your balances down now and keep them there as long as your scores matter.
Summary
The quality of your credit has never been so important. Your credit will affect your ability to borrow money, get insurance, rent an apartment, and even get a job; you cannot afford to ignore it or take it for granted. Take action today to insure that your credit report is as good as it can possibly be. If you don’t feel up to the task just hire a credit repair service to do the work for you. A professional credit repair service will see that every opportunity to sharpen your reports and boost your scores is taken advantage of. Don’t let your credit life languish. Wake up and do something. A little effort on your part will pay dividends for years to come. Good luck!
Copyright © 2008 James W. Kemish. All Content. All Rights Reserved.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Credit Repair – Start a New Life Today
You Can Do It!
Leave the past behind. Credit repair can offer a solution for your financial puzzle. There are some things that only time will fix, but that does not mean that you cannot have a truly dramatic impact on your life with a bit of intelligent credit repair. There is no excuse for allowing your bad credit to be a dead weight in your life. You can take steps to clean up your credit report, rebuild your good credit, optimize your scores, and organize your financial life so that your new life is here to stay. Just put one foot in front of the other and before you know it you will be feeling pretty darn good about yourself.
Clean Up Your Credit Report
Looking at your credit report after a period of hard times can be hard. Who wants to be reminded of old troubles? But now is the time. The sooner you get your credit repair effort underway the sooner you will be able to enjoy your new life. Get your credit reports today. Do yourself a favor and don’t struggle trying to get your reports for free from AnnualCreditReport.com. Invest 15 dollars in a nice user-friendly tri-merged report. It will make your credit repair easy, and believe me you want to make this as easy as possible. Once you get your reports go through every line, pick out the accounts that do not look right, and dispute them.
Rebuild Your Good Credit
If you want to see your FICO scores come back to life you need to have a couple of open credit cards, and you need to manage them in a very special way. Don’t worry. This is easy. It does not matter that you cannot qualify for regular unsecured credit cards, just get secured cards. They are the perfect credit repair tool and are every bit as valuable for your credit scores as any other card. Once you have the secured credit cards you need to use them. And for maximum benefit you should keep an active balance, but never use more than 20 percent of the total limit. And of course make your payments on time. These two cards can be worth more than 100 points on your scores within 6 months so don’t miss out.
Optimize Your Scores
There are a couple of great credit repair techniques that you should put to use in your quest for a new financial life. While you are in recovery mode you should avoid all store credit cards and consumer debt like furniture store loans. This type of debt is detrimental to your credit scores regardless of how well you manage it. You should also avoid excessive credit activity as inquiries will hurt your recovery. And if you have any student loan issues you should reach out to your lender and discuss the possibility of getting started with a rehabilitation program. When it comes to credit repair, leave no opportunity behind.
Organize Your Financial Life
You want to make sure that all of your hard credit repair work is going to yield its results for many years to come. You do not want to accidentally slip backwards. It’s not hard. It is important to acknowledge that unexpected expenses can occur, and they usually do so at the worst possible moment. Now is the time to start a savings account. A savings account is the perfect companion to an intelligent credit repair effort. Just plan on setting aside a small amount of each paycheck. It does not take much. If you set aside even a small amount on a regular basis soon you will have enough reserves to get you through a rough patch without hurting your credit repair progress. Good luck! You can do it!
Copyright © 2008 Edward White. All Content. All Rights Reserved.
Leave the past behind. Credit repair can offer a solution for your financial puzzle. There are some things that only time will fix, but that does not mean that you cannot have a truly dramatic impact on your life with a bit of intelligent credit repair. There is no excuse for allowing your bad credit to be a dead weight in your life. You can take steps to clean up your credit report, rebuild your good credit, optimize your scores, and organize your financial life so that your new life is here to stay. Just put one foot in front of the other and before you know it you will be feeling pretty darn good about yourself.
Clean Up Your Credit Report
Looking at your credit report after a period of hard times can be hard. Who wants to be reminded of old troubles? But now is the time. The sooner you get your credit repair effort underway the sooner you will be able to enjoy your new life. Get your credit reports today. Do yourself a favor and don’t struggle trying to get your reports for free from AnnualCreditReport.com. Invest 15 dollars in a nice user-friendly tri-merged report. It will make your credit repair easy, and believe me you want to make this as easy as possible. Once you get your reports go through every line, pick out the accounts that do not look right, and dispute them.
