Home Loans - Repair Your Credit Before You Buy
Charles Essmeier
Before you take out a home loan or make any major purchase, you should be aware that any prospective lender will want to take a look at your credit report. Your credit report is a record of all of your past financial dealings, and any loans, credit cards, judgements, bankruptcies or other major financial transactions are listed there. Along with your credit report will come your credit score, which is a three digit number between 300 and 850 that represents a distillation of all of the above. That score represents your entire financial life, and your ability to obtain financing for any major purchase depends on having a good one. What if you don’t have a good record? Should you go to one of those companies that promise to repair your credit? What you should do is repair it yourself.
The idea of credit repair is a myth. There is no magic solution to fixing problem credit, and any company that promises to do so is only interested in your cash. Your credit report and score are maintained by three separate credit bureaus that keep pretty accurate accounts of all financial dealings done under your Social Security number. There is no way to quickly “fix” a faulty credit report. You can, however, fix it yourself and fix it for free. It just takes time.
The way to repair your credit record is to start paying your bills on time and paying off your debt. More than one third of your credit score is determined by your past ability to pay bills and to pay them on time. Start doing so now. It may take a year or two, but steadily paying your bills without making any late payments goes a long way towards repairing a credit score. Another third of your score is determined by your ratio of debt to available credit. If your credit cards are maxed out, you need to pay off or pay down your balances. It’s tough to obtain a loan when you are already in debt to the gills.
Stop using your credit cards, if possible. Don’t cancel them; just stop using them, particularly if you have a balance to pay off. You want to reduce your debt. Pay cash when you can. And check your credit report for problems. You can obtain a copy for free from the free credit report Website.
Repairing your credit record takes time and discipline. There is no quick solution other than paying your bills, paying them on time, and waiting for the damage to heal. After that, you should be in good shape to obtain your home or car of your dreams.
About the author: ©Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing. Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including End-Your-Debt.com, a site devoted to debt consolidation and credit counseling, and HomeEquityHelp.com, a site devoted to information regarding mortgages and home equity lending .
The latest information and news on Credit Repair:
[CaRP] Can't open cache file.
[CaRP] Unable to create/open RSS cache file.
Credit Repair: Beyond the Fair Credit Reporting Act (Wellsville Daily Reporter)
(ARA) - Bad credit can happen to good people. On a day-to-day basis, you can't control all the factors that influence your credit score. What's more, credit reports often contain errors.
Free Credit Repair Secrets Teach Consumers How To Fix Ugly Credit (PR Web via...
Sarasota, FL (PRWEB) November 9, 2006 -- FixMyUglyCredit has launched a free credit repair e-course at www.
Avoid Home Repair Nightmares (The Motley Fool)
Americans spent more than $200 billion on home repair/remodel projects in 2005 and have shown few signs of slowing up in 2006, which means that there are a whole lot of very happy contractors out there, bank accounts bulging. But their happiness doesn't necessarily equate with the homeowner's.
Free Credit Repair Secrets Teach Consumers How To Fix Ugly Credit (PR Web)
From the comfort of home, people with damaged credit can fix their own credit with free step-by-step, easy-to-understand strategies and secrets from FixMyUglyCredit.com. (PRWeb Nov 9, 2006) Trackback URL: http://prweb.com/pingpr.php/WmV0YS1NYWduLVByb2YtUGlnZy1NYWduLVplcm8=
Bad Credit and Home Refinance (Kewanee Star Courier)
(ARA) - Mortgage rates are at historic lows, and it seems like everyone's jumping on the refinance bandwagon these days. But is it really a good idea for people with bad credit?
Avoid Home Repair Nightmares (The Motley Fool)
How to find the right person for the job.
Managing Your Credit Can be as Easy as Clicking a Mouse (Ridgecrest Daily Ind...
(ARA) - Managing your credit can be like balancing a plate in an old circus act - look away for just a moment and everything can come crashing down around you. But the task doesn't have to be that hard. In fact, online credit monitoring and management tools can make it as easy as clicking a mouse.
Police: Fake ?Uzi? taken into credit union (Fort Wayne Journal Gazette)
Two juveniles were taken into police custody Thursday morning after they were seen carrying what turned out to be a fake weapon into the Three Rivers Credit Union on Bluffton Road, police said.
Starting a PC Repair Business (Entrpreneur.com)
10 smart tips that will help you start and grow your computer repair service
The week in review (The Cincinnati Enquirer)
By now, you know the storyline from Tuesday's election: Democrats won big at the federal, state and county levels. Here's The Enquirer's take on some of the other election winners and losers.