Using the wrong credit card, the wrong way, can actually hurt your credit rather than repair it.  Here are a few tips you should consider:

Never use a credit card that advertises “everyone is approved.” These credit cards loaded with fees and do not offer you the chance to increase your credit limit. Often, you will end up with paying $100 in fees for a $300 credit limit.

Consider Secured Credit Cards. To repair your credit you must exercise some financial responsibility. Secured credit cards have much lower rates and fees. But, you do have to make an initial deposit. This deposit will be your new credit balance.

Increase Your Credit Line With Additional Deposits. If you select a secured credit card as a means to rebuild your credit, begin with a $300 deposit and make additional small monthly deposits to the account. This will allow you to increase the credit limit and create a savings account for yourself. As your credit limit rises so will the influence and credibility the credit card makes on your overall credit report.

Do Not Use Your New Credit Card For Anything. When the card arrives, cut it up immediately after you activate it. Pay the annual fee each year and forget about it. The variables on the credit report that influence and help to establish credit are, length of time the account has been open, the credit limit, the balance vs. the credit limit ratio and of course the payment history. Using the card does not rebuild your credit faster. You are trying to repair your credit. Debt is what got you into this mess in the first place.

Do Not Let Your Balance Exceed 50% Of Your Credit Limit. OK, you did not take my advice. So, if you use the credit card, do not let the balance exceed one-half of the limit. The credit card company will report this fact “Maxed” out credit cards are viewed as a liability to your credit score.

Get A Second Secured Card And Repeat The Steps. If you get a second card, AND DO NOT USE IT, you will now have two credit references with zero balances. Use a different bank for the second account so that you have more than one company making positive credit reports to the credit bureau.

Remember these steps as you use your secured credit card to rebuild your revolving credit.

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Many credit card companies are still offering offer 0 interest credit cards; and, receiving this type of loan easier if you have a good credit score.  But, with the recent FICO 08 changes, even those with minor credit blemishes still may qualify.

So what steps do you need to take to receive this interest free loan?

How to Obtain a 0 Credit Card

If you already have a low interest credit card, the bank may send you additional balance transfer offers in the mail.  Compare credit cards issued by your bank to others online.  There are several sites that offer credit card help comparing interest free credit card offers.

Your bank may not provide the best credit card deals for you.

If you currently have a credit card with a certain bank, look for 0 APR balance transfer checks or other 0 balance transfer offers. If you do not have a credit card with a specific bank, you might still receive a balance transfer offer as an incentive to get you to open an account.  If you receive one of these offers, be careful to apply for a credit card that offers the longest balance transfer period and the lowest balance transfer fees.

Note, that you may not receive offers like these in the mail if you have opted out on marketing materials. But, you can still search for an offer by visiting your bank’s website or by calling customer service. You can find attractive offers online.

How to Initiate a Balance Transfer

Once you have found the best credit card deals, you need to initiate the credit card balance transfer.

If you received an offer in the mail for a new credit card, fill out the provided form. You will need to provide the account number of the credit card you wish to pay off. Mail the form back to the bank in the provided envelope. Some banks provide an online form you may fill out instead.

If you receive a 0 APR balance transfer offer from a current credit card, checks will be attached. Use these checks to pay your other credit cards or merchandise.

How to Consolidate Credit Card Debt

When you find interest free credit cards, use them as an opportunity to consolidate credit card debt and pay down (or off) a higher interest credit card.

If you do not have excessive balances, you may be able to pay off all your credit card debt using this one 0 interest credit card.  But, even if you’re only able to pay off part of your credit card debt, you will save money on interest and probably lower your monthly payments.  The savings can add up quickly.

Additional Considerations For Interest Free Credit Cards

Consolidating your credit card debt can save you money and can reduce your monthly payment, but be sure to read the balance transfer terms and conditions very carefully.

All offers expire; some sooner than others.

