The minimum credit card payment is not all you can pay, try to pay over that amount. Paying higher than the minimum payments looks excellent on a credit report and will contribute to a higher FICO score. It also helps your finances by lowering the amount of interest you are paying which will save you money.
Incorporate a set amount of money from your monthly budget that will go directly to repair of your credit file. Setting aside savings from your monthly income is important, however, designating some of that extra income to the repair of your credit is equally as important. Find a balance of savings and repair that makes you comfortable and allows for saving as well.
If disputing an account with the credit agency does not produce results, dispute it with the actual creditor. Send them a letter through the mail advising them that you do not believe that the debt is yours and request that they provide you written proof of the debt. If the account is older, chances are they will not have the records. If they cannot prove the debt they must remove it from your credit report.
If a collection agent will not remove a debt that they cannot verify as yours, contact the attorney general's office where the creditor is located. Advise them that the creditor has no written proof of your debt and will not remove the item from your credit. The attorney general's office will contact the creditor for you to have it removed.
If a company tells you they can create a new credit file for you, run the other way. Creating a second credit file is illegal because it involves creating a new identity for you. If any company offers you this, you should, stop doing business with them even if they just offer it as an option. Otherwise, you would be working with a company that engages in illegal practices.
On a yearly basis, review your credit report for items that could mean your identity has been stolen. If you see inquiries that you did not authorize or accounts opened that you do not recall, start taking action immediately to secure your identity and put a hold on your credit.
If you need to repair your credit, you must decide between two options. You could either hire someone, such as an attorney, that would be familiar with the various credit laws, or you could get your three-in-one credit report, and do it yourself following a guide to help you through the process.
It is a bad idea to threaten credit companies that you are trying to work out a deal with. You may be angry, but only make threats if you're able to back them up. Make sure to act in a cooperative manner when you're dealing with the collection agencies and creditors so you can work out a deal with them.
Use your credit card to pay for everyday purchases but be sure to pay off the card in full at the end of the month. This will improve your credit score and make it easier for you to keep track of where your money is going each month but be careful not to overspend and pay it off each month.
Whether you are repairing your credit or just maintaining good credit, you must inspect your monthly credit card statements carefully. Obviously you want to catch and dispute any charges that seem wrong to you. Your dispute will go better the sooner you start it, so finding suspicious charges as soon as possible is very important.
Just knowing that it's possible to escape from the trap of bad credit can help to motivate you to get started. Once you've started applying the techniques you've learned from this article, you'll start to see results. A better credit history and all of the advantages it brings, will soon be yours.
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