Wednesday, March 18, 2009

A Few Steps To Raising Your Credit Score Starting From Scratch

By Marc Marseille

Your credit report is what financial institutions use to get a window into your past and your present financial situations. If you are currently suffering through bad credit rating due to a job loss or any other unfortunate situations, there are ways you can re-establish your credit worthiness and start over.

The first step to raising your credit score is getting a copy of your free triple score report. Once you have copy of your report, it is important to examine your report thoroughly for mistakes. You should never assume that you report is accurate. You will be surprised at the amount of mistakes on your report. Some of the most common errors may include: reporting late payments erroneously, listing the same negative account multiple times, and reporting a family member's account on your bureau. The best way to deal with mistakes on your report is to consult with a credit attorney.

The second step to raising your credit score is adding some positive accounts to your report. Even if all your negative items are removed or expire from your credit report, you still need to have some positive accounts to produce a rating.

A secured mastercard or visa is one way to add a positive item on your credit report. A secured credit card works the same way as any other credit card except for the fact that your limit will equal the amount of a security deposit. In many instances some banks offer a 25% or $100 increase on top of your initial credit card limit. Secure credit cards also report to all three credit agencies without disclosing the fact that your card is secured.

The third step is a little trick which is only possible if you know someone close to you who is willing to add you on as a co-borrower. The issues with using this trick is that you must make sure that the person you ask is reliable. If your sponsor misses a payment or stops paying, your credit will also be affected.

The last step should be the first step and it is also the one that involves the most discipline. Paying your bills on time is the single most important aspect in deciding your credit worthiness with creditors. You current status is the deciding factor on whether creditors give you a second chance or disregard all your hard work.

The credit bureaus will also continuously raise your credit score a few points for every month of timely payments. If you can afford to continuously make 2 years of on time payments, you will have succeeded in improving your worthiness with the financial institutions.

In summary, to take control of your financial future, you must first take baby steps. These steps include getting a copy of your report, removing bad accounts, adding good credit history and paying your bills in a timely manner. You may also want to consider step #5; getting identity protection to protect your good credit score.

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