Rebuild Your Good Credit
If you want to see your FICO scores come back to life you need to have a couple of open credit cards, and you need to manage them in a very special way. Don’t worry. This is easy. It does not matter that you cannot qualify for regular unsecured credit cards, just get secured cards. They are the perfect credit repair tool and are every bit as valuable for your credit scores as any other card. Once you have the secured credit cards you need to use them. And for maximum benefit you should keep an active balance, but never use more than 20 percent of the total limit. And of course make your payments on time. These two cards can be worth more than 100 points on your scores within 6 months so don’t miss out.
Optimize Your Scores
There are a couple of great credit repair techniques that you should put to use in your quest for a new financial life. While you are in recovery mode you should avoid all store credit cards and consumer debt like furniture store loans. This type of debt is detrimental to your credit scores regardless of how well you manage it. You should also avoid excessive credit activity as inquiries will hurt your recovery. And if you have any student loan issues you should reach out to your lender and discuss the possibility of getting started with a rehabilitation program. When it comes to credit repair, leave no opportunity behind.
Organize Your Financial Life
You want to make sure that all of your hard credit repair work is going to yield its results for many years to come. You do not want to accidentally slip backwards. It’s not hard. It is important to acknowledge that unexpected expenses can occur, and they usually do so at the worst possible moment. Now is the time to start a savings account. A savings account is the perfect companion to an intelligent credit repair effort. Just plan on setting aside a small amount of each paycheck. It does not take much. If you set aside even a small amount on a regular basis soon you will have enough reserves to get you through a rough patch without hurting your credit repair progress. Good luck! You can do it!
Copyright © 2008 Edward White. All Content. All Rights Reserved.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Credit Repair, Expectations, and Reality
Introduction
Credit repair can produce dramatic results, potentially transforming the appearance of your credit reports and boosting your credit scores. Credit repair may even deliver major results in a reasonably short period of time. But it is not a magic cure for your credit woes; you will need to do some work. It is important at the outset of a credit repair effort to have a realistic perspective. But don’t lower your expectations; just make the effort needed to produce genuinely awesome results.
Organizing Your Effort
There are three things you must do to insure that you credit repair project yields the best possible results. You must get control of your existing obligations by building a realistic and practical budget. You must learn how to manage your account balances properly to fully optimize your credit scores. And you must learn the effect each type of credit can have on your credit scores. And there is more to this than meets the eye. Mastering the subtle details can make a world of difference in your credit scores, so let’s get to work.
Making a Budget Work for You
Don’t be afraid of creating a budget. Having a budget does not mean that you must embrace a self-imposed austerity plan. Creating a budget is an information gathering process. The more you know about your finances the better off you will be. When the time comes to make a decision that will affect your monthly cash flow it should be made in the context of good information. Too many financial errors have occurred simply because of a lack of information. You are going to be work hard on your credit repair project. You can’t afford to fly blind.
Get a pad of paper and list everything that you spend money on. Take your time and make sure that you have included everything from the big monthly obligations to your daily incidentals. Don’t forget an item because it occurs only occasionally, like an annual vacation. Just estimate the total amount you will need and divide it by twelve to determine the amount you should set aside each month. The goal of this exercise is to get a complete picture of your expenses. For your long term credit repair success you must be able to live within your means.
Your Balances and Your Credit Scores
There was a time when you would have great credit if you paid your bills on time. This is not longer enough. You can make your payments on time for years and still have terrible credit scores if you don’t manage your revolving balances properly. For credit repair results you must understand the relationship between your balances and your credit scores. The FICO scoring model grades you on the amount of available credit that you use. The relationship between an account balance and its limit is called the balance to limit ratio.
For the best possible credit score you should reduce your balances so that you are using less than 20 percent of the available credit line. Specifically, the FICO model recognizes balance to limit ratios in 20 percent increments; 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 percent. The lower the balance, the higher your score will be. Don’t underestimate this. You could lose over 100 points by running up a revolving balance to the limit.
Using the Right Kind of Credit
When it comes to credit repair there are big differences in the type of credit you use. The FICO scoring model likes some credit types, but will penalize you for others. If you want to improve your credit scores you should use mainstream credit cards like MasterCard, Visa, American Express, and Discover. And you must avoid consumer credit, including store cards and the type of financing offered by furniture and electronics stores.
This type of debt is useless for credit repair success, and can even drag your scores down. There are a variety of reasons for the way FICO treats consumer debt; it typically comes with poor terms and high rates. It may also come with an attractive, but dangerous no-payment option which will mature into an unwieldy repayment plan. Still, this type of debt can be convenient, so use it if you wish, but pay it off when you need your credit scores to be at their best. Good luck with your credit repair!
