Credit Repair and the Hidden Power of Credit Cards

Credit Cards Hold the Key

Credit cards also hold the key to higher credit scores and speedy credit repair success, if you know the secret. But there is more power in that plastic than you think. Credit cards can be a great convenience, or a weapon of financial destruction. There is nothing like the subject of credit cards to get people excited.

The Growing Importance of Your Credit Score

Credit repair revolves around credit score improvement, and for good cause. You are probably aware that a low credit score can keep you from getting the credit you want. But did you know that lenders set interest rates based on credit scores? Late in 2007, Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac, the federally charted mortgage giants, modified their pricing to be more sensitive to credit scores than ever before. Even borrowers with excellent credit will now have their rate adjusted based on incremental score differences.

Every Point Counts

Mortgage lenders are not alone in their recent pricing policy changes. Auto finance companies, long known for tiered pricing, have also sharpened their pencils and are more score sensitive than ever. If you are applying for a loan you should be aware that every point on your credit score could affect your interest rate. Fortunately there is a way to control your credit scores and hasten your credit repair goals.

Credit Cards the Credit Repair Powerhouse

Effective credit repair is all encompassing. But there is a special category of debt that offers more control over your scores than you ever imagined - if you know what to do. Credit cards have a special place in the FICO scoring model, and therefore in your credit repair effort as well. Fair Isaac and Company, the creator of the FICO scoring model, interprets the way you use your credit card as a primary indicator of the risk a lender will assume when lending you money. And there is reasonable logic involved.

Credit Cards as a Barometer of Risk

Fair Isaac and Company is in the business of measuring the risk of lending money. Their method is to assign numeric value to every behavior they can identify within your credit file. These values are measured by a complex algorithm, or formula, which they license to the credit bureaus. The credit bureaus apply this formula to the information they collect about you and come up with a single number; your credit score.

Credit Card Behavior

Fair Isaac gives your credit cards special importance because your balances can change monthly and contain several indicators of potential risk. The indicators measured by Fair Isaac include your payment record, your balance relative to your high credit limit, and the age of the card. In addition, the importance of each indicator varies based on the value of the other categories. Let?s see why.

Credit Repair Rule Number One ? On Time Payments

Many people involved in a credit repair effort open new credit cards to rebuild their credit. If managed correctly this can be a powerful score booster. But there is a dark side as well. If you miss a payment Fair Isaac will cut your score dramatically as a way of alerting lenders that you are a high risk. It?s simple. Your new credit card was seen by Fair Isaac as a test of your ability to manage new debt. And you failed. Credit repair rule number one, make your payments on time.

High Balances Equal Credit Repair Trouble

So, you got a new credit card, ran the balance up to the limit, and now you wonder why your credit repair efforts are not working. You can afford the payments, and you?re making them on time. What?s the problem? Unfortunately, all Fair Isaac can see is unproven debt and a person who may have no restraint. So you get categorized with a statistical majority who get in over their heads and soon default. As a result Fair Isaac will knock your credit score down to warn potential lenders to steer clear. Do you want to keep your scores up? Please keep your balances down.

The Age of Your Credit Cards

Once you have proven to Fair Isaac that you can manage the firepower in your wallet you will be rewarded with increased latitude. Your score will still suffer if you make a late payment, and you will be penalized if you let your balance approach the limit, but not as much. In addition, you will be rewarded with a higher score as Fair Isaac becomes more confident in your staying power. When it comes to credit repair, time is your friend.

Reaching Your Credit Repair Goals

If you exercise caution, your scores will soar, and you will reach your credit repair goals. If your credit cards are under one year old your behavior is especially important. There is also a special deadly over 100% category, which you can expect to obliterate your score.

The first two tiers, 20% and 40%, will increase your scores, 60% is neutral, 80% is bad, and 100% is terrible. The latest release of the FICO score model recognizes five balance-to-limit ratios: 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, and 100%. Make your payments on time and watch those balances. Do you want to optimize your credit score?

All Rights Reserved. All Content. Kemish. 2007 James W.

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Credit Repair And The American Dream

What Are Your Dreams?

Credit repair expert Jim Kemish explains how to make your dream of home ownership come true. It?s part of the American Dream. Everyone wants to own a home. The quality of your credit will determine the affordability of your monthly mortgage payment.

A Great Investment

Home ownership has always been considered an integral part of the American Dream. Over the last fifty years those that were able to realize this dream have experienced a great financial benefit. Home ownership, in fact, has contributed more to the wealth of the individual than any other investment. But there is another side to home ownership; it is also the most significant financial obligation that most people will ever undertake. If managed properly home ownership can be a source of great pleasure. If mismanaged, the results can be devastating.

Better Rate More Choice

I have helped people repair and restore their credit reports since 1989. The most common concern amongst our customers has always been the impact that their credit report will have on the mortgage application process. The relationship between your credit and your mortgage is simple; the better your credit, the lower your interest rate and the more choice you will have among mortgage programs.

The Potential of Credit Repair

If you have had credit issues in the past it is essential to your financial life that you have a very clear understanding of how credit repair can help get you back on solid financial ground again. To understand the potential of credit repair there is a myth that needs to be dispelled. This myth is that you are the only one who can repair your own credit. This is a line that was originally promulgated by the credit bureaus and is now parroted by others.

Can You Do it Yourself?

The motivation of the credit bureaus to sell the do-it-yourself campaign was obvious to those of us in the credit repair business. The credit bureaus are well aware of the fact that the vast majority of individuals that undertake the effort to repair their own credit do not have the time or tenacity to understand the system. And without a proper understanding most people will quit out of frustration, or give up believing that they have done everything that can be done. Either way, the credit bureaus will save time and money.

