What is the best way to start imporoving poor credit history without improved financial resources?
79017
Paying off debt is always best way to look better on a credit report. \n\nJust focus on paying off your student loans and finance a car.  YOu'll be okay.  Unless you have done something really bad like not pay a debt your credit is probalby not as bad as you think.\n\nGet a free credit report from all three agencies\n\nhttp://www.annualcreditreport.com\n\nThey do not include your credit score but it's free and you know how you're doing at least.
123318
Don't do this.  It's a scam.\n\nThere is no way to "fix" your bad credit.  You can only improve it over time by paying your bills & being responsible.\n\nYou can, however, fix errors if there are any on your credit report.  You're entitled to one free credit report a year at annualcreditreport.com
706987
You can do it yourself or you can pay someone to do it for you. \n\nHere is a good free kit to do it yourself: http://www.expert-credit-advice.com/free_credit_repair.htm\n\nHere is a good company to do it for you: http://www.expert-credit-advice.com/credit_repair_service.htm\n\nAnd if you are one of the skeptics that has said it cant be done because your credit is messed up and you have given up, read this page: might change your perspective: http://www.expert-credit-advice.com/credit_bureaus_credit_repair.htm
40270
To legally improve your credit profile, you should: \n\nRemember to pay all your bills on time. When you are delayed or delinquent in a payment, late fees are charged, more interest accrues and your credit health is negatively affected. \nApply for a department store card or gasoline credit card, which are often easier to qualify for, and pay those bills on time. \nContact your card issuer immediately if you were unable to pay your bills on time, or if you have found an error in a bill. Be sure to make any complaints, and get corrections, in writing. \nMaintain a small number of credit cards and close unused accounts. Creditors look at your potential for going on a spending spree and falling too deeply into debt. The more credit cards you have, the larger your debt potential. \nKeep your debts reasonable. Financial experts say that, as a rule, non-mortgage debt payments should not exceed 10 to 15 percent of your take-home pay each month. If your debts are higher than that, try to reduce them before applying for another loan. \nAvoid unnecessary inquiries. Any time you authorize a creditor or other business to check your credit report, an inquiry is added to your report. If you have a large number of inquiries in a short amount of time, creditors may infer that you are either applying for too much credit because of financial difficulties or taking on more debt than you can repay. \nOrder a copy of your credit report at least once a year from each of the three credit reporting companies to stay on top of changes to your credit profile and to check for identity theft.
635363
Tink, you might have to put your Roo's, Wallaby's and B-Rangs up as collateral too, so be prepared with all the paperwork before you venture to your villiage's banking hut.\n\n;-)   Ha, got ya again !\n\nSeriously, you might start on-line searching, but I would seriously only do that for general information.  The first step that you should take would be to get a copy of your most recent credit reports ... I'm not sure about what organizations to contact on the "Big Isle", but your local bank can help you there.  Here in the 1st world (got ya again), we have three major credit bureau's and we can get one free credit report per year.\n\nThe point is, that if you have something bad or old on there that shouldn't be, you'll want to get that cleaned up first, or at least initiate the request to get it cleaned up (have the paperwork with you).  The credit score will be hugely important in what interest you pay for a debt-consolodation loan.\n\nThere are a number of non-profit debt organizations here in the states ... there are also a number of "Paid intermediaries" ... there is a big difference.  If they have a website and it's www.SOMETHING.org, it's a non-profit.  Stick with them.  They will be able to not only help you locate a reputable lender with a decent rate, but can also help you work out other arrangements with credit card companies, etc.\n\nCredit companies are actually very willing to reduce the interest rate on your balance if you go through such a place.  By doing so, you are demonstrating that you are interested in paying things off and very often, you'll set up an automatic payment plan directly from your bank account ... the amount of the payments will be collaborated with you, the organization helping you and them.\n\nPut it this way ... the interest rates you pay are based on the costs of funds (i.e. the market interest rate) plus a risk premium.  In such a case as this, you've significantly reduced their risk of default by setting up automatic payments and have demonstrated a willingness to repay so that's where the rate reduction comes from.\n\nIt's sort of common sense to pay off the highest interest cards first (remember that you should pay the minimums on all of them to avoid racking up late fees and damaging your credit), however, that may not really be THE ONLY best solution for some folks.  Assume that you 5 bills with balances of $5,000 / $600 / $200 / $150 / $125 ... rather than paying the mininum on all of them and then taking the "left over" available cash and dumping it all onto the highest rate one, consider an alternative:  Pay the minimums and then take what you can afford to thow elsewhere and put it on the one with the smallest balance.\n\nThis way, in a month or two, you'll only have four bills.  Then three bills, then two bills, etc.  In reality, for most people, it's easier to manage that way for several reasons.  1)  You have very tangible proof that you're making progress that you can sink your crooked teeth (got you again) into ... there's a sort of satisfaction there, "Finally, got rid of that one!" ... You attention get's more and more focused on just the one or two left ... 2)  You'll have time to establish regular payments on the big ones as well so your credit report will reflect this as well as the number of open accounts decreasing.\n\nAfter you've paid one off, CLOSE IT !!!! The number of open accounts affects your score even if there is no balance on them.  This will positively affect your credit score much more than uniformly decreasing the balance on all of them (people don't know this)\n\nSo:  Step 1:  Find out how you can get a copy of your credit report(s) and get them.  Do this first as it will take some time for them to arrive to you.   2:  Do some research to find a non-profit debt consolodation organization in your area and talk to a few of them.  3:
998414