Copyright © 2008 James W. Kemish. All Content. All Rights Reserved.
Credit repair can produce dramatic results, potentially transforming the appearance of your credit reports and boosting your credit scores. Credit repair may even deliver major results in a reasonably short period of time. But it is not a magic cure for your credit woes; you will need to do some work. It is important at the outset of a credit repair effort to have a realistic perspective. But don’t lower your expectations; just make the effort needed to produce genuinely awesome results.
Organizing Your Effort
There are three things you must do to insure that you credit repair project yields the best possible results. You must get control of your existing obligations by building a realistic and practical budget. You must learn how to manage your account balances properly to fully optimize your credit scores. And you must learn the effect each type of credit can have on your credit scores. And there is more to this than meets the eye. Mastering the subtle details can make a world of difference in your credit scores, so let’s get to work.
Making a Budget Work for You
Don’t be afraid of creating a budget. Having a budget does not mean that you must embrace a self-imposed austerity plan. Creating a budget is an information gathering process. The more you know about your finances the better off you will be. When the time comes to make a decision that will affect your monthly cash flow it should be made in the context of good information. Too many financial errors have occurred simply because of a lack of information. You are going to be work hard on your credit repair project. You can’t afford to fly blind.
Get a pad of paper and list everything that you spend money on. Take your time and make sure that you have included everything from the big monthly obligations to your daily incidentals. Don’t forget an item because it occurs only occasionally, like an annual vacation. Just estimate the total amount you will need and divide it by twelve to determine the amount you should set aside each month. The goal of this exercise is to get a complete picture of your expenses. For your long term credit repair success you must be able to live within your means.
Your Balances and Your Credit Scores
There was a time when you would have great credit if you paid your bills on time. This is not longer enough. You can make your payments on time for years and still have terrible credit scores if you don’t manage your revolving balances properly. For credit repair results you must understand the relationship between your balances and your credit scores. The FICO scoring model grades you on the amount of available credit that you use. The relationship between an account balance and its limit is called the balance to limit ratio.
For the best possible credit score you should reduce your balances so that you are using less than 20 percent of the available credit line. Specifically, the FICO model recognizes balance to limit ratios in 20 percent increments; 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 percent. The lower the balance, the higher your score will be. Don’t underestimate this. You could lose over 100 points by running up a revolving balance to the limit.
Using the Right Kind of Credit
When it comes to credit repair there are big differences in the type of credit you use. The FICO scoring model likes some credit types, but will penalize you for others. If you want to improve your credit scores you should use mainstream credit cards like MasterCard, Visa, American Express, and Discover. And you must avoid consumer credit, including store cards and the type of financing offered by furniture and electronics stores.
This type of debt is useless for credit repair success, and can even drag your scores down. There are a variety of reasons for the way FICO treats consumer debt; it typically comes with poor terms and high rates. It may also come with an attractive, but dangerous no-payment option which will mature into an unwieldy repayment plan. Still, this type of debt can be convenient, so use it if you wish, but pay it off when you need your credit scores to be at their best. Good luck with your credit repair!
Copyright © 2008 James W. Kemish. All Content. All Rights Reserved.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Debt Validation Tips for Credit Repair Success
Introduction
Debt validation is a powerful credit repair tool, but like many credit repair techniques it must be approached properly to get the optimal outcome. When done right debt validation can provide wonderful results including proof that the collector has the legal right to collect and an accounting of the amount due. And there are many cases when the collector, unable to provide the documentation required, will quietly vanish from your life.
Respond to Collection Letters Quickly
Collection letters must include, or be closely followed by, a written notice including your right to dispute the debt within 30 days. It is important to know that collectors do not like to validate debt or process credit repair demands. From a collectors perspective they are playing a numbers game; they want to send out collections letters and collect money. They would rather not tangle with debtors over the details. If you do not dispute the debt within the 30 day period allowed the collector is likely to ignore your request.
Credit Repair Options
Once you have a collection notice in hand there are a couple of credit repair strategies you should consider right away. If you don’t recognize the debt you have the right to request the name and phone number of the original creditor. Collection notices are supposed to include the name of the creditor to whom the debt is owned, however in the case that the debt has been sold and resold the original creditors name may not be indicated. But if you do recognize the debt you should research the statute of limitation before going any further.
