How do you know if you can still do credit history repair?
The way people usually play the credit game is that they get credit cards as a young adults, they max them out, they get more cards, they borrow on one to pay the minimum payments on the others and finally they can't make the payments anymore.
No matter where you are financially, there are still options. The primary credit history repair options are bankruptcy, debt settlement, debt consolidation, credit counseling or simply changing your spending habits.
There's always the concern regarding how any particular option will affect your credit. While that's a valid concern, a mountain of debt ruins your credit AND your cash flow. If you don't do something... anything about the actual debt, it won't matter how good your credit is.
Bankruptcy is a best for people who don't have many assets. That way when you have to liquidate your assets, there won't be much there and most of it will be exempt anyway. That option hurts your credit the most but if you're drowning in debt, that might be your best option. Consult with an attorney for that.
Debt settlement is a good option for most people. Yes, it will hurt your credit in the short run because you have to go delinquent before creditors will work with you. You save up the money you'd be paying in minimum payments and then offer your creditors around 40% in a lump settlement. Make sure all your legal bases are covered such as getting it in writing and avoid having your wages garnished.
Debt consolidation means you get one big loan and use it to pay off your other loans. You'll want to make sure to avoid the trap of using those paid accounts again and getting back into debt. Additionally, people often do this with a home equity loan which could put your home in jeopardy if you can't make the payments later on.
I would never recommend credit counseling. They are paid by the creditors they negotiate with. All they do for the monthly fee they take from you is negotiate your interest rates down. You can do that yourself. They'll also put a 3rd party intervention mark on your credit which will make it difficult for you to get any more credit in the future. So while you might have wanted to do this option to preserve your credit, it will work against you in the end.
A final option is to manage your spending better. Pay down your highest interest accounts first and negotiate for better rates. If you need to transfer balances to lower rate credit cards, do it. Make one account give you better terms than the other. Once you pay off one, use that payment to accelerate payments on the next until you're happy with your level of debt.
No matter how bleak your situation might seem, you always have options. Figure out what your long term goals are and choose the options that get you there. - 31379
The way people usually play the credit game is that they get credit cards as a young adults, they max them out, they get more cards, they borrow on one to pay the minimum payments on the others and finally they can't make the payments anymore.
No matter where you are financially, there are still options. The primary credit history repair options are bankruptcy, debt settlement, debt consolidation, credit counseling or simply changing your spending habits.
There's always the concern regarding how any particular option will affect your credit. While that's a valid concern, a mountain of debt ruins your credit AND your cash flow. If you don't do something... anything about the actual debt, it won't matter how good your credit is.
Bankruptcy is a best for people who don't have many assets. That way when you have to liquidate your assets, there won't be much there and most of it will be exempt anyway. That option hurts your credit the most but if you're drowning in debt, that might be your best option. Consult with an attorney for that.
Debt settlement is a good option for most people. Yes, it will hurt your credit in the short run because you have to go delinquent before creditors will work with you. You save up the money you'd be paying in minimum payments and then offer your creditors around 40% in a lump settlement. Make sure all your legal bases are covered such as getting it in writing and avoid having your wages garnished.
Debt consolidation means you get one big loan and use it to pay off your other loans. You'll want to make sure to avoid the trap of using those paid accounts again and getting back into debt. Additionally, people often do this with a home equity loan which could put your home in jeopardy if you can't make the payments later on.
I would never recommend credit counseling. They are paid by the creditors they negotiate with. All they do for the monthly fee they take from you is negotiate your interest rates down. You can do that yourself. They'll also put a 3rd party intervention mark on your credit which will make it difficult for you to get any more credit in the future. So while you might have wanted to do this option to preserve your credit, it will work against you in the end.
A final option is to manage your spending better. Pay down your highest interest accounts first and negotiate for better rates. If you need to transfer balances to lower rate credit cards, do it. Make one account give you better terms than the other. Once you pay off one, use that payment to accelerate payments on the next until you're happy with your level of debt.
No matter how bleak your situation might seem, you always have options. Figure out what your long term goals are and choose the options that get you there. - 31379
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Fix bad credit! Do your own credit repair without an agency. Visit www.creditrepairsecrets.org for free credit repair secrets.
