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Credit Cards For People With Bad Credit, Many People Need Them

Feb 15

Posted by admin in Credit

Are you one of many people today that needs to find a company that offers credit cards to people with bad credit? There are many reasons your credit rating may fall. Unexpected illness, job loss, mismanagement of credit can all lower your rating and there isn’t anything you are able to do. Even if it’s just a month or two of delays, it’s a delinquency that will show and bring your credit rating down. Even something that is not of your doing such as identity theft can make a shambles of your credit. It is a period of time that you have to look a bit harder to find a company willing to help you re-establish your credit. They normally will do this by offering you a credit card for people with bad credit.

By researching, you will get an idea of the types of credit cards for people with bad credit that are available today. It will also show you the price you ultimately have to pay to restore your credit worthiness. That price is called interest. Most of the companies that offer credit cards for people with bad credit charge 25 to 30 percent annual percentage rate or APR. Companies such as Providian Financial, Orchard Bank, Citibank and Capital One all have plans to give credit cards to people with bad credit. Because of this price (interest) you need to manage your money and credit issues much wiser than before as there wouldn’t be many other choices after these.

By doing business with one of the above preferred companies is they do report to the 3 major credit scoring companies. What this then does is starts you back on an upward movement with your credit rating. Of course that is conditional on you making your payments on time each and every month. The extra interest you pay by using a credit card for people with bad credit is a small price to get your credit back on solid ground.

Another way for a person to secure a credit card for people with bad credit is with what is called a Secured Credit Card. This is a very helpful way to regain a credit card and proceed to restore your credit. How this works is some companies that deals with credit cards for people with bad credit requests a savings deposit that equals the credit limit on the card. It looks and works the same as any other credit card. Now some institutions that offer this credit card for people with bad credit will increase the credit limit by doubling or tripling the savings deposit amount. These cards also report to the credit agencies so you are improving your credit rating with these types of credit cards for people with bad credit also. This type of program will over time become regular credit cards and the deposit plus interest credited back to the account holder.

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How To Interact With Credit Bureaus

Feb 13

Posted by admin in Credit

While it is possible living without a good credit score, it will certainly make your life much harder. All of us need it in order to buy or rent a home, car, have a credit card etc.

Credit bureaus hold the keys of our credit score. There are only a few credit bureaus in the US and through them all our reports are processed. They handle all the information that any of your creditors submits to them and by using this information your credit report is created.

In case that your credit history is not so good, you will have to start with a credit repair. To do this you are going to have to study how to interact and deal with credit bureaus.

1. First thing that you need to do is to find out exactly which credit bureau contains your file. It is very simple, just take a look at one of the rejection letters that you have received when you applied for credit. In the letter besides other information will be stated which bureau provided has provided your credit report.

2. For the next step you are going to need to get your credit report. It is free to obtain it once per year or every time your credit application has been denied. Be aware that sometimes credit companies can imply that you should always pay for a credit report, but in fact you have to pay for it only in case that you want it right away.

Credit bureaus are basically information collectors and sellers. Because of that you should never provide them with any information that you are not legally obliged to do. And by the law the only info you need to provide is: name, legal address and your social security number.

In some cases bureaus will request of you to provide a social security card copy and a copy of a document that proves your current address, this will happen only in case that your address is different from the one they have on your file.

Sometimes they can also ask you for a copy of your drivers license as proof of your address, just send them a copy of some bill with your address on it. Credit bureaus are the owners of numerous collection agencies, and in case that you have credit problems you should provide them with the smallest amount of info you legally can. Otherwise they can use it to harass you with it.

3. When you get it, check it out carefully for any mistakes. If there are some mistakes in your report, send a letter to the credt bureau in which you request that those mistakes be removed from your report.

Credit bureaus are obligated by law to prove that any item on your report is correct, if they can not do that within 30 days limit, then they must remove it. This is, in most cases, the thing that many credit repair companies will do for you and they are going to charge you dearly for it.