Statutes of Limitation
The statute of limitation (SOL) for the collection of a debt is the maximum period of time that a collector can file a lawsuit. To be precise, a collector can file a lawsuit after the SOL has passed, but should they do so you can have the suit dismissed on this basis. It is important to your credit repair effort to know that the SOL clock starts on the day that you first become delinquent. This means that you need to count from the first time you missed a payment in the sequence that led to the chargeoff or collection status. SOLs are state and debt type specific and are easily found on the Internet.
Negotiation Opportunities
If the subject collection is beyond the SOL you are pretty much in the clear. You can choose to contact the collector to negotiate the debt if you wish. Those looking for the best credit repair outcome may want to take the opportunity to negotiate for complete account deletion. Once a collector knows that you are aware of the SOL they should be extremely willing to settle. You also have the option of ignoring the debt. The reporting period limit will roll around and the debt will fall off your credit report. If you decide to ignore the debt and the collector continues to contact you, you may opt to send them a cease communication letter, another useful credit repair tool. Once they receive this they will stop all communications.
Validate the Debt
Assuming that you decide to validate the debt you must do so in writing. Keep your request as simple and clear as possible. As with all credit repair communications, do not go into a story or explanation. Just ask for validation of the debt. I strongly recommend that you specifically list the documents and information you want them to send you. Ask them for proof they have the legal right to collect the debt, a detailed calculation of the amount claimed owed, and a copy of your original signed contract or account agreement.
Right and Wrong Results
If a collector cannot validate the debt they should stop collecting and not report to the credit bureaus. This happy credit repair outcome occurs quite often. But it does occasionally happen that they send nothing more than an internal printout or some such thing, and then continue their collection efforts. This can make your credit repair project difficult. There is ample case precedent to support the argument that a collector must provide the documentation listed above, but you may have to go to court to get satisfaction. If you reach the point where you are ready to get into a legal battle you should consider consulting an attorney so you are fully prepared when you get in front of the judge.
Credit Repair Help
If you begin your debt validation journey on your own and find that you are confused you should reach out to a credit repair service where a professional will review your entire case, research the SOL, prepare and send the letters as needed to get the best possible results. You do not have to do it alone. Reputable credit repair services are extremely affordable and will insure that the job is done properly. Good luck!
Copyright © 2008 James W. Kemish. All Content. All Rights Reserved.
Debt validation is a powerful credit repair tool, but like many credit repair techniques it must be approached properly to get the optimal outcome. When done right debt validation can provide wonderful results including proof that the collector has the legal right to collect and an accounting of the amount due. And there are many cases when the collector, unable to provide the documentation required, will quietly vanish from your life.
Respond to Collection Letters Quickly
Collection letters must include, or be closely followed by, a written notice including your right to dispute the debt within 30 days. It is important to know that collectors do not like to validate debt or process credit repair demands. From a collectors perspective they are playing a numbers game; they want to send out collections letters and collect money. They would rather not tangle with debtors over the details. If you do not dispute the debt within the 30 day period allowed the collector is likely to ignore your request.
Credit Repair Options
Once you have a collection notice in hand there are a couple of credit repair strategies you should consider right away. If you don’t recognize the debt you have the right to request the name and phone number of the original creditor. Collection notices are supposed to include the name of the creditor to whom the debt is owned, however in the case that the debt has been sold and resold the original creditors name may not be indicated. But if you do recognize the debt you should research the statute of limitation before going any further.
Statutes of Limitation
The statute of limitation (SOL) for the collection of a debt is the maximum period of time that a collector can file a lawsuit. To be precise, a collector can file a lawsuit after the SOL has passed, but should they do so you can have the suit dismissed on this basis. It is important to your credit repair effort to know that the SOL clock starts on the day that you first become delinquent. This means that you need to count from the first time you missed a payment in the sequence that led to the chargeoff or collection status. SOLs are state and debt type specific and are easily found on the Internet.
Negotiation Opportunities
If the subject collection is beyond the SOL you are pretty much in the clear. You can choose to contact the collector to negotiate the debt if you wish. Those looking for the best credit repair outcome may want to take the opportunity to negotiate for complete account deletion. Once a collector knows that you are aware of the SOL they should be extremely willing to settle. You also have the option of ignoring the debt. The reporting period limit will roll around and the debt will fall off your credit report. If you decide to ignore the debt and the collector continues to contact you, you may opt to send them a cease communication letter, another useful credit repair tool. Once they receive this they will stop all communications.
