Friday, February 27, 2009

The Goal Is Credit Restoration

By Jenice Q Zenbella

Since the global credit crunch took hold and economies worldwide have been in a slump, it's tough to secure a mortgage. This makes it more important than ever to keep your credit score high. You can use credit restoration to put things right again if you run into financial trouble ? but it's best to protect your credit from being harmed. Whether you're new to using credit or have had multiple accounts for some time, you should keep a few things in mind about taking good care of your credit score and how to use credit restoration if you do run into trouble.

One important thing to keep in mind is that your payment history makes up about 35% of your credit score. Your credit report lists the last seven years of activity, but it is the last 2 years which matters the most when a lender is trying to determine your credit worthiness. How late your payments are also factors in. While a payment which is 30 days overdue is one thing and is seen as relatively minor, payments delinquent for more than 90 days are a serious problem. Remember, it's easier to keep your credit in good shape than it is to repair it.

Try to maintain various types of credit accounts in good standing. For example, have a credit card which has a low or no balance, an installment loan (a car loan, for instance) and if you can, a mortgage as well. When creditors see that you can effectively manage different types of credit, they are more likely to extend you credit.

Never apply for credit which you do not need. Having too many accounts or making too many applications can negatively impact your credit score. You may also be tempted to use these accounts and get yourself into trouble. Try to avoid the need for credit restoration by only having accounts you actually need.

Have a look at your credit report and check it to be sure that everything there is accurate ? this is a good beginning to any credit restoration plan. If the credit bureau can't prove that an account is yours, you can have it taken off of your report. If you see small debts which you can afford to repay, pay these off.

Contact them and offer them a settlement. In many cases they will reduce the debt, sometimes by as much as half. Work with them to pay off your debt. This settlement will still be a mark on your credit report, but it is vastly preferable to having that unsettled debt on your credit history.

No matter how hard you try to take good care of your credit report, you may run into problems. Sometimes things happen which we can't control for and our credit score is damaged as a result. Don't let it get you down. If you are determined, you can make credit restoration work for you and get your credit back into good standing.

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