Sunday, February 18, 2007

Yes, You Can Get Unsecured Credit Cards With Bad Credit!

By MF Calhoun

Have bad credit and want to get unsecured credit? It's not impossible, but you may pay a lot for the privilege. You can use an unsecured credit card for bad credit to improve your credit score if you pay it on time and don't go over limit. Even with bad credit, there are some banks which offer bad credit credit cards. Depending on how low your credit scores are, the problem you'll face isn't finding a credit card but keeping away from high interest rates, fees, application charges and more. By comparing credit card offers, you can find an unsecured credit card for bad credit to help you start to rebuild good credit.

You might have gotten some offers in the mail for unsecured bad credit cards for bad credit customers. While they might offer you a new unsecured card, they will also add outrageous fees, which can total over $200, just to open an account. Some of the fees they might charge are high yearly fees, an application fee just to process your application, monthly fees if you are late or go over your maximum credit limit, and of course they will charge interest rates from 10% and up. If you are late with a payment, expect to pay $20-30 or more for a late fee. and your interest rate will likely go higher by another 10-15% as well. Expect high penalty fees if you go over limit too. But not all lenders charge high fees and costs. Take some time to look around for multiple card offers, and compare the costs of each. Don't just apply for the first offer you receive in the mail.

One helpful step is to search for cards offered by large, nationally-known banks or other lenders. For example, Orchard Bank, a subsidiary of HSBC, offers a variety of unsecured credit cards for bad credit clients. Find two or three card companies and then choose the one with the best rates to apply to first.

Most card companies will review your credit history and credit score in making a decision, but just as important is your income, whether you are earning enough to cover your bills and how stable your job is. Sometimes, your income will override your credit score, but you'll probably need a W2 job (not self-employment) for at least 3 months with the same employer prior to applying. If you can show steady employment, a credit card lender will often approve a small credit line of about $300 to get started.

No matter who you apply with, you will pay higher interest rates on an unsecured credit card for bad credit. But you still can avoid accepting a card with overly high additional fees. So, keep looking for a good deal until you find a card that doesn't start you off with a balance of a few hundred dollars before you even make one purchase!

Most importantly, after you get your new card, be sure pay on time, and really make a dent in your bad credit. Very soon your credit score will improve, and your credit card lender will be able to extend to you a credit card with better rates and fees.

MF Calhoun writes about credit and debt topics for a variety of publications. Find out more about getting an unsecured credit card for bad credit at http://www.fix-it-yourself-credit.com/findbadcreditcard

Friday, February 16, 2007

Who Needs To Improve Their Credit Score

By Jay Bush

Have you ever asked yourself if you needed to improve your credit score. It sometimes amazes me how much importance our society put on those three little numbers that make up your credit score. Those three little numbers can save or cost you hundreds of dollars every year. A good score and you will receive lower interest rates on credit cards, car loans, and home loans. A bad score and those same interest rates will be alot higher and really affect the amount you pay for an item. You may not notice it in your monthly payment but there is a big difference in how much you end up paying for an item when that final payment is sent in.

So, you have a bad credit score or just want to improve your current credit score. How do you go about improving that precious score. The fist thing that most legitimate experts will tell you is to make sure you pay your bills on time. If you can not pay your bills on time communicate with your creditors to make arrangements to make some type of payment. Communication is the key. Most creditors will work with you when you are having a hard time making ends meet. If you continue to pay your bills when they are due over time this will improve your credit score.

Another important step to improving your credit score is verifying the information on your credit report. Order a copy of your credit report from all three credit bureaus. Verify that all the information on your reports are accurate and belong to you. Any information that is inaccurate, incomplete, or does not belong to you needs to be disputed with the appropriate credit bureau. All that is needed is to contact the credit bureau and let them know that you believe the information is not accurate. They have thirty days to investigate and report their findings back to you. If the information can not be verified the item must be removed.

The best method to improve your credit report and credit score is on time regular payments of bills. You do not want to be next in line to ask how do I improve my credit score.

Jay Bush invites you to learn more about credit reports and credit repair at http://www.creditreportimprovement.com. Find other articles and learn how to improve your credit at Credit Report Improvement.

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Erase Bad Credit: Easier To Do Yourself Than You Think

By Blake C. Hendrickson

With credit being as important as it is these days figuring out how to erase bad credit is on the minds of many consumers. Most figure or are told that the help of a financial professional is needed to bring your credit back to good standing. While a professional's assistance can be helpful it is quite simple to get rid of a lot of bad credit issues affecting you on your own.

The first thing that someone looking to erase bad credit on his or her own should do is get a copy of his or her credit report. There is bad information contained on many consumers credit files so it is best to make sure that you ask the credit agencies to erase anything the does not belong there.