Many times negative items are several years old and hard to verify so they have to be removed from your credit report. You should know that you can save a lot of money if you decide to go through this process alone.

You will need a lot of patience, time and willingness to learn but it can be done. Besides you are going to learn a lot about finances in the process and it can be of great help to you in the future.

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The Chase Travel Plus Platinum Visa Compared

Feb 12

Posted by admin in Credit

Chase has recently added the Chase Travel Plus Platinum Visa to its large offering of rewards credit cards. This low APR, low annual fee travel rewards credit card offers consumers the ability to choose their travel rewards without blackout dates. The question is: how does it compare to other travel credit cards?

Travel Plus Platinum Visa Benefits: Like most travel rewards credit cards, the Travel Plus allows consumers to earn 1 mile for every dollar in purchases. Points can be redeemed for a variety of travel rewards including airline tickets, hotel stays, cruises, and car rentals. Additionally, you can travel domestically or internationally with no blackout dates and choose from over 250 airlines without restrictions. The Travel Plus rewards program is similar to the Flexible Rewards program offered by Chase in that it gives consumers flexibility in using their rewards.

Travel Plus Rate Information: Unlike many travel rewards credit cards that charge exorbitant annual fees, the Travel Plus charges a reasonable $29 a year. However, this small annual fee is easily offset by the value of the 0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers that is in effect for up to 1 year. After that, the variable interest rate is as low as Prime plus 5.99%.

Comparable Credit Cards: The Travel Plus Platinum Visa is unique in that it offers flexibility with regard to how your travel rewards can be used. However, consumers that are willing to sacrifice flexibility may find general airline rewards credit cards to be of better value. For example, The Miles Card from Discover ? Card offers consumers 5,000 bonus miles after their first purchase and charges no annual fee. However, rewards are limited strictly to airline travel. Similarly, the Citi PremierPass (SM) Card offers consumers similar benefits. With this card, you can get up to 15,000 bonus miles after your first purchase. However, an annual fee of $75 is charged. This fee can be avoided by choosing to only receive 5,000 bonus miles and a downsized reward program.

Lastly, Chase offers a number of credit cards that offer Flexible Rewards, including the Chase Platinum card and the Chase Flexible Rewards card. With these no annual fee credit cards, consumers can choose from not only a variety of travel rewards, but also, cashback, giftcards, and merchandise. For those looking to avoid the $29 annual fee, but still seeking flexibility with their credit card rewards, these Chase credit cards may provide the best overall value.

Final Words: The Chase Travel Plus Platinum Visa is among the better travel rewards cards currently on the market, and for individuals looking to earn general travel rewards, it may be the best currently available. However, there are a number of other travel and general rewards credit cards from Chase as well as other issuers that may be worth taking a look at. And, as I always say, read the fine print before making your decision.

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Deciding if an Instant Approval Credit Card is Right for You

Feb 11

Posted by admin in Credit

Many people are attracted to an instant approval credit card because they want instant gratification. Basically, advancements in technology have caused our society to become used to getting things quickly. Credit cards are no exception. While there are many reasons why you might want to get an instant approval credit card, there are many things you need to take into consideration in order to decide if an instant approval credit card is what you are looking for.

Do you need the credit card right away, or can you wait?

If you need a line of credit right away, an instant approval credit card may be just the thing you are looking for. For example, if you had a great business opportunity or vacation package suddenly appear and you need the funds right away, then you might want to apply for an instant approval credit card. Or, if you have unexpected medical expenses or other emergency-related expenses, then you might want to get a credit card right away to help you take care of those expensive. Or, perhaps you lost your job and need to pay your bills. In this case, an instant approval credit card might be what you need in order to stay on top of your living expenses as you get through rough times. If you don’t have a pressing situation to contend with, however, you don’t necessarily need to apply for an instant approval credit card.