Validate the Debt
Assuming that you decide to validate the debt you must do so in writing. Keep your request as simple and clear as possible. As with all credit repair communications, do not go into a story or explanation. Just ask for validation of the debt. I strongly recommend that you specifically list the documents and information you want them to send you. Ask them for proof they have the legal right to collect the debt, a detailed calculation of the amount claimed owed, and a copy of your original signed contract or account agreement.
Right and Wrong Results
If a collector cannot validate the debt they should stop collecting and not report to the credit bureaus. This happy credit repair outcome occurs quite often. But it does occasionally happen that they send nothing more than an internal printout or some such thing, and then continue their collection efforts. This can make your credit repair project difficult. There is ample case precedent to support the argument that a collector must provide the documentation listed above, but you may have to go to court to get satisfaction. If you reach the point where you are ready to get into a legal battle you should consider consulting an attorney so you are fully prepared when you get in front of the judge.
Credit Repair Help
If you begin your debt validation journey on your own and find that you are confused you should reach out to a credit repair service where a professional will review your entire case, research the SOL, prepare and send the letters as needed to get the best possible results. You do not have to do it alone. Reputable credit repair services are extremely affordable and will insure that the job is done properly. Good luck!
Copyright © 2008 James W. Kemish. All Content. All Rights Reserved.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Credit Repair and Credit Score Mastery
FICO is Not a Report Card
Your credit score is not a report card meant to grade you on your past payment history. Are you surprised to hear this? If you are in a credit repair program and are hoping for truly meaningful progress you should understand the true intent of the FICO scoring model; you must learn to think like the engineers that developed the algorithm.
Measuring Risk of Default
The FICO credit score is designed to measure the likelihood that you will default on your obligations. There are many subtle factors that FICO considers in its calculation. Each of these factors is utilized as a predictor of future behavior. Some of these factors make perfect sense, but others, less logical, are likely to take you by surprise and hinder your credit repair progress, so don’t let them catch you unawares.
Inquiries
When you apply for a new credit card, auto loan, or any new debt your scores will dip slightly. The reason that FICO lowers your scores for each inquiry is that it sees your shopping as a potential threat to your budget. Each inquiry will impact your scores by between 1 and 5 points depending on the extensiveness of your credit. The more established your credit the less impact an inquiry will have because you have demonstrated skill in opening and managing new accounts.
New Accounts
New accounts will put a significant, but temporary, dent in your credit repair progress. The reason is simple; FICO recognizes the new account as a threat to your budget. The impact on your credit repair progress will fade quickly as your demonstrate the ability to manage the new debt responsibly. And, as with inquiries, the impact of a new account will depend on the extensiveness of your credit. The more established your credit the less of an impact on your scores.
Revolving Balances and Credit Repair
Revolving balances are a big factor in any credit repair program. If you want to improve your scores you must reduce your balances. Buy why is this? The FICO engineers are aware that high revolving balances are likely to occur when money is tight. Conversely low balances occur when money is plentiful. FICO sees a tight budget as a forerunner of potential default and will lower your scores to warn potential lenders that it may not be the right time to lend you money.
Consumer Debt
Consumer debt is a contentious issue among those who are caught unawares by this little wrinkle in the credit scoring formula. FICO carries an automatic bias against this type of debt regardless of any of the potential benefits that may be built-in. Consumer debt includes store cards and store financing most commonly used for the purchase of furniture and electronics. This type of debt is usually pricey and frequently comes with no-payment deals that mature into precarious repayment plans after a fixed term. If you are in a credit repair program you should avoid this type of debt.
Active vs. Inactive Accounts
You know that it is important to keep your credit card balances low to optimize your credit repair results. But did you know that if you pay those cards off and let them sit unused the credit score value of that account will start to fade away? FICO recognizes that many credit cards get retired, both by consumers and creditors, and yet continue to report. Logically, an inactive card should not count towards your credit worthiness if it is not currently in use.
Credit Repair
If you would like your credit scores to reach their full potential and you don’t feel up to the task of evaluating every possible option, just contact a credit repair professional. You don’t have to manage the job alone. A credit repair professional will be happy examine your credit reports and identify all of the opportunities to boost your score. Good luck!
Copyright © 2008 James W. Kemish. All Content. All Rights Reserved.
Your credit score is not a report card meant to grade you on your past payment history. Are you surprised to hear this? If you are in a credit repair program and are hoping for truly meaningful progress you should understand the true intent of the FICO scoring model; you must learn to think like the engineers that developed the algorithm.