#1) Pull all your reports. Not online, request actual physical copies. They usually contain more than what an online report does. This will give you a start on where you need to go with your reports. Also, keep them. Never toss them. They are proof later on if you need them to refer to if you ever get into a legal situation regarding your credit (lawsuit etc). You can get your first set free on an annual basis at annualcreditreport.com.\n\n#2) Dispute. Dispute anything that is not correct including, balance amounts, lates, etc. If you have only one or two lates, I would call your creditor and see if you can get them removed via goodwill gesture, or send a goodwill letter. You can find some great letters on some of the credit boards like creditnet.com and creditboards.com.\n\n#3.) Collections? If you have any collections on your account or anything that should not be there, send a DV (debt validation) to the creditor asking to prove the debt. If they cannot, they have to remove the debt off of your report by law.\n\n#4.) You have rights - check out http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/031224fcr... for more info.\n\n#5.) check out some of the posts on creditnet.com and creditboards.com for assistance. \n\n#6.) If you have no credit, or want a temporary boost - have a family member or really (really, really, really) close friend add you in as an authorized user on their credit cards. Make sure the balances are not high, otherwise this could hurt you more. The higher the available credit, the more your utilization will go down on your report - therefore bumping your score.\n\n#7.) Avoid unnecessary inquiries. Hard pulls can hurt you, so avoid applying for new credit cards unless necessary.\n\nThis of course is a shortened version of things you can try. Research info on those links I provided you. You can increase your score spending just a short amount of time per week, sending letters to creditors etc. I increased my score over 100 points in less than 6 months. Depending on your situation, this could take shorter or longer time, but at least you have somewhere to start. Good luck!
654212
If you have bad or poor credits and want to re-establish your credit, these are the special cards for you such as USA Gold Shopping Card, USA Gold Optimum, or Orchard Bank MasterCard. Since you credit history is bad or poor, you will be only given a small credit line. And you might have to pay a higher interest rate than that of regular credit cards. But if you are determined to get your credit back to good standing, apply for one of those credit cards and always make the minimum monthly payment, or even better - pay off the balance every month. Your credit lender will be willing to low the interest rate and increase your credit line gradually. \n\nIf you still can't get approved for these special credit cards for bad credit, try pre-paid credit cards - These Prepaid Card does not extend you credit. Instead, accounts are prepaid for a specific amount and accounts are only good for the balance you have loaded/applied. They work pretty much like a debit card but entitle you to some benefits of a credit card.
939079
Yes! A mortgage history (that is on time every month) will quickly boost your credit score! (on the downside, any payments over 30 days late will just as quickly kill it...)
215461
It will take several months to a year to get your credit really improved. Be careful of using a company who says they can raise your credit score. Cause legally they cant. Only you can. And while paying them large sums of money, you can dod it yourself for free. Depends on the elbow grease your willing to give. Check it out. There really is no super fast way to do it. But the best and probably quickest way would be to go to Annualcreditreport.com and get your free 3 credit reports. Then go through them and dispute the negative items on your report that dont make valid. Even if unsure, do so anyways because it becomes the responsibility of the creditor to prove that the information is accurate. If the creditor doesnt respond within 30 days the negative item has to be removed by law. In which removing a negative credit report item raises your score. Also, finding your most recent and lowest balance debt and offering halve of what you totally owed for it. Most creditors are willing to do this if your account has been way behind for a long time. Because now they're just worried about getting any money from you at all. Same is 100% true for collection agencies whom took over your bad debt. Offer half and no more. Ask to include in writing and mailed to you that they will remove negative from your credit report in terms of full half-amount payment. That raises your score. Other would be as suggested to get a secured credit card and just use it for gas twice a month or something small. Dont use it for anything else! Thats how you get screwed up again. Make the payments on time...everytime. This will start to show up as a positive item in your credit report and by showing a low balance on you card (30% or less of high limit) will show you can be responsible with your credit and thus create a higher score and higher opinion of a future creditor...such as an auto financer. Heed this and Hope i was of some good help to you. Good luck. Shuuutnstr =o)
1103852
check out my profile and use the link\nit takes you to a company that compiles banks and lenders for people with bad credit\nit also provides a credit repair kit help to get that score up
688004
There are some key points to consider.\n\nDon't just get a credit card and not use it. Zero activity on a card proves nothing to the Big Three (Experian, Equifax, TransUnion); they are looking for people who use credit and use it within the bounds of what they can afford. In other words, how can you upscale your credit score when you don't use credit?\n\nSo the best method is to use your credit card(s) but keep your usage in context with what you are able to pay. Low credit scores happen when you over-reach and cannot repay within the schedule determined by the card 'package', i.e. the %APR, annual fee, etc. Simply purchasing $x of product and then repaying it at the end of the month will not raise your score very quickly. It's actually better to retain a surplus of debt on the card that gets carried over after you've paid the monthly minimum. You can find many articles on the web (Google) on this topic.\n\nIf you are currently struggling with debt then you should consider consolidation. It's a great way to take multiple credit accounts with all their different APRs and fees and put them into one account with one APR and one payment. Often by doing this you can reduce some of the interest you are currently paying, ultimately reducing the total amount of money you will pay.\n\nThere are a number of companies that provide debt counselling and debt consolidation services. However, depending on your location, there are a number of charities that will provide this service at no cost. You should search Google for services in your area.\n\nAlso, if you are in the US you will have seen the FreeCrditReport.com commercials. Do not even think about going there. It is a paid service with a 14 day free trial. The website redirects to a completely different domain, and I for one consider this to be little better than a scam. By contacting the Big Three directly you can actually get your credit report for free or a small one-time fee.