You are probably now wondering what could be the harm in applying for an instant approval credit card if you don’t absolutely need a credit card right away. In some cases, there may not be any harm in this. On the other hand, many instant approval credit cards have a higher interest rate than traditional credit cards. Or, they assess processing fees, annual fees, or other membership fees for the convenience of instant approval. If you do not need to have the card right away, it is simply not in your best financial interest to apply for an instant approval credit card online.

Are there benefits to this instant approval credit card that you can use?

If there are special benefits to the instant approval credit card, then it might be a good idea to go ahead and apply for the card. For instance, if the card offers a great introductory APR or if it has a rewards program that suits your lifestyle, then the instant approval credit card might be a good idea. Just be sure to look at what the card has to offer beyond being an instant approval credit card. Don’t let that be the deciding factor that makes you choose the card. Instead, look at the fact that it offers instant approval as a bonus for a credit card you would want to have in your wallet anyway.

As with any credit card, make sure the benefits associated with the instant approval credit card are ones that you will actually use. If, for example, the card provides discounts to restaurants that are not even near to your home, you are not likely to be able to take full advantage of what the card has to offer. Take the time to research available instant approval credit cards online to learn as much as you can about them and to compare them side by side in order to decide the one that is best for you.

Have you applied for any other cards recently?

Applying for an instant approval credit card should not be taken lightly. It is just the same as applying for a traditional credit card, and applying for too many credit cards within a short period of time will reflect negatively on your credit report. Therefore, take the time to research different cards to find the one that you think best suits you and has the best chance of being approved. That way, you don’t have a large number of inquiries into your credit history bringing down your overall credit rating.

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Constant Credit Card Payments

Feb 7

Posted by admin in Credit

Are you trapped into making only minimum payments on your credit cards? I hope not.

Minimum payments decline as the balance on the credit card declines.

Let’s take a credit card with a $2000 balance at 15% interest to use as an example. You would expect to pay about a $40 (2%) monthly payment when you start making your payments:

By making the minimum payment only, it will take you 13 years and 11 months to pay off your credit card and you would expect to pay $2,126 in interest.

However, if you continued paying that $40 until the credit card was paid off, it would only take you 6 years and 6 months to pay off the credit card and you would pay about $1,100 in interest.

You could save over $1,000 in interest and pay it off in half the time. This is what simply starting with a set payment and sticking to it could save. If you can afford that $40 payment when you start, odds are it won’t hurt you later.

Now, let’s take that a step further. What if you paid just $10 more, $50 instead of $40?

That same credit card could be paid off in 4 years and 7 months with only $740 in interest.

Here is how it breaks down:

Minimum Payments – $4126 total payments – 13 years 11 months
Paying $40 per month – $3100 total payments – 6 years 6 months
Paying $50 per month – $2740 total payments – 4 years 7 months

The fact is that every dollar you add to your payment goes toward the balance of the credit card.

I recently completed a Debt Elimination Summary for a couple that had $46,500 in credit card debt on 6 credit cards. Most people would be considering filing bankruptcy in that situation but this couple were determined to pay it off.

Here are the results of the Summary:

They were already paying $785 per month on the credit cards. They decided they could afford to pay another $200 to eliminate their debt sooner.

Minimum Payments – The credit cards would never be paid off.
Paying $785 per month – $78,761 total payments – 8 years 5 months
Paying $985 per month – $66,059 total payments – 5 years 8 months

Would you have thought that you could pay off over $46,000 in credit card debt in just 5 years and 8 months? I’ve seen this done dozens of times. It can and it does work if you stick to it and quit using your credit cards.

If you have multiple credit cards and would like to pay them off as quickly as possible the best way to do this is to write down your credit card name, balance, interest rate and minimum monthly payment.

Then you must decide which credit card to pay off first. There are two schools of thought on this. Most experts believe that you should pay off your highest interest credit card first. You would definitely pay less in the long run.

However, if you need to see results quick to give you an incentive to keep going you could start with the credit card with the lowest balance.

Which ever way you choose, simply add as much money as you can spare to that credit card until it is paid off. Then take the amount you were paying to the first credit card and add it to the next credit card payment and so on until they are all paid in full.

