How Can I Fix My Credit?
How you can fix recession-damaged credit
One way to reach out to clients who may have found themselves in credit trouble during the recession is to provide some friendly advice regarding sound credit practices. The following article may be something you find helpful to share with those who are interested in reclaiming their good credit:
--
The recession may have damaged your credit, even if you thought you were doing everything right. According to Kimberley Lankford, author of "Rescue Your Financial Life" (McGraw-Hill) and "The Insurance Maze" (Kaplan), in a March 6, 2010 piece for WashingtonPost.com, "credit card companies have been lowering credit limits and closing accounts in an attempt to minimize their risk -- 13 percent of people surveyed in January 2010 by Credit.com said their card company had lowered their credit limit over the past few months, and 11 percent said a card company closed their account."
But regardless of what might have happened to you, you can improve your credit rating by doing a few simple things:
- Check your credit reports from all three credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. You can get free credit reports from all three bureaus every 12 months at http://www.annualcreditreport.com, and it's worth getting all three reports because each can vary.
- Avoid "free" credit reports and scores that ask you to sign up for a pricey credit-monitoring program.
- Start paying down credit card balances. "It's the fastest way to improve your score," said FICO spokesman Craig Watts. The lower your balances, the better for your score.
- Pay your bills on time. This is the most important factor in your credit score. Late payments remain on your credit report for up to seven years, but have a smaller impact on your score as time passes
- Don't close accounts before applying for a loan. Closing credit card accounts can never help your score, Watts said.
- Avoid opening new cards in the months before taking out a mortgage.
- Pay off old fines. Parking tickets, library fines, late bills, can all hurt a score by as much as 100 points if the account ends up going to collection.