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The 5 Best Tips for Surviving Bad Credit

You CAN survive bad credit. It’s not easy and does take some discipline to overcome,  but it is not impossible.

With these 5 tips, you can get past your bad credit sooner than later:

  • Deal with Debt Collectors Head On

It is almost instinctual to avoid debt collection calls because nobody wants to feel as if they are being nagged or forced to face their debt head-on. This is where you might need to suck it up though. Deal with the collection agency as soon as possible by writing them a letter. According to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, a collection agency cannot continue to contact you via phone or mail once you have sent them a letter asking them to stop contacting you. However, do keep in mind that although the calls may stop, you still need to face your credit problems in order for them to truly go away. Sticking your head in the sand will only prolong your credit issues.

2)   Scour Your Credit Report for Errors

Before you start repairing your credit, you need to make sure the negative items that are appearing on your credit report are accurate. Request your free credit report and then go through it with a fine-tooth comb to ensure there are no inaccuracies that need to be corrected or removed. If you see errors or inaccuracies, it is wise to talk to a professional credit repair company who can guide you through the process of having these errors corrected or removed. You are entitled to a free credit report from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion every 12 months. Request them regularly to monitor your credit details and ensure errors have been successfully removed.

3) Spread out Credit Card Debt

Most people wrongly assume that the less credit card accounts you have, the better, no matter how much you owe on them. This is simply not the case. Spreading your debt out over several cards is actually much better for your credit due to debt to credit ratio. Ideally, you always want to keep your balance well under your available credit, usually less than 30% rather than maxing the card out. Meaning, on a card with a $1000 limit, you should aim to keep the balance under $300. If you keep your balance near your credit limit (in this case, near $1000), it lowers your credit score because you are considered a higher credit risk. Although it may be tempting to get rid of credit cards to help control debt, spread your debt out over all of your cards and avoid charging things just because you have room on your cards.

4) Keep Those Old Accounts

Don’t waste time closing old accounts, even if they are paid off.  Credit history accounts for about 15% of your overall credit score, and you want to ensure lenders recognize you have a long history of paying off debt, even if there are some negative entries on them. Closing the account does not make those negative entries go away and you lose the benefit of the good repayment history you may have also earned on the account.  Depending on the type of account it is, closing the account could also affect the diversity of your credit, which makes up about 10% of your credit score.  The bottom line is, you don’t want to close accounts that could potentially boost your credit score, even if they are no longer active. For more information on closing old accounts, check out our blog.

5) Be On Time, Every Time

The single, most important tip for improving your credit is to pay all of your bills on time. Period. It doesn’t get much simpler than this. When you pay on time, you are building a positive credit history, which only serves to improve your credit. Although you may have made mistakes in the past, you have an opportunity every month to improve your credit score. If you can’t pay your bills every month, it’s time to take a hard look at your income, expenses, and spending habits to create a realistic budget which will help you work towards your financial goals.

It is never too late to overcome bad credit and debt. For more debt survival tips and to take control of your debt today, reach out to Great American Credit Repair Company.  Contact us at 1-800-603-1943 to receive expert advice on how you can begin rebuilding your credit score right away.

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About Great American Credit Repair Company

Great American Credit Repair Company…….because you deserve a fresh start! Call us today at 1-800-603-1943 for your FREE consultation. Our financial experts will work diligently on your behalf to raise your credit score and repair bad credit. We are attorney-approved and offer the industry’s only Money Back Triple Results Warranty to protect your investment.

How does Great American Credit Repair work to restore your credit? Approximately 79% of all credit reports contain errors and aren’t verifiable. At Great American Credit Repair Company, we have proficient understanding of the rules Credit Bureaus are bound to and how to resolve common but substantial threats to your credit score. We know most people don’t earn the credit score they deserve and will investigate every negative aspect of your credit report every single month to make sure you get the highest credit score possible.

REPAIR YOUR CREDIT TODAY by calling us Toll-Free: 1 (800) 603-1943 or visiting us at https://greatamericancreditrepair.com.

 

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Great American Credit Repair Company

2385 Northwest Executive Center Drive #100,

Boca Raton, FL 33431

Phone: (800) 603-1943