How to get good credit? That is the question we all want the answer to. It is so important to have good credit. Everything in your life depends on it. From insurance to employment to housing to borrowing money, without good credit you pay more or in some cases cannot get what you are looking for. We all know the pitfalls of bad credit, so how do we avoid that. How to get good credit is what we will discuss here.
What is good credit? It is when your debt ratios, payment history, and loan balances meet a lender's qualifications. How to get good credit can be answered by making your payments on time, all of the time. That is first and foremost. Every time you make an on time payment, it improves your credit score. The longer the history of on time payments, the better your score and the easier it will be to get other loans. You get good credit by being responsible. The number one rule of good credit is on time payments.
How to get good credit can be answered in another way. Lower balances. If you keep your credit cards at their maximum, even if you make the minimum payment on time every month, you are hurting your credit score. You need to have as low a balance on those cards as possible. Pay them off as quickly as you can, and only charge what you can pay off in full every month. If you have a $1,000.00 limit on your credit card, and you pay off that $1,000.00 every month on time, your credit will be better than if you charge the same $1, 000.00 and only make the minimum payment, and keep the balance at its maximum. So another way to get good credit is to keep your credit card balances paid off every month, or keep them as low as possible. Never max out the credit cards.
Another way to get good credit is to keep your debt ratios in check. You debt ratio is the amount of debt compared to your income. The percentage of your debt to your income should be kept as low as possible. Your income is a finite amount. You can only have so many payments and then you have spent it all. You need to keep your monthly payments low. The idea is to hold on to what you earn, not spend it all every month on housing, credit cards, and cars. This is how you get good credit.
Watch what you spend, and be sure to save something every month. Another way to get good credit is to have bank accounts. You should at the very least have a checking and savings account. As your income increases, try to change that basic checking account into one that will pay you interest. A money market account is great if you can meet the balance minimums. You may also want to open a CD in addition to a savings account. The interest rates are higher and it prevents you from tapping into those funds. Keep in mind; it is always easier to get a loan when you can show you really don't need the money. In your quest for good credit, having accounts that pay interest helps. If your loan application asks if you have a checking or savings account, you can be sure they will look into your answers.
So, we have discussed ways to get good credit. It is now up to you to put a plan into action to improve the credit you have. Do everything you can to pay off those credit cards; this will help you more than anything else. Make all of your payments on time, all of the time. Finally, when looking into how to get good credit, remember setting a budget and sticking to it will help tremendously.
How To Get Good Credit
There are several ways to start building a credit history. If you are sick of creditors hounding you, or if you find that nobody will extend you a loan because you have never had credit, now is the time to learn credit building tips. First and most importantly, never purchase things you do not need. If you want something, but never put your wants before your needs, this is a recipe for disaster and will get you in debt. If you are seeking ways to build credit and have no previous history, make sure you know how to go about it properly.
Building or Rebuilding Your Credit
If you have or have had, bad credit, you need to get a Do-It-Yourself kit and get to work. Take a trip to your local library and check out books that guide you through the process of credit repair. Most libraries have a copy machine you can use to print out forms that you need to fill out and mail to creditors. There are guides at your library that have the necessary tools for debtors to learn how to write effective letters to creditors.
Letters are a much better way to contact a creditor than by mail. Since most creditors care less about your situation and may even make threats to you. A good reason for writing letters is that having "proof", is more valuable if you ever find yourself going to court over credit problems. If something is spoken or an agreement has been reached, this will prevent the creditor from reneging or denying this claim.
Any documentation you have pertaining to your credit history should be stored in a secure area. If you send a letter to your creditor, keep copies of the letters sent and store it along with other important information. If you notice there are errors in your bills or credit, reports ensure you have contacted the appropriate agencies and filed a dispute against the charges in a timely manner. If you have credit cards and made a purchase on an item or used a service and this item is defective or the service is sub par, you DO NOT have to pay the charges.
You have to also dispute this information with the store or the person who provided the service. If the store or person refuses to give you an item to replace the defective one, or reimburse you, then you have a right to deny payment. Once you have disputed this charge, you then need to contact your credit card provider and let them know what happened. If you are fortunate enough to have been issued a credit card even with bad credit, use this card to repay your debts and meet the monthly charges each month on time. This can be a solution when everything else fails. If you have to use a credit card to pay your debts, then payoff your cards the following month and use the card to pay the next months bills....
Now you can see what the plan is. Credit cards have interest rates so that even if you pay the monthly minimum payment, the bills on the card will increase.
Not Having Credit, Can Be No Problem
You may think you do not need a credit line or a credit card. You may pay all your bills on time each month, in cash. Does this sound like you? Well, you know the obvious answer, but then there is an occasional situation that calls for a what if scenario....In the world of today, we are fast approaching a time period that will require us to have at least one major credit card. If you telephone a business to whom you owe debt, they may first ask you if you would like to pay your account with a credit card. If you apply for a job, apartment, student, home or automobile loan, or any , you will most likely face getting a rejection letter in the mail. Many lenders will refuse to extend credit to people who do not have a credit history. For this reason we are expected to establish a credit line while we are in our teenage years, and if we do not lenders grow concerned. A lender can refuse to give you credit based upon many reasons. The best solution for you is building a good credit history by starting up a line of credit now, making timely payments, and pay your debts off in a timely manner. Set yourself up on a budget and stay out of steep debt.
Both Fine Tuned & Eric Jilson are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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