The Role of the Credit Repair Professional

All professions provide the benefit of a mastery of their own field. Although it is certainly true that you could repair your own credit, it is equally true that you could make your own clothes or repair your own car. The economy thrives on the diversity of expertise that is offered in the marketplace. Those that do not have the time or energy to do the extensive research needed to do a job properly can hire someone else to do the work for them. A credit repair professional offers the benefit of his experience in dealing with the three credit bureaus, creditors, and collection agencies. He should also have an in depth understanding of everything that can have an impact on your credit score.

Improving Your Credit Scores

Would you like to purchase a home or refinance to a lower interest rate? The mortgage that you are able to obtain will be entirely dependant on the content of your credit report. As a credit repair professional I speak to people daily who have been told that they either cannot qualify for a mortgage due to their credit, or only qualify for a very expensive sub-prime mortgage. In our examination of their credit reports we often discover that there are a significant number of errors that are depressing their credit scores dramatically.

Putting Your Credit to Work for You

Much of the misreported information that appears on credit reports goes unrecognized. Items such as duplicate accounts, understated high credit limits, and misstated account opening dates are often ignored because they are not derogatory per se. These items along with the obvious erroneous derogatory information can all be cleaned up. And the results can make the difference between an affordable mortgage and a stressful monthly payment.

Choose Carefully

And, in making the decision you should remember the potential impact that your credit works just as hard for you. If you do not feel up to the task you should hire someone to get the job done for you. If you have the time and inclination to learn credit repair yourself you should make the effort. The American Dream is achievable and it depends on your credit.

All Rights Reserved. All Content. Kemish. 2007 James W.

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Time For a Credit Repair Tune Up!

Every Point Counts!

A nationally recognized credit repair expert explains how to give your credit score the tune up it needs. Every point makes a difference! Your credit score will determine the interest rate you pay on every dollar you borrow, from your car loan to your mortgage.

Starting your Credit Repair Tune Up: Get Your Reports

A credit repair tune up does not have to be hard. If you break up the project into smaller tasks the whole job will be a breeze. Don?t be intimidated. Take it slow and you will get the job done. Each little step along the way can add points to your credit score and move you closer to your credit repair goals.

Credit Repair Made Simple - One Bureau at a Time

There are three credit bureaus, so you need to tune up three credit reports. Many people starting a credit repair effort are intimidated when they see their reports. The formats are unique and the information reported by each bureau is different. Don?t worry; you don?t have to work on all three reports at the same time. There is no economy of scale. Start with one report, do what needs to be done, and then move on to the next one. Slow and steady wins the race.

High Credit Limits

Begin your credit repair tune up with something easy. I suggest you get a highlighter and mark the high credit limits on your accounts, both installment and revolving. If you find an account with an underreported limit it is costing you points on your scores, possibly significant points. It is easy to correct a limit error, just dispute it with the offending credit bureau and attach a copy of a recent statement showing the correct limit. Your credit repair tune up is off to a good start.

Account Opening Dates

The age of each account has an impact on your credit scores. Credit repair rule number one: an old account is a good account. Highlight your account opening dates. If you find one that underreports an opening date you should contact the creditor and inform them of the error and ask them to report it correctly. You should also ask them for a letter indicating the account opening date and then submit it to the bureaus yourself. You will be surprised with the results?

Credit Repair and Collection Accounts

The sale of debt is so common in the collection industry that you may find a single collectable account reported many times on your credit report. Collectors that no longer own a debt are not allowed to report it to the credit bureaus. And yet there is no incentive for collectors to cease reporting when they sell the debt to another collector. If you see the same account being collected by more than one collector, dispute all but the most recent. They will be removed. Your credit repair tune up is really getting into gear.

Negotiating Uncollectable Collections

Collections may be collected through the courts for a limited amount of time determined by state law. These time limits are called statutes of limitation (SOL) and are usually surprisingly short. If a debt cannot be collected through the courts it cannot be enforced. Please note that the SOL is not the same as the reporting period limit for your credit report. So, you may want to negotiate these ?uncollectable? collections as part of your credit repair effort. The collector will love to hear from you, and you might even get them to remove the account from your credit in exchange for payment instead of just reporting it as paid. Give it a try!

Paying Down Your Balances

If you have the ability to pay down revolving balances, go ahead and do it. The FICO scoring model puts a lot of emphasis on the ratio between your balance and your high credit limit - and the lower the better. Are you looking for quick credit repair results? Pay your balances down below 20% of the high credit limit. If your balances have been lingering near the limit wait until you see what lower balances can do for your scores!

Trimming Down Accounts

You need to have open accounts in good standing to have a good credit score. But you can also have too many accounts. Successful credit repair involves achieving the right balance of accounts, so go ahead and close a few. But it is important to pick the right ones to close. MasterCard and Visa cards are the most valuable for your credit scores. Store cards have little value and should be the first to go. When you pick the accounts to close, please remember that old accounts are good accounts.

Credit Repair and New Accounts

You scores will thank you! Get some credit cards and prove that you are a good risk. Your scores are a measure of your ability to pay and manage your debt.

Remember, no credit, no credit scores. It?s easy and you won?t get denied. Secured credit cards are the perfect credit repair tool. If your credit scores are too low to get approved for regular unsecured credit cards, get two secured cards.

Two is a good number! If you do not have any open MasterCard of Visa accounts it?s time to open a couple.

All Rights Reserved. All Content. Kemish. 2007 James W.

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