41377
You will need less money if you spend what you have more efficently, at least temporarily.  Make a list of all your routine purchases.  Where can you tighten your belt?  Eat canned beans instead of fast foods?  Quit smoking?  Adjust your thermostat down several degrees and wear sweaters?  Car pool?  Buy shoes and clothes at the City Mission or Salvation Army stores?  Pay off credit with the highest interest rates fastest (others at minimum payment) and avoid fresh credit loans?  Make your own repairs?  Buy food in economical quantities and reduce any waste?  Reorganize debt to a lower single payment at a better interest rate?  While that is in progress, check out low paying part time work (even returning shopping carts?) that you can do when available perhaps on weekends.  Using the money to pay down debt will reduce interest payments and will be worth even more than the cash received.  Continue to look for other opportunities (even dishwasher?) and work hard at anything you do just to gain that reputation.  Remember that the boss is always right because he (she) can give you a good recommendation for a better position.  Don't argue and do give notice before moving on.  No one will ever fault you for moving up.  There is always work available for those who pull their own weight.  Best of luck.
814475
I can save you the money by giving my answers to his questions:\n\n    * A dirty little trick that credit card companies use to lower your credit score to keep their competitors away from you; learn if you're a victim of this, including how to fix it.\n\nThis trick is cards like CapitalOne don't report your credit limit, only your high balance.  This can make your utilization appear higher.  To see if you are a victim of this look at your credit report and verify that the reported credit limits match your actual credit limits.  Fix it by either getting rid of those cards or disputing the information with the credit bureau.\n\n    * Which errors on a credit report are a waste of time to fix and which are a high priority (helping you to raise your score by 5, 10, 15, 20 points at a time).\n\nBad advice, if you see an error go ahead and get it fixed.  The low priority items are inquiries greater than 6 months ago and pretty much any incorrect but positive item.  Negative items are obvious, late pays, etc.\n\n    * How to build credit (if you have none) and rebuild credit if you've gone through a divorce, bankruptcy, or other major delinquency.\n\nSmall secured bank loan, secured credit card, small car loan.  Make sure they report.  \n\n    * Why you should NOT become a cash-only citizen; at the same time, learn how to keep credit active without putting yourself into debt.\n\nCredit is handy, no reason no to keep some credit cards around, no need to do more than place an occassional charge on them to keep them active.  No need to ever pay interest.\n\n    * How paying collections can HURT your credit score.\n\nIt re-ages your account.\n\n    * How to prepare for a loan by improving your credit score.\n\nReduce utilization (either increase limits or pay down cards), age off inquiries (more than 6 months and they don't matter).  Dispute off negative items.\n\n    * How to maintain a high credit score for the rest of your life!\n\nPay your bills.
1124072
try grants.gov or look up "reducing credit card debt" on yahoo
1052309
Try Chase. Or capital one. They both gave me credit cards when I had no credit. Then just use them and pay more than the minimum payment (or pay all of it) and it will help establish your credit. You may also think about asking your financial institution. They may have ways to help you as well.
60822
Is your poor credit score the result of your own true actions (i.e. have you paid late, defaulted, or taken on too much credit)? If this is the case then, unfortunately, there isn't really much you can do to improve your score. If this is not the case and your poor credit score is the result of fraudulent activity under your name then you do have recourse. Firstly, you will want to report the abuse to all the credit reporting agencies, the credit issuers, and the authorities. Once you have done this, you can consult with the respective credit reporting agencies to help clear your unwarrented bad record.\n\nNow, if your score is because of your own actions the best thing going for you is time. The older your bad stuff is on your report the better this will be for you. Therefore, don't continue to make bad decisions when using credit. Also, to reestablish a good credit score you may want to take out a secured lined of credit. This can be done many ways but one easy way is that you deposit money with an issuing credit card company. I did this years ago with Citibank sending them $300 in which I got a credit card with a $300 limit. After a year of using my card wisely, paying my bill every month on time, they sent me a new credit card with an $1800 limit and my $300 back with interest. This was 12 years ago now and I just got out of high school at the time so $300 isn't what it used to be but whatever amount you start with it will start improving your credit. Good luck.
1094583
As someone said, the easiest way to get credit is to go to the Bank and show them that you don't need it.