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Building your credit is not easy and should be a task that is not taken lightly. There are many different ways to build credit and you should be aware of which ways are effective and which ways are not. No one really knows the formula that the credit bureaus use to come up with a person’s credit score but there is enough knowledge that the financial professionals have created some tips for building credit.

This rest of this article will give you some simple tips of how to build your credit. Of course if your credit is clean improving your score will take no time at all. However if your credit score is in the poor category improving will take some time.

Get A Secured Credit Card

If you have a bad credit rating or no credit at all an unsecured credit card may be difficult to receive. This is where a secured credit care may come in handy. Even though these cards are secured with your own money they are still reported to the credit bureaus so if you use the card correctly and continue to pay your score will rise.

Have A Cosigner For A Loan

Another way to establish credit if you have bad credit or no credit at all is by applying and receiving personal loans for bad credit with a cosigner. A cosigner is someone who will sign on the loan and will be responsible for the loan in the case of you defaulting on the loan. As long as the payments are made on time and you follow the terms of the loan your credit score will improve.

Check Your Credit Reports

This is probably an obvious tip but if you are aware of where you are currently standing when it comes to your credit score you will know what it will take to build better credit.

Open A Personal Bank Account

Often times a personal bank account is overlooked. This is because the bank does not report to the credit bureaus. However if you keep your account in good standing and have a good history with your bank it will be easy to get instant payday loans through the bank that will offer a good interest rate.

Understand Your Credit Score

What this means is that you need to know how your credit scores are formulated. Once you know that you will be able to do what needs to be done to build your credit history. You will know if you need to get a credit card to help raise your score or a personal loan of some sort.

Keep Your Credit Cards Open

If you are trying to build your credit closing your credit card accounts will decrease your credit score. It is important to know that even if you are not using your credit card just having it on your credit file will increase your credit score. However it is best to use your credit cards but keep the balance on them low.

Pay Your Bills

Believe it or not if you do not pay your monthly bills even your utility bills can ruin your credit history. These will be reported to the credit bureaus if you default.

Do Not Apply For Loans or Credit Cards

This is a pretty obvious tip. If you do not need a loan or a credit card do not apply for one? Every time you apply for one of these forms of credit it will lower your score.

Cut Up Your Credit Cards

Rather than close out your credit card accounts to keep yourself from using them it is a better idea to cut them up. By not having the access to them the account will stay open but will have a balance of nothing on them because you will not be using the card.

Use Your Credit Responsibly

Using your credit responsibility is the best tip of them all. If you keep your credit cards with a low balance on them you will find that your credit score will continue to rise. By not using any of the credit that you have could actually hurt you.

“The ability to pay your debt is important for your financial security. However, what happens if you are not able to make your payments? Succumbing to a disability could put you out of work for a long period of time. Your property could be destroyed in a bad storm before you finish paying for it. Credit card insurance could be something worth looking into.

Credit Card Life Insurance

If you die, your credit balance will be paid off. This can help relieve your family of at least one of your debts upon your passing. Without insurance, your family will be asked to pay your debt for you. You should be aware that you may already be covered if you already have life insurance through another provider. Therefore, it may not be worth carrying.

Credit Card Disability Insurance

Those who become disabled will have their current balance paid off. Keep in mind that future purchases will not be covered under this policy. Also, you will need to carry a policy for any of the credit cards that you currently have. However, this may be a good policy to have if you are really concerned about your credit score.

Credit Card Property Damage Insurance

Items that are damaged or stolen will generally be covered under the terms of this type of policy. The downside to this coverage is that many different policies offer this coverage as well. Your homeowners policy will cover the cost of anything damaged or stolen from your property. Renters insurance will generally cover this type of damage if you rent an apartment. Avoid this extra coverage if at all possible.

Other Pitfalls Of Credit Card Insurance

There are a a few other pitfalls of credit card insurance policies. The biggest pitfall is that there are many exclusions. You really have to read the fine print before agreeing to a credit card insurance policy. Another pitfall is that you are almost conned into buying a policy. One common tactic is to offer you a free 30-day trial. However, it is very difficult to cancel the policy after the trial is over.

Do yourself a favour by avoiding credit card insurance if at all possible. There are plenty of other policies that will offer you the same coverage for less. Purchasing a life insurance policy should cover your credit card debt as well as other debts you leave behind. Private medical insurance should help you cover your bills if you are ever out of work due to a medical issue. In other words, there is already coverage available to you if you are ever sick or injured. Go with that instead.

You are an adult now.  18!  You made it!  Unfortunately, that means that people start bringing up adult-like things.  Such as credit cards.  Now, you might spring for one of those cards, after all, who wouldn’t want to spend money they don’t have yet?  But, before you sign that slip of paper or call the authorization number, take just one second and think if this is really a step into adulthood that you really want to make right now.

Read The Fine Print: Credit cards are not all equal.  Especially cards which are “pre-approved” tend to be pretty sketchy.  You need to read the fine print that you see on the 12 pages behind that first page.  You don’t need to know all of it, a lot of it will never crop up, but pay attention to things like “APR” and whether or not it is fixed.  APR really means the amount of extra money you are going to pay in interest on purchases.  So, the bigger that number, the more that card is going to cost you.  Of course, in college you are not really going to have the credit score to be able to get a really low rated card, but get the lowest you can.

