We all live in a credit-driven society. You need credit for almost everything from buying a home to even finding a job. With so much significance put on using credit as currency, it's really no real shock that so many Americans are swimming in financial trouble. There are 22 unique criteria for determining credit score, however, the only real ones who know the actual formulas would be the credit bureaus themselves.With so little information on how to improve credit, people regularly make typical errors that seem like the appropriate option, but in the end really hurt your credit score even more.
If you're in times where you need or would like to build up your credit score, you'll want to try the following 5 actions you'll be able to take today to get you moving on the right path. Prior to doing any of these steps, however, you need to make sure you know where you stand. It's likely that you wouldn't construct a home without having a blueprint. In the same vein, you wouldn't want to try to make adjustments to your credit if you don't know exactly what needs fixing. Therefore, before you start these steps, you'll want to get your credit report.
Quick Fix #1: Look for Errors
Probably the most common source of poor credit can be attributed to reporting errors. The first thing to check, after any obvious errors, is to make certain your credit limits have been reported properly. Your credit score is affected by your utilization rate, and that is based on the portion of your credit limit you use month to month. If your credit limit is not being recorded properly, your utilization rate is going to be off and may significantly harm your credit score.Another main error to check for is duplicated notices on one collection account reported as active. Often a collection account might be moved to quite a few collection agencies to be dealt with. There's no real problem with this fact, and all of the collection agencies could possibly be listed on your credit report. That's typical, and all but the agency currently attempting to collect the debt should be listed as transferred. But if more than one collection agency is reporting the collection account to the credit bureaus as active, you have a problem. If this happens, the one collection account is reported as two separate accounts and therefore contributes to a lower score.
Quick Fix #2: Begin Lowering Credit Card Debt
This fix should seem like a simple choice, but it's typically forgotten because it's never really explained why the amount of your credit card debt is so significant. We like to call this tip the 30/30 rule. 30 percent of your credit score is dependent on your outstanding debt, and if your credit balance is more than 30 % of your borrowing limit, your score could drop. If you've racked up over 30 percent of your limit in debt and you're only paying the minimal payment on a monthly basis, your score is likely to drop - irrespective of how "on time" you were month to month. With this information under consideration, it's imperative to eliminate credit card debt wherever possible to maintain the 30/30 rule.
Quick Fix #3: No Credit = Bad Credit
Credit scores are produced based upon information and facts from your credit history. If don't have any credit history, there's absolutely nothing to base your score on. This isn't a clear case of being innocent until proven guilty. With regards to lending money, there aren't many resources that are going to hand over a wad of money if they don't know whether you're a good investment or not. Think of it this way: Let's say you needed heart surgery, and you met a man who said he was the top heart surgeon on the planet. He could be the foremost heart surgeon on earth, but if he had no credentials and no references, there's absolutely no way you'd ever let him open up your chest. Likewise, you'd never let a man who lost his medical license open up your chest.
The credit scoring bureaus visualize you in the same terms. If you don't have experience, they consider you high risk. It's important to provide them with information by which to gauge you. To make certain you're providing them with enough information to properly judge your risk, you should have three to five credit cards and an installment loan.
Quick Fix #4: Authorized Users
If you're in a scenario where you either don't have a lot of credit, or have fairly bad credit, you may want to check out getting added as an authorized user. As an authorized user, you get added to a relative's (preferably one with the same address) credit account. This lets you to piggy-back on their good credit standing and reap the benefits. This only works, however, if the credit card company reports your status as an authorized user to the credit bureaus and if the outstanding debt on the card never exceeds 30 percent of the credit limit. Remember that that while this is a great way to increase your score, if the account drops into poor standing your score will also be impacted adversely.
Quick Fix #5: Use Credit!
It's a natural impulse for somebody to desire to stay away from something which has caused them harm in the past. In fact, it seems to make sense rationally that if you are having credit issues, you probably wouldn't prefer to keep using credit. Sadly, this way of thinking couldn't be farther from the truth! You need to get out there and use your credit prudently to show the credit bureaus that you can handle your debt responsibly.
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Learn more about your credit repair options, Sky Blue Credit Review or Lexington Law Firm .
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