If your offer is good for 12 months, you may want to consider paying it off within the 12 months unless you can transfer the outstanding balance to other low interest credit cards at the expiration of the balance transfer period.

Once the offer expires, the credit card company will charge you the regular interest rate. Sometimes this interest may be more than the credit cards you transferred it from.

Plan ahead to avoid financial problems in the future.

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In fact, if you have bad credit, finding bad credit loans is even more difficult as conventional lenders are just nor going to lend to those with bad credit.  Fortunately, there are still a number of options to those in need of a loan but without an impressive FICO score to back it up.

Bad Credit:  Expect Fees, High Interest And Short Repayment Term

Those with bad credit are going to need to expect high interest rates, initiation fees, and short repayment terms.  In addition, the borrower may need to put up personal property as collateral for the loan.

Home loans for people with bad credit are just about non-existent at the time that this article goes to press.  Mortgage loans are currently only available to those with better than average credit using conservative appraisals of real property.

Normally, placing collateral serves to reduce the cost of borrowing.  Unfortunately, those with bad credit will enjoy no such luck.

But, getting secured loans might spell the difference between getting a bad credit loan or no loan at all.

Even in the tight credit market there are still loans for people with bad credit.

Pawn Shops As A Source Of Bad Credit Lending

The pawnbroker has been around since medieval times.

Even today, the borrower with bad credit can visit a pawn shop, post some personal possession as collateral, and walk out with a loan against the property.  Do not expect the pawnbroker to loan anywhere near the value of the collateral.

Furthermore, expect that the repayment will be much higher than the amount borrowed.  Remember, the pawnbroker will keep the possessions until you repay the loan.  If the borrower fails  to repay within the prescribed time period, then the pawnbroker will keep the collateral and sell it to recover the amount of the loan.

Car Title Loans: Secured Loans For Bad Credit

If the borrower owns a car, there are companies that specialize in making loans secured by a car title.

The lender will make the loan and the borrower retains possession of the car. Borrowers are advised to be wary of car title loans though.  The loan, with interest, will be much more than the amount borrowed.  So, the borrower should attempt to repay the loan as soon as possible.

But to the person that is in need of quick money, this is an available, if not costly, option.

Pay Day Loans:  A Controversial Form Of Bad Credit Loan

Payday loans (aka “cash advance loan”, “check advance loan” or “post-dated check loan.”) are essentially small (usually $50-$500) short-term loans that are repaid with high interest. The borrower writes a post dated check, which is held by the lender until the borrower is paid.  The check, which is much more than the loan, is then negotiated by the lender and the loan is repaid.

If the borrower is unable to repay the loan, the loan is rolled over for another pay period where the balance grows.

Military Loans:  Assistance For Armed Forces Personnel

Military loans have evolved to assist current and previous employees of US armed forces during times of financial hardship.

These loans serve as short term sources of borrowing offered by various institutions. Military loans carry lower interest rates, favorable terms and easier repayment conditions.  They are available for as consolidation loans, or for any purpose, and are repaid through deductions from the serviceman’s paycheck.

Conclusion:  Bad Credit Beats No Credit At All

Unfortunately, bad credit decisions carry lasting consequences.

To the person with bad credit, the consequences include difficulty obtaining credit, increased interest and fees as well as short repayment terms.

Even so, in the United States, even those with bad credit can find loans for bad credit to cover unexpected expenses, emergencies and other obligations.

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Bad Credit Loans:  The Good, The Bad And The Ugly

From payday loans to bad credit mortgages, there are a number of institutions and companies that are in the business of making loans to people with bad credit.  The good news is that, if you make your payments on time, you can improve your FICO score.  The bad news is that, because you are a higher risk, you will pay a higher interest rate than a person with a good credit score.  You can expect to pay between 12% and 21% for an unsecured personal loan if you have a bad credit score.  The dollar amount of an unsecured personal loan is usually $2,000-$3,000 for most lenders.

