Credit is one of the things in life that can put a great deal of stress into an otherwise okay world. Credit imposes a rating on us that defines who we are. If our credit is flawed with late payments or even bankruptcy, we are treated different than if we have good credit. Good credit ratings open doors in times of hardship and helps garner us the respect we deserve.
If your goal is to repair your credit rating the first step would be to get copies of your credit reports. You can get free reports any time you are turned down for credit by a credit card company, however in light of the ping your credit rating takes to have someone look at your rating as a possible lender, it may be worth just paying for them. Once you receive the reports, look them over very carefully.
If you have anything that looks out of the ordinary or suspicious on them, you should instantly file claims with the three main agencies. These disputes may remain on your record for up to six months while they are investigated. In the meantime, you should identify any delinquencies on your report and being to take care of them as soon as possible. Even making partial reports can keep delinquent payments from showing on the reports so be sure to talk to your creditor and agree upon a repayment plan. Once you establish what is on your report at this time and how you are going to take care of the items that are showing, make a plan to check it again on a regular basis to ensure there are no new unknown charges and to verify your efforts are working! This is the first step toward a lifetime of good debt management habits.
By: Clinton Maxwell -