Bad Credit Repair
By Bryan Pringle, Ph.D.
Can bad credit be repaired? Most consumers believe that once you have bad credit, then you will never again have good credit. Bad credit is extremely difficult to repair, however, it can be done. What you need to keep in mind, is that bad credit only lasts as long as the delinquencies on your credit report last. Once the negative items on it are removed, then you will once again have good credit.
Okay, so what is the time limit for negative items to stay on a credit report? Bankruptcies stay on it for about ten years and negative items stay on for about seven years. Why do I say "about" seven and ten years for negative items? Typically, the negative items should be removed after seven and ten years, however, it often takes a bit longer for these items to be removed by the credit bureaus. In general, the seven and ten year periods are calculated from the date that the event took place.
One way to repair bad credit, is to negotiate a settlement of delinquent debt. Generally, you can negotiate with the debt collection agency or bank that owns your delinquent debt. A rule of thumb, is to try and pay about thirty to fifty cents on the dollar. You can usually get an agreement, in which the debt owner, will agree to place a "settled in full" statement on your credit report, once you have paid the agreed upon amount. Never pay the negotiated debt settlement amount, until you have an agreement in writing. This is because once you have paid this amount, the debt owner, has no incentive to place the "settled in full" statement on your report. If you pay the debt, and the debt owner fails to place the "settled in full" statement on your report, without an agreement in writing, you will have no proof that the debt was settled in full.
If you don't have any money to repay any portion of the delinquent debt, then another way to re-establish good credit, is to start taking out small loans at a bank or loaning institution. This method also works by establishing timely payments through secured credit cards. It seems quite bizarre, but you can actually drown out bad items with good items. What this simply means, is that if you have fifty loans that are in good standing and ten loans in bad standing, the loans in bad standing, will be eclipsed by the loans in good standing. Keep in mind, that you will have to take out very small loans, and pay these loans back on time, in full, every time. Paying off about twenty to thirty small loans on time, will make a significant difference in calculating your credit score. Many individuals credit scores can raise a few hundred points, in a relatively short period of time, with this method.
What if you have bad credit because of fraudulent activity? First, let's specifically define fraudulent activity. The majority of the consumers define fraudulent activity, as individuals who take out credit cards or loans, based upon someone else's identifying information. That is only partially true. Fraudulent activity, can also be a credit card company illegal raising an interest rate in violation of contract terms, a loan being called in before it is due, a bank demanding an illegally accelerated payment of a loan or credit card, or any other violation of law by a financial institution regarding the repayment of a debt. Most consumers fail to recognize when financial institutions commit fraud. The simple solution for fixing bad credit because of fraudulent activity, is to dispute the activity on your credit report. In real estate, the motto is: location, location, location. When it comes to fraudulent credit activity, the motto is: dispute, dispute, dispute. Consumers have the right to dispute any and all fraudulent activity on the report, whether by individuals or financial institutions, by contacting the three credit bureaus and disputing the debt, in writing.
Bad credit, can and should be, repaired. With a little effort and time, bad credit items can be either erased, settled, or eclipsed by good credit.
For more information about credit cards and how to apply for a credit card, then please visit http://www.apply-forcreditcards-online.com
Simple Ways To Repair Bad Credit
By Gary Gresham
There are ways to repair bad credit, but bad credit history repair can take some time. With that in mind, here are some solutions that can work for you.
Get a Copy of Your Credit Report
The first thing you need to do is get a copy of your credit report and score from the three major credit bureaus Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. You need to know what is on your report because to get out debt you have to fully understand what your situation is.
Believe it or not, 40% of all credit reports have errors and this is the quickest way to repair bad credit history. If you find any errors notify the three major credit bureaus with the mistakes.
But you have to be able to prove any mistakes by copies of paid statements. Once the mistakes are cleared ask the credit bureaus to send you a corrected report. This will start the process to repair bad credit history for you and begin to raise fico scores.
Stop Charging
You have to immediately stop charging anything on your credit cards. You have to be realistic and if you want to repair bad credit history you can't get deeper in debt. Don't close any of your accounts because closing your accounts will lower your fico score even more.
Negotiate With Creditors
Talk to your creditors and tell them your plan to pay them what you owe. Most creditors will work with you to give a reduced payment schedule.
Creditors would much rather negotiate with you than lose everything if you fail to pay. Just be sure to stick to your negotiated plan so you can get back on track to repair bad credit history and raise fico scores.
You will correct your credit over time and bad items will continually drop off your credit report. The best way to repair bad credit is have a plan, take action and stick to it.
This article is supplied by http://www.credit-repair-facts.com where you will find credit information, debt elimination programs and informative articles that give you the knowledge to correct your own credit and credit report. For more credit related articles like these go to: http://www.credit-repair-facts.com/articles_1.html
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