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Check Your Credit Rating Before Stoozing
Each time you stooz you run the risk of damaging your credit
rating. Each application you make for credit, be it for a credit
card, loan, mortgage or even just for a mobile phone contract,
is recorded and filed away in a central register. This...
Getting the Personal Loans UK with Bad Credit
Personal loans UK can be very useful... they can be used to consolidate debt, make large purchases, and even repair your home. The only problem with personal loans UK is that they might seem difficult to obtain at first, especially if you have less...
How Do You Accept Credit Card: Let Me Count The Ways
Nowadays, everything seems to revolve around plastics. That is,
more and more people are finding credit cards as the most
convenient way to shopping, whether it is online or not.
Hence, with the arrival of credit cards in the market...
Nurse your credit rating with debt counseling
The most important first step you should take is to admit that you have a financial problem. As soon as you do that, you have taken a very big leap towards positive debt counseling and will soon recover from your debt problems. As they always say,...
Stop Think and Listen when Repairing Credit
One of the best tools for repairing credit is to stop, think, and listen. If you are in debt, you need to stop and think about your situation and stay alert to the activities on your credit report. In this article, we are going to examine...
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Ask the Credit Counselor
Q: I am getting married soon. My credit is great, but my husband can’t even get a credit card in his own name due to past credit problems. How will his credit affect mine?
A: The good news is that the credit histories of spouses are not merged. In fact, it is possible to keep your credit history completely separate from your future husband’s, as long as you don’t add each other to your existing accounts or get new credit in both your names.
Keep in mind, though, that if you live in a community property state (Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin) debts incurred by either spouse during the marriage are considered community property. That means if he does start qualifying for credit again, you could be responsible for any debts he incurs while you’re married.
Also be careful about helping your husband rebuild his credit by cosigning new loans with him. By cosigning, you will be entirely responsible for those loans or credit cards. I may sound a bit cynical, but I see these problems all the time. While your betrothed may have told you his poor credit history was due to circumstances beyond his control (and that may be true), my experience is that most people with credit problems don’t learn the skills they need to keep them from repeating their failures.
It sounds like you and your husband have different approaches to handling money. It’s best to sort those issues out before you tie the knot, since money challenges are cited as the number one cause of divorce. Before you walk down the aisle, run – don’t walk – together to a money management course where you can learn how to see eye to eye on this important issue.
Q: Over the past two years I was unemployed and working temporary jobs. I ran up about $20,000 on five credit cards. I am working again full-time and need to lower my interest rates and get on a regular payment schedule. I’ve considered credit counseling, but wonder if I
shouldn’t just try to negotiate lower interest rates on my own. Why not?
A: It’s very important for consumers to keep the lines of communication open with their creditors if they are experiencing problems making payments. At the same time, I doubt you’ll be able to negotiate the same terms that a counseling agency can.
There are several reasons why. First, creditors know when someone enters into a counseling program that they are making a serious effort to repay their debt. Consumers in a counseling program, for example, agree not to take on additional debt. Secondly, creditors know they will be treated fairly when a consumer is in a counseling program. Without the counseling agency as the “go between,” consumers might feel pressured to pay one creditor (you know the “squeaky wheel” adage), which could mean other payments slide. Finally, the counseling agency takes on the responsibility of making monthly payments to each participating creditor. That makes it easier for you, since you only have one monthly payment to make to the counseling agency, but it also means the creditor knows they can get a reliable answer from the agency if a payment isn’t received on time. Together, all this means that most creditors feel much more comfortable negotiating with a professional credit counseling agency instead of directly with consumers.
-- Howard Dvorkin, founder of Consolidated Credit Counseling Services Inc.
Credit Counseling Services Inc., all rights reserved. To ask a question, or to learn more about strategies to reduce your debt, visit www.ConsolidatedCredit.org or call 800-210-3481.
About the Author
Mr. Howard Dvorkin, MBA, CPA, is the Founder of Consolidated Credit
Counseling Services, Inc.™ and www.ConsolidatedCredit.org. He is a noted
financial expert on consumer credit, personal financial planning, and tax
strategies, as well as specializing in both private consumer debt law and
IRS practices and procedures.
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| News and resource directory about credit unions. |
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| Credit/Debt Management - Tools and Advice for Managing Credit and Debt |
| Drowning in debt? Trying to improve your credit score? This is the place for you. Get real world information and tips, as well as the legal low down, ... |
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