Interest, late fees and penalties are wasted money. The only way to avoid this is to use cash to make your purchases when ever you can.

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Learn How to Improve Your Credit Score!

Feb 6

Posted by admin in Credit

Under state law, consumers in Colorado, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Vermont already have free access to their credit reports.

If you ask, only the last four digits of your Social Security number will appear on your credit reports.

What can I do to improve my Credit Score?

Pay your bills on time. This is the big number one! It’s always good to pay your bills on time and that keeps your credit score healthy. It is especially important that all of your recent bills have been paid on time if you intend to apply for new credit or a new loan. Recent late payments weigh against your credit score tremendously.

Don’t close or open credit card accounts near loan time. A good rule of thumb is do not open any credit accounts near a time when you will be applying for a loan. It can lower your credit score, especially if you do not have a proven track record. What’s more, a new account will lower the average age of your accounts, another factor in your FICO score. (FICO is an acronym for Fair Isaac Credit Organization) If you have several credit card accounts but are only using a few of them, you’ll raise your balance-to-limit ratio if you close the unused ones.

Pay off debt rather than moving debt to other places. The ratio of your credit card balance versus your credit limit is the key, so, closing out an account and transferring the balance someplace else simply means you increase that ratio, which is more than likely to lower your score.

Example: You owe a total of $1000 on four credit cards, each of which has a $1,000 limit. Your total credit limit is $4,000, of which your total balance ($1,000) accounts for 25 percent. If you transfer all your balances to two cards and cancel the other two, your total credit limit is reduced to $2,000, and your $1,000 balance now accounts for 50 percent of that limit.

Reduce your credit card balances. A heavily weighed factor in your FICO score is how much money you owe on your credit cards relative to your total credit limit. Generally, it’s good to keep your balances at or below 25 percent of your credit card limit, said Jeanne Kelly, founder of The Kelly Group in Brookfield, Conn., which helps clients improve their credit scores.

Examine your billing statements for errors. This is a commonly overlooked place to reduce debt. Companies do make mistakes. This includes examining all of your bills, not just your credit card bills. Jennifer Tarzian wrote more about this at youngparentsmagazine You?d be surprised at how much money you recover due to correcting common billing mistakes.

Correct blatant mistakes in your credit report. Your credit score is only as good as what shows up in your credit report. Review your reports from all three credit bureaus for accuracy once a year as well as several months before applying for a loan. Changing a mistake on your report – such as a payment that is wrongly labeled as late – can take 30 days to three months, sometimes longer. The way to obtain your credit score and report is listed above in this article.

Healthy credit is important in today’s day and age. More information sharing between companies has been made easier due to new technology, so any blemishes on your credit will be known by all credit reporting agencies almost immediately. Keeping up with your credit score and taking steps to improve you credit score is essential, so take the time.

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Credit Report Hassles

Feb 4

Posted by admin in Credit

There is no end to the amount of pain that your credit report can cause you. If you have a bad credit history this is something that can follow you around and wreak havoc on your life without you even knowing it. Do you know how many people did not get a job because their credit report was awful? Thousands and how many do you think realized that that was the reason they did not get a call back? I would venture to say a big fat zip. Credit counts for everything nowadays and it is only going to count for more in the future.

Whenever you apply for a job, an apartment, a loan or for credit your report is likely going to get looked at. No one wants to get involved with an unreliable person, especially those who are going to have to depend on this person for some important reason, like a rent check or to keep their business running. That is why people with bad credit find themselves getting the short end of the stick all of the time.

If you have found yourself getting rejected an awful lot lately you may want to sneak a peek at your credit report to see if that is the reason. Even if you have never owned a credit card you may still have bad credit. They are not the only things that get reported to the credit bureaus. If you have any bills in your name, car insurance, heating, anything at all, whether you make your payments or not are all finding their way onto your credit report.

Everyone should be checking their report at least once a year to see how they are doing. If you want to get yours you can visit Equifax, Experian or TransUnion online today to get your free copy.

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