Contacting a credit agency for the purpose of erasing bad credit information can be done in several ways. You can call the credit agency and a representative can point you in the right direct in order to erase the credit problems that are bothering you. You can also erase bad information on your credit report by mail by sending a certified letter to the credit agency that has incorrect information concerning your credit. Credit information can also be disputed online if you wish.

After the credit agency has investigated the bad credit information dispute that you submitted to them they need to send you an updated copy of your credit report. If you find that you are not in agreement with the outcome of an investigation you are able to a consumer statement no more then one hundred words long.

Before you begin the process of repairing your credit all consumers should be advised that reading up on self-credit repair is very important. Being well informed on the do’s and the don’ts of fixing your credit on your own will help making learning to erase bad credit on your own a much more simple process.

Do it yourself credit repair has become very popular with consumers. The Asani Wells financial group is dedicated to helping ordinary people erase bad credit. Having good credit is important in today's world and we can help. http://www.1800aaacredit.com

Monday, February 05, 2007

Here's How To Repair Bad Credit

By Collins Deconle

These days, bad credit can make life difficult for us. In fact, when you have bad credit and you're trying to get loans, credit cards or financial help it can be extremely difficult.

Whenever you apply for credit, your credit report will be checked. Credit grantors review your credit report to determine your creditworthiness.

To repair bad credit, you should start by looking at your credit report. You have the right to see the contents of your report and have any errors corrected in a timely manner. You can order your credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus.

When you get your report, carefully review it. If you feel that the information contained in your credit report is incorrect, you can contact the credit bureau that supplied the report and ask them to correct it. They are required to maintain correct information.

By law, if you dispute an item the credit bureau must investigate and delete the item in the event the item is found to be false or unable to be verified.

When the investigation is complete, the credit bureau will then send you an updated copy of your report.

The next step is to build positive credit. There are several ways to re-establish positive information on your credit report.

There are many great resources to help you rebuild your credit. You should visit the website below. This website is totally devoted to credit repair. It is packed with resources for getting rid of bad credit and re-establishing good credit record.

Once you have rebuilt your credit, it is important that you make payments on time each month.

Collins DeConle is the owner of http://www.aboutcreditrepairhelp.com This website is jam packed with articles, ebooks and the latest secrets on credit repair.

Thursday, February 01, 2007

Mortgages With CCJs

By Andrew Gorton

If you have a mortgage problem because of a CCJ you need to know you can resolve this problem. Mortgages with CCJs are actually quite common. If you don’t know what a CCJ is we would have to assume that’s a good thing. It’s short for County Court Judgment and even if you don’t have a mortgage problem you should read on because we could save you a lot of hassle later on.

A CCJ is a judgment that is issued by the courts if you fail to pay a contractual debt. Unsecured debt can file a CCJ against your house. They apply to the court for a claim form to be issued. You will receive a copy of the CCJ once the court has processed it. It will detail the amount owing and it will also detail the payment schedule. There is an appeal process you can file, or you need to file an admission form which says you agree you owe the total amount. Never ignore paperwork from the courts.

If you aren’t able to make the payment you will need to file with the courts and a hearing will be set. If you ignore the CCJ a number of things can happen, such a charge being placed against your property. If you pay the amount owed the CCJ will be removed from your property but if you fail to do this you could find it difficult to renew your mortgage and it will appear on your credit file for up to 6 years. If however you clear up the debt within 30 days it will not appear on your credit rating.

A CCJ is the one way a creditor can turn an unsecured debt into a secured debt. If you pay the amount due you will be issued a Certificate of Satisfaction which let’s all creditors know that you have taken care of your debt.

If you feel the CCJ filed in error you need to contact the County Court with the case number which will be on your credit file. If the error is legitimate a Certificate of Cancellation will be issued. And of course as previously mentioned if you pay the debt off in less than 30 days from the issue of the judgment it will also be removed from the Registry Trust Records.

If there is a CCJ issued against your mortgage you may find the when renewal time comes you have difficulty getting a renewal. High street lenders that use the computer based credit scoring system will throw you back as a no. Other traditional lenders will not want to issue a mortgage if a CCJ has been placed on your property.

That means you will need to look outside the box. Specialist financial lenders approach lending differently using real lending offers to access the situation so even with a CCJ it is possible to get a mortgage from these institutes.

The biggest problem you face is time. If you know you have a CCJ against your property and you know that your mortgage is coming up for renewal do not wait until the last minute to get funding in place. You are creating added stress and pressure on yourself that you could avoid by applying early.

As mentioned earlier conventional lenders are less likely to look at you. However if you have been dealing with the same bank for many years there is a possibility that you might get that personal touch. You can make an appointment with your loans officer and see what happens. You might see if they would add the CCJ to the mortgage amount thus wiping it out and giving you a clean slate.

Mortgages with CCJs are very common because unsecured creditors have caught onto this method of recouping unsecured debt. Don’t let it ruin your credit.

Andy Gorton is the founder of Fresh Finance, who provide UK debt consolidation and debt solutions