Measuring Risk of Default
The FICO credit score is designed to measure the likelihood that you will default on your obligations. There are many subtle factors that FICO considers in its calculation. Each of these factors is utilized as a predictor of future behavior. Some of these factors make perfect sense, but others, less logical, are likely to take you by surprise and hinder your credit repair progress, so don’t let them catch you unawares.
Inquiries
When you apply for a new credit card, auto loan, or any new debt your scores will dip slightly. The reason that FICO lowers your scores for each inquiry is that it sees your shopping as a potential threat to your budget. Each inquiry will impact your scores by between 1 and 5 points depending on the extensiveness of your credit. The more established your credit the less impact an inquiry will have because you have demonstrated skill in opening and managing new accounts.
New Accounts
New accounts will put a significant, but temporary, dent in your credit repair progress. The reason is simple; FICO recognizes the new account as a threat to your budget. The impact on your credit repair progress will fade quickly as your demonstrate the ability to manage the new debt responsibly. And, as with inquiries, the impact of a new account will depend on the extensiveness of your credit. The more established your credit the less of an impact on your scores.
Revolving Balances and Credit Repair
Revolving balances are a big factor in any credit repair program. If you want to improve your scores you must reduce your balances. Buy why is this? The FICO engineers are aware that high revolving balances are likely to occur when money is tight. Conversely low balances occur when money is plentiful. FICO sees a tight budget as a forerunner of potential default and will lower your scores to warn potential lenders that it may not be the right time to lend you money.
Consumer Debt
Consumer debt is a contentious issue among those who are caught unawares by this little wrinkle in the credit scoring formula. FICO carries an automatic bias against this type of debt regardless of any of the potential benefits that may be built-in. Consumer debt includes store cards and store financing most commonly used for the purchase of furniture and electronics. This type of debt is usually pricey and frequently comes with no-payment deals that mature into precarious repayment plans after a fixed term. If you are in a credit repair program you should avoid this type of debt.
Active vs. Inactive Accounts
You know that it is important to keep your credit card balances low to optimize your credit repair results. But did you know that if you pay those cards off and let them sit unused the credit score value of that account will start to fade away? FICO recognizes that many credit cards get retired, both by consumers and creditors, and yet continue to report. Logically, an inactive card should not count towards your credit worthiness if it is not currently in use.
Credit Repair
If you would like your credit scores to reach their full potential and you don’t feel up to the task of evaluating every possible option, just contact a credit repair professional. You don’t have to manage the job alone. A credit repair professional will be happy examine your credit reports and identify all of the opportunities to boost your score. Good luck!
Copyright © 2008 James W. Kemish. All Content. All Rights Reserved.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Credit Repair Life Lessons
Introduction
The credit repair stories you are about to read are true. They are meant to entertain as well as educate. Credit repair is not difficult. But it takes some thought. For those who approach credit repair cautiously success will be certain and satisfying. For those who act hastily the outcome can be less than happy. The good news is that mistakes can be corrected, and with any luck the lessons learned will lead to great success, as you will read below.
Don’t Forget to Rebuild
Jason started out his credit repair program with a lot of enthusiasm. He was thrilled to see the derogatory items come off his report month by month. After almost six months of credit repair he went to MyFICO.com to check out his scores and was disappointed to see that they had risen only marginally. He consulted an expert about the situation. The credit repair professional explained to him that derogatory information had been depressing his scores, but without positive information his scores would not rise satisfactorily. So Jason opened two secured credit cards, making sure to pay on time and keep the balances low. It took some patience, but six months later, Jason checked his scores and was astounded to see that they had risen 150 points. It was a wonderful outcome.
Watch Those Balances
Becky had been in a credit repair program for a few months and her credit scores had risen dramatically. Her goal was to buy a house and she felt that she was almost ready. Several weeks before she was going to apply for her mortgage she bought a new television and paid for it with her credit card. She thought it would be great in her new home. When Becky applied for her mortgage she was shocked that her scores were 100 points lower than they had been only 45 days prior. Her credit repair consultant looked at her report and saw that the purchase of the television had pushed her credit card balance to the limit. At his advice she reduced the balance and a month later she re-applied for her mortgage, this time there was no problem. Her scores were higher than ever and she was approved for a great low rate mortgage.
