credit
Heidi asked:


I’m wanting to establish good credit but I don’t know where to start. I don’t want high interest and I know if you don’t have credit history, your credit is bad. Please tell me which credit card I should get. Thanks.

business credit card
credit
Michael asked:


I am 20 years old and after trying to get a card for a store I find I have 0 credit history. I have never owned a credit card and want to pick a good one to start bulding credit. Does anyone know a good card to go with that has low interest? Heck if you have any credit tips it would be helpful too…Thanks!

TERRENCE
Dec
09
Filed Under (Finance) by credit
credit report
Jon Arnold asked:


Considering how valuable your credit report and your resulting credit score are to you, it never ceases to amaze me how many people believe in and rely on misconceptions, myths, and downright bunk about how credit reporting really works. To adequately function in today’s society, one’s credit score needs to be at least at the “ok” level, and people with bad credit or poor credit are only accelerating their downward spiral by not doing something about it.

The sad part is that there ARE things you can do to improve your credit score. While those things take effort, they do not necessarily require money and these are all things you can do at home.

Most people do not realize that they have three entirely separate and distinct credit reports, one from each of the three credit reporting bureaus. Since these bureaus do not share information, they each report what they think they know, which in reality means that not one of them has a true and complete picture of your credit. To add insult to injury, chances are extremely high that your credit report with at least one (if not all) of the credit bureaus contains errors, and the only way the errors will get fixed and removed is if YOU dispute them. I have heard of people whose credit score jumped more than 100 points in less than a month after they got various inaccurate pieces of information removed from their credit profile.

But let’s spend some time here talking about some very common myths about credit, credit scores, and credit reporting, and find out what the real deal is on this misconceptions.

Myth #1: Paying off a negative account on your credit report will get it removed from your report.

This is not true at all. That account will remain on your credit report for years, plainly showing for all to see that it went past due, it went delinquent, and then you paid it off. But since it is part and parcel of your credit history, it stays on your credit history for years. Remember, your credit history is exactly that – a HISTORY of your dealings with credit, and just because an account is closed or paid off does not dismiss the fact that it is still part of your credit history.

Myth #2: Paying off an account will cause your credit score to increase significantly.

Again not true. There are a huge number of factors that come into play when the credit bureaus calculate your credit score. Chief amongst those factors are have you been paying your financial obligations on time with at least the minimum payment due. Paying off an account entirely can actually do more damage than good. Having credit in good standing, but keeping your balance less than about 32% of your credit limit is a great place to be, and you gain no additional points by paying off that account.

Myth #3: Checking your credit reports will lower your credit score.

Yet again not true. The financially savvy consumer will check his credit report at least once a year, sometimes more often. Every time someone requests a copy of your credit report, that fact is flagged, but it is also flagged as to WHO requested your credit report. If it was you, then it does nothing to your credit score, as opposed to having your credit report requested by 12 different loan companies, which is almost sure to raise a red flag and lower your score.

Myth #4: Cosigning for a loan does not mean you are responsible for the account.

Not at all true. The reason you were requested to co-sign on a loan or an account for someone is because they themselves have insufficient credit history or have bad credit history. The act of you co-signing on it is you telling the financial institution “hey, if they default on this, I’ll take care of it”, so you DO have responsibility for the loan. But it gets worse – if the person who took out the loan starts to default on it, then it is also YOUR credit score that suffers, since again, you co-signed on it, giving you some responsibility for making sure they repay it on time.

Understand how the credit game is played. You cannot win any game if you don’t know the rules, and since credit affects a lot of different aspects of your life, it is well worth your time to understand the factors and the myths about how your credit score is derived.



MALIK
May
02
Filed Under (Finance) by credit
credit report
David Faulkner asked:


What role does your credit report play in your life? In case you apply for some sort of a loan, how do you think the lender would judge you? The lender simply checks your credit report which reflects all your credit history along with your credit score. Things do not just end there. The rate of interest decided by the lender on which he will lend you money is also decided on the basis of your previous transactions that reflect in your credit report. Having a bad credit report and credit score can be a sure shot reason for ant one not to trust you for further dealings.

Importance of credit report:

You must always keep a close watch on your credit report keeping in view the effect it has on your life. A person with bad credit report may possibly bear the expenses of not maintaining it and on the other hand, a person who has well maintained it can get much more credit than he otherwise can. A good credit report clearly puts up a faith in your credibility.

The credit report must be checked thoroughly. One should not just rely on one of the bureaus and get regular statements from all the three agencies Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. In case you find anything that is not clear to you, you must report it back and case the problem still persists, you must dispute on it.

What exactly a credit report contains. Basically it contains the complete records about all the transaction being made by you, either it is some expenditure done by you or some payment delivered by you to the concerned agency along with your full identity including your name, personal address, employment status and your social security number. It clearly shows your credit applications. Loans sanctioned to you, loans you asked for but not given to you, credit you still have to pay and also the available amount of money you are still offered by the bureau. It show’s the description of monthly payments that you have to make. All payments made by you, pending towards you and once which you were unable to pay. Last dates of payments along with previous late fees and interests if any are also mentioned.

Taking advantage of the free online credit report annually helps you track your history and make necessary inquires if you find mistakes. This step is important for everyone, even if you have excellent credit or poor credit. You need to know what the credit report says about your credit history. Because lenders use your credit reports and credit score to see if you are credit worthy and what amount of money you may borrow along with your interest rate, you need to keep a close on your credit history.

Once you receive your free online credit report from Annual Credit Report, a highly recognized agency, you can look over the three different credit-reporting agencies and check for errors and wrong information. For instance, if you are divorced and it has you still married, you can summit a letter to them with a copy of your divorce decree so they can correct your credit history. The idea is to have all the information accurate when a lender views your credit history.



NESTOR
credit
Screaming Llama asked:


I just applied for my first credit card ever yesterday, and I am hoping to get a credit limit of at least $1,500. I have no credit history whatsoever, I don’t have to make a house payment, no dependents, and I make $12.10 an hour working 35-40 hours a week. Would all those factors contribute to a higher or lower credit limit, and do you think I’d be eligible for the $1,500 limit?

JARVIS