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Creating Good Credit: 4 Important Steps
As a consumer you've learned the importance of
establishing a good credit rating with your lenders. Whether you are shopping for a new home or auto, or searching for the best deals on insurance, your credit worthiness will be judged by your credit rating or credit score.
A bad credit history or bad credit habits will place "black marks" on your credit profile. These include things such as late payments, having an account assigned to a collection agency, and of course bankruptcy.
Establishing good credit habits and therefore a good credit rating will improve your credit worthiness. This will be reflected in potential lenders offering you substantially lower interest rates and better deals on credit offers.
Here are 4 tips to help you create a shining credit profile:
1) Pay Your Bills On Time
Lenders only have your past payment history on which to decide the type of credit risk you present to them. How you pay off your debts now indicates to them how you will pay off future debts.
2) Don't Use Too Many or Too Few Credit Cards
How much is too much? How little is too little? Many credit experts and financial planners suggest two to four credit cards is just the right mix.
3) Pay At Least The Minimum Due
Always pay at least the minimum due payment, but never less. And remember, just paying the minimum payment means it will take you years and years to pay off that credit card.
Example: Paying off a $2,000 credit payment at 18% APR with a minimum monthly payment of 2% ($40 dollars or less) will take you 30 years to pay off the amount plus interest.
4) Review Your Credit Report Regularly
Monitor your credit report from all three major credit bureaus - Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax - on a regular basis. Check your credit profile at least annually. Review it carefully and make sure that any past mistakes or disputes have been corrected.
Also, if you notice an account listed that you know that you have not personally opened, contact that creditor and the credit bureaus immediately. This could be a sign that you've had your identity stolen. Request to have a fraud alert placed on your profile and account to protect yourself and your credit. Identity theft is the fastest growing consumer crime in America, with an estimated 1 million people victimized each year.
Establish good credit habits early in life and reap the benefits that your good credit rating will provide you for the rest of your financial future.
You may think the answer is low interest of course, but then you might be surprised. Whether you are in debt or not, credit cards are simply a financial tool and, like most tools, they can be used to your advantage or to your disadvantage.
This sounds like a fairly simple question but it is not quite so simple to answer and in trying to do so you need to view the answer from the perspective of both the borrower and the lender.
With debts and financial turmoil, you may be in a dilemma as to how to get out of your problem. No matter how much you desire to have your debts liquidated, you do not have the capacity to do so. You are burdened by the endless collection and demand letters. In such a situation you have only to see a well-experienced bankruptcy lawyer.
Credit reports are reviewed when you try to get credit, a job, mortgage, or insurance. Avoid surprises know what's in your credit report, get a free copy. If you think credit reports are only used when applying for a car loan, think again. Lots of other firms use them.
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