Check the Statue of Limitation
Ethan was contacted by a collector who offered him a tempting deal of twenty-five percent off the original balance owned. The deal seemed fair, but because it was a significant amount of money Ethan decided to consult a credit repair expert first. The credit repair expert researched the statute of limitation (SOL) and calculated the amount of time that had passed since the original default date. It turned out that the debt was two years beyond the expiration of the SOL and only one year short of the reporting period limit. The credit repair expert explained to Ethan that because the debt was past the SOL the collector did not have legal recourse, which usually makes a debt very negotiable, and because it was only one year short of the reporting period limit he could even opt to ignore it as it would fall off soon enough. Ethan decided to call the collector and make a reduced offer. Once the collector understood that Ethan knew the law he settled for far less than his original offer. The little bit of credit repair homework saved Ethan thousands of dollars.
The Moral of the Story
Jason, Becky, and Ethan ran into obstacles in their path. But the solutions were easy and delivered terrific results. There is never a cause for worry. If you have taken a wrong turn just correct your course and before you know it you will be enjoying the positive results you deserve. Credit repair is not difficult, but it is essential to pay attention to the details. There is nothing wrong with undertaking the task of credit repair on your own, but if any time you feel that you need help, you should reach out and consult a professional. Your credit is important and every detail matters. Good luck, you can do it!
Copyright © 2009 James W. Kemish. All Content. All Rights Reserved.
The credit repair stories you are about to read are true. They are meant to entertain as well as educate. Credit repair is not difficult. But it takes some thought. For those who approach credit repair cautiously success will be certain and satisfying. For those who act hastily the outcome can be less than happy. The good news is that mistakes can be corrected, and with any luck the lessons learned will lead to great success, as you will read below.
Don’t Forget to Rebuild
Jason started out his credit repair program with a lot of enthusiasm. He was thrilled to see the derogatory items come off his report month by month. After almost six months of credit repair he went to MyFICO.com to check out his scores and was disappointed to see that they had risen only marginally. He consulted an expert about the situation. The credit repair professional explained to him that derogatory information had been depressing his scores, but without positive information his scores would not rise satisfactorily. So Jason opened two secured credit cards, making sure to pay on time and keep the balances low. It took some patience, but six months later, Jason checked his scores and was astounded to see that they had risen 150 points. It was a wonderful outcome.
Watch Those Balances
Becky had been in a credit repair program for a few months and her credit scores had risen dramatically. Her goal was to buy a house and she felt that she was almost ready. Several weeks before she was going to apply for her mortgage she bought a new television and paid for it with her credit card. She thought it would be great in her new home. When Becky applied for her mortgage she was shocked that her scores were 100 points lower than they had been only 45 days prior. Her credit repair consultant looked at her report and saw that the purchase of the television had pushed her credit card balance to the limit. At his advice she reduced the balance and a month later she re-applied for her mortgage, this time there was no problem. Her scores were higher than ever and she was approved for a great low rate mortgage.
Check the Statue of Limitation
Ethan was contacted by a collector who offered him a tempting deal of twenty-five percent off the original balance owned. The deal seemed fair, but because it was a significant amount of money Ethan decided to consult a credit repair expert first. The credit repair expert researched the statute of limitation (SOL) and calculated the amount of time that had passed since the original default date. It turned out that the debt was two years beyond the expiration of the SOL and only one year short of the reporting period limit. The credit repair expert explained to Ethan that because the debt was past the SOL the collector did not have legal recourse, which usually makes a debt very negotiable, and because it was only one year short of the reporting period limit he could even opt to ignore it as it would fall off soon enough. Ethan decided to call the collector and make a reduced offer. Once the collector understood that Ethan knew the law he settled for far less than his original offer. The little bit of credit repair homework saved Ethan thousands of dollars.
The Moral of the Story
Jason, Becky, and Ethan ran into obstacles in their path. But the solutions were easy and delivered terrific results. There is never a cause for worry. If you have taken a wrong turn just correct your course and before you know it you will be enjoying the positive results you deserve. Credit repair is not difficult, but it is essential to pay attention to the details. There is nothing wrong with undertaking the task of credit repair on your own, but if any time you feel that you need help, you should reach out and consult a professional. Your credit is important and every detail matters. Good luck, you can do it!
Copyright © 2009 James W. Kemish. All Content. All Rights Reserved.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Credit Repair and Your Credit Cards
Credit Repair and Existing Credit Cards
Credit repair can provide benefits beyond obvious derogatory issues. Increasingly, existing creditors are monitoring your universal payment history and altering their terms accordingly. Over the last two years millions of people have been surprised to get a letter from their credit card companies informing them that their account limits have been reduced. Generally this has been an attempt on the part of credit card companies to mitigate risk. Specifically the lever used to make these decisions has been your credit report. Credit repair has a pervasive reach.
Your Limits and Your Scores
If you want your credit repair project to succeed you must reduce your revolving balances. Credit scores hinge largely on the relationship between your credit card balances and your account limits. No matter how punctual your payments, if you keep your balances near the account limit your scores will suffer. For optimal credit repair success, reduce your balances so that you are only utilizing 20% of the card limit.
Rebuild With Secured Cards
If you do not have any open accounts you must start to rebuild right now. Credit repair can clean up derogatory information on your report, but without open credit cards your scores will languish. In today’s credit environment you may not be able to qualify for regular credit cards. Don’t worry; just get a couple of secured cards. They are the perfect credit repair tool. Keep your balances low, make your payments on time, and watch your scores climb.
Credit Card Timing Issues
If you are planning a significant transaction in the immediate future and need your scores to be their best you should be aware of credit card timing issues. If you plan to pay down your balances to boost your scores make sure to do it at least 60 days in advance; the credit bureaus can take this long to reflect the new balance information. And if you are going to open new credit cards as part of your credit repair effort, be careful. New credit cards will lower your scores for the first couple of months they report. In the long term the score benefits of these new cards will be impressive, but watch your timing.
Avoid Store Cards
Store cards are not good for your credit repair project. Fair Isaac, the creator of the FICO scoring model, has a bias against high cost consumer debt. Some store cards may offer great benefits, but nevertheless should be avoided when you are trying to boost your scores. For real score benefits stick with MasterCard, Visa, American Express, and Discover.
How Many Credit Cards?
Don’t go crazy with credit cards. For optimal credit repair results, when you are trying to rebuild your credit, you only need two active accounts. In the long run, as your scores improve, you will receive offers for more cards. If you go over 5 cards you will start to lose points as FICO will start to see you as a potential risk.
Get a Professional Evaluation
Most credit repair services offer a free consultation and should be happy to review your credit report to help you map out a plan. There may be many opportunities to restructure the content of your report. Even small adjustments can translate into significant credit score gains. It’s your credit, and it matters!
Copyright © 2009 James W. Kemish. All Content. All Rights Reserved.
Credit repair can provide benefits beyond obvious derogatory issues. Increasingly, existing creditors are monitoring your universal payment history and altering their terms accordingly. Over the last two years millions of people have been surprised to get a letter from their credit card companies informing them that their account limits have been reduced. Generally this has been an attempt on the part of credit card companies to mitigate risk. Specifically the lever used to make these decisions has been your credit report. Credit repair has a pervasive reach.
Your Limits and Your Scores
If you want your credit repair project to succeed you must reduce your revolving balances. Credit scores hinge largely on the relationship between your credit card balances and your account limits. No matter how punctual your payments, if you keep your balances near the account limit your scores will suffer. For optimal credit repair success, reduce your balances so that you are only utilizing 20% of the card limit.
Rebuild With Secured Cards
If you do not have any open accounts you must start to rebuild right now. Credit repair can clean up derogatory information on your report, but without open credit cards your scores will languish. In today’s credit environment you may not be able to qualify for regular credit cards. Don’t worry; just get a couple of secured cards. They are the perfect credit repair tool. Keep your balances low, make your payments on time, and watch your scores climb.
Credit Card Timing Issues
If you are planning a significant transaction in the immediate future and need your scores to be their best you should be aware of credit card timing issues. If you plan to pay down your balances to boost your scores make sure to do it at least 60 days in advance; the credit bureaus can take this long to reflect the new balance information. And if you are going to open new credit cards as part of your credit repair effort, be careful. New credit cards will lower your scores for the first couple of months they report. In the long term the score benefits of these new cards will be impressive, but watch your timing.
Avoid Store Cards
Store cards are not good for your credit repair project. Fair Isaac, the creator of the FICO scoring model, has a bias against high cost consumer debt. Some store cards may offer great benefits, but nevertheless should be avoided when you are trying to boost your scores. For real score benefits stick with MasterCard, Visa, American Express, and Discover.
How Many Credit Cards?
Don’t go crazy with credit cards. For optimal credit repair results, when you are trying to rebuild your credit, you only need two active accounts. In the long run, as your scores improve, you will receive offers for more cards. If you go over 5 cards you will start to lose points as FICO will start to see you as a potential risk.
Get a Professional Evaluation
Most credit repair services offer a free consultation and should be happy to review your credit report to help you map out a plan. There may be many opportunities to restructure the content of your report. Even small adjustments can translate into significant credit score gains. It’s your credit, and it matters!
Copyright © 2009 James W. Kemish. All Content. All Rights Reserved.
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