Lenders that specialize in loans for people with bad credit look at a number of factors when determining if you are a credit-worthy risk for borrowing. The lender understands that you might have had problems repaying in the past.  The lender will determine whether or not you have the means to repay the loan (ie a job) and an acceptable debt to income ratio.

Home Loans For People With Bad Credit

The bad credit mortgages that were so common just two years ago, are no longer available.  After the collapse of the housing market, it has become very difficult for people with bad credit to obtain a bad credit home loan.  Lenders are requiring conservative appraisals of the property, good credit and a lot of money down.

In order for a person with bad credit to obtain a bad credit mortgage loan, he or she will have to qualify for one of the first time buyers plans through the veteran’s administration, FHA or other state agency.  As always, bad credit mortgage loans can be obtained if the borrower has a guarantor with a good FICO score or can put a substantial amount of money down in relation to the appraised value of the property.

Bad Credit Loans:  Make Your Future Count

If you have bad credit personal loan, work to improve your credit, keep up to date records on your payments and check your credit report at least once per year.

The law allows everyone to obtain a free credit report once per year. If you are serious about rebuilding your credit, you might consider joining a credit reporting service that will alert you to any changes to your credit report.  Not only is this helpful to rebuild credit, it also is useful to prevent unauthorized access to your credit report or identity theft.

It is legally and morally important to repay what you borrow.  Manage your finances, including borrowing only what you pay back. Everyone faces financial mishaps throughout their lives, but if you are careful to prepare ahead of time, you can recover from the negative consequences of having bad credit.

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History Of The FICO Scoring Method

FICO scores (or credit scores) were developed by the Fair Isaac Corporation to give lenders an effective way to measure the creditworthiness of an individual. Essentially, the credit score is made up of two elements: the borrower’s ability to repay the loan and the borrower’s willingness to repay the loan. The range of the FICO is from 300 to 850. A score of 700 is considered excellent. The average FICO score currently is 690 and falling.

FICO 08: The New Method Of Calculating Creditworthiness

Early this year, FICO introduced the FICO 08. So, far only TransUnion has begun using it; but, it is expected to become industry standard over the next eighteen months. It will change the way that creditors evaluate a borrower’s creditworthiness.

FICO 08: The Important Changes To Credit Scoring

Credit utilization is now more important

This is a measure of how much a credit card holder accesses his or her credit as compared to his total amount of credit. The traditional ratio was 30% of the old FICO score. Under FICO 08, people with high credit card debt in relation to their available credit are riskier than before. Consumers with balances close to their credit limit are likely to see their scores drop lower with FICO 08. Also, consumers with too few open accounts or people who close accounts (lowering total credit available) may see lower scores.

The Piggyback Ride Is Over

Credit card piggybacking is a credit building tool where a person will pay a fee to get listed as an authorized user on the credit card of someone with good credit history. While the “authorized user” doesn’t actually get to use the card, he gets the benefit of the credit history which will be found on his credit report and thereby increase his credit score.

This practice has become so popular that an entire niche industry has been built to match piggy back users with cardholders who are willing to sign them up as an authorized user.

While FICO 08 penalizes piggybacking, people who add a legitimate authorized user (husband, wife or child) will not be affected.

Go And Sin No More

Those of us who have been adversely affected because we failed to return a movie on time can now relax. Third-party collections under $100 will no longer have a significant impact on a consumer’s score. FICO 08 bypasses collections or public records with amounts that originally were less than $100. If the original amount was over $100 but has been paid down to less than $100, it still counts. If it was even a small amount from a credit card company, it still counts.

Miscellaneous Weight Changes

FICO 08 changes the factors considered in the current FICO score, including the length of credit history and the number of open lines of credit.

The FICO 08 system will have dramatic effects on current scores. In fact, it is predicted that several people with identical scores today will have significantly different credit scores under FICO 08. So, it pays to pay attention. Find  out how FICO 08 will affect you before you need additional credit.

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