Weigh The Extra Benefits:  It’s hard to find a normal credit card these days.  They all offer cash-back, airline credits, or money donated to important causes.  However, a lot of those cards can afford that because of the money that you are donating to the card themselves.  Extra benefits are going to come at a higher cost – usually factored into the APR.  So, a card that gives you 1% cash back, and charges you 25% interest is really not as great a deal as it sounds.

Different Type Of Debt: Although it may feel like your credit card debt is just like your student loans, or the car loan that you got, this credit functions differently, and it isn’t just your APR.  Monthly payments on a car loan are figured to help you eventually pay off that debt.  Credit card monthly payments are geared to pay off your gaining interest.  Credit companies also evaluate that type of debt differently.  While 20 Grand in student debt raises your future value, 20 grand in credit card debt takes you down.

All of that doesn’t mean that you can’t get a credit card – just that you have to be careful when you do.  Signing on to one that you can afford is a good start.  Keeping on top of it is another important thing.  Keeping a credit card, and paying it off in full every month, actually raises your credit.  But, that means that you can’t ever swipe the card for more money than you have in your bank account.  Credit cards give you the feeling of magic money, and it can be tempting to spend, spend, spend.  But, if you budget around your credit card and are careful to not misuse it, you could find yourself in a better place than you were before.

A secured card is recommended for people with challenged credit or no credit. This card requires a deposit to secure a certain amount of credit, but you will have the same privileges of unsecured cards. A secured card may be used for renting a car or for other purchases that may require a credit card.

Do I Have to Pay Interest on a Secured Credit Card?

Yes, you will be required to pay interest on the credit card if you do not pay the card in full each month. If you are late on the payments, the interest rate may be increased. The credit card company will also report your payment history to a credit reporting company. Poor payment history will damage your credit even with a security deposit.

Who Will a Secured Credit Card Help?

People Who Have No Credit History. If you have no credit history, obtaining a credit card may be difficult because creditors have no way of knowing whether or not you are a responsible person or not. A secured credit card is an excellent way to establish credit if you have none.

People Who Need to Reestablish Their Credit. Secured credit cards to rebuild credit will help clients repair their credit score over time. If your credit history is damaged, you will be able to apply for a secured credit card. Some companies will issue a secured credit card to even a person with the worst credit available.

If you have a Visa or MasterCard and make consistent on time payments, your credit card company will take notice and report this to the credit agency. The credit card company will then serve as a reference for your on-time payments and your credit history will improve.

What Privileges Do I Have with a Secured Credit Card?

Your secured credit card allows individuals to charge hotel reservations, airline tickets and rental car reservations. As long as your credit history is strong, you will have some of the same privileges as some of these other credit cards. If you pay more than the minimum on time each month, many customers may be able to qualify for an unsecured card in as little as 12 months. Secured credit cards are also protected by the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

What Happens If I Get Into Debt Again?

A secured credit card can help you avoid getting deep into debt again. If you do get in debt again and your account becomes delinquent, your security deposit will be seized and your account will be closed. This will help to minimize your losses due to debt.

To avoid getting into debt, do not sign up for a credit card with a subprime interest rate. These cards prey upon people with bad or no credit. The fees on subprime cards can easily total in excess of $200 annually. Most of your credit line may consist of paying fees on a small purchase.

Conclusion

Credit card companies understand that sometimes circumstances in this world cause us to become delinquent on our accounts. However, a secured credit offers a second chance to those who need it. Choose your secured credit card wisely to avoid paying exorbitant interest rates and fees.

Are you looking for ways in which you can consolidate your credit cards? There are different methods to go about getting all of your credit card debts rolled into one monthly payment and each way works a little differently and is right for some people. You’ll want to know your complete financial situation and the various ways in which you can consolidate credit cards before you choose the method that is most appropriate for you. Once you choose a method, you’ll need to stick with it in order to be successful. Some may argue that these methods don’t work, but that’s most likely because the people gave up before they saw success. It’s the same idea as losing weight; as long as you faithfully cut back on your calories and exercise more, you’ll lose weight no matter which diet or exercise routine you do.

One of the easiest, yet more risky, ways to consolidate debt it to use balance transfer credit cards. Many credit card companies offer anywhere from three to eighteen months of 0% interest on balance transfers, so you could take out a card with a 12 month 0% interest rate on balance transfers, move your old debt to the new card. Instead of paying hundreds in interest, all of your payments would go directly to the balance and you’d pay it off much sooner. The risky part of this method comes into play if you can’t get the debt paid off before your interest free grace period ends. Also, you may have more debt than credit limit, in which case you’d have to do this in phases, using a different card each time. It takes some planning, but the rewards are great!

Another way to consolidate debt it to take out a personal loan or, if you are a homeowner, take out a line of credit on your home. These ways carry some risk if you aren’t sure you’ll be able to make the payments because your car, home or other valuable belongings are being held on the line and would be taken from you if you default on your loan. Additionally, if your credit score isn’t good, you’ll pay a higher interest rate.

A third option is to choose credit counseling services which offer guidance by trained professionals. They’ll walk you through the process and help you with getting lower pay offs or interest rates from collectors, manage all of the payments. You simply need to work with them to give them all of your credit card debt information and then send them a monthly payment. They will do the rest of the work for you. To get on with the process of consolidating your cards, head over to consolidatecreditcardebt.net now and start saving hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in interest. Don’t put it off until tomorrow or next week, do it now so that you can be living a debt free life even sooner than